zenith watches price list

Zenith Elite Captain Central Second (ref. 18.2020.670/01.C498)The new Zenith Elite Captain Central Second automatic watch is one of the most affordable dressy timekeepers powered by superbly-designed in-house movements.Those of you who keep an eye on the Swiss watch manufacture Zenith, probably know, how bad was the brand’s financial situation in the midst of the world economic crisis.While their eccentric ultra-luxury models priced about $500,000 each were selling like hot pancakes in the first half of the year 2008, the year 2009 was simply disastrous. Sales of LVMH’s watches and jewelry plummeted 19 percent to 764 million euro with Zenith leading the way with 25 percent decline in sales.By the time, Zenith had 16 main collections with around 800 models. The manufacture’s workforce counted 250 people with 25 métiers, 15 engineers, and 12 watchmakers devoted to complications. It was good when the brand’s sales were skyrocketing, but when the recession stroke, someone had to clear the mess consolidate the business. In the middle of the year, LVMH bid farewell to Zenith’s “worldwide President” Thierry Nataf and appointed Jean-Frederic Dufour, former production head at their another premium brand Chopard, as a new CEO.In his efforts to save the business, Mr. Dufour was so enthusiastic that he immediately fired around 70 of his employees and reduced the total number of models from 800 to only 150 divided in four main collections: heaute horlogery line Academy, which includes high complications; Chronomaster and Class line, all powered by their El Primero movement; Defy, the sporty line targeting the same customers as Hublot; and the entry-level Elite series.Starting as low as $4000, the Elite seems to be one of the most affordable Swiss watches powered by a real manufacture-made movement, not some redecorated mass-produced job from ETA, Soprod, etc.Their latest addition to the collection is the new Zenith Elite Captain watch. The watch is powered by the automatic Zenith caliber Elite 670 with a central second hand and a small date functions (the movement is also capable of showing the power reserve, but the watch comes without this useful complication.) The caliber has been produced since 1994 and has already proved its reputation of a highly reliable and accurate movement.Measuring around 25.6 mm in diameter and only 3.465 mm in thickness, the movement is compact enough to enable Zenith’s engineers create very thin watches. The Elite Captain, for example, is produced in a stainless steel body that is 40 mm in diameter and only 8 mm in height, which makes the watch look good even on a very skinny wrist.Judging by the company’s online catalogue, the watch is delivered in four color / strap variations: two versions come equipped with a silver sunray dial and gold-plated hour and minute hands, and two more sport black dial with stainless steel hands. Both models are available either on an alligator leather strap with stainless steel pin buckle or on a metal bracelet with stainless steel triple folding buckle.Too bad there is no version in rose gold with a chocolate brown dial and rose gold hands. That one would truly own my heart.Plain and simple, the Elite Captain is almost an ideal dressy watch for today’s cash-strapped consumer.

The Benchmark for Accuracy - The First Automatic El Primero Integrated Chronograph with 1/10th of a Second Display The legendary El Primero movement developed by the Manufacture Zenith and first introduced on January 10, 1969 has proved a perpetual source of fascination. While all movement manufacturers were capable of producing automatic movements for classic watches, none had thus far ventured to develop such a system for a chronograph movement. It is historically acknowledged as the "first chronograph calibre with automatic winding by an oscillating weight pivoting on a centrally-placed ball bearing mechanism". Making an El Primero movement involves: a symbolic nine months of work during which 20 watchmakers play successive roles in developing and crafting this movement no less than 5,500 operations. 50 milling operations of various dimensions on the dial side. 77 other milling operations on the bridge side - 5 and 50 operations for each part - 18 different metals in its classic version. The heart of the El Primero beats at a rate of 36,000 vibrations per hour or in other words 864,000 a day, meaning 315,360,000 beats per year. One vibration corresponds to the position of the lever as it swings to and fro, making the alternating "tick" and "tock" sounds. As there are 3,600 seconds in an hour (60 seconds times 60 minutes), and since El Primero beats at a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour, the hands actually thus make 10 jumps per second, thereby marking off tenths of a second. Enhanced precision and readability through jumping seconds The Jumping Seconds chronograph is distinguished by a chronograph hand completing its rotation in just 10 seconds and thereby considerably improving the 1/10th of a second read-off. This significant new feature is backed by six-times larger divisions on the outer dial ring (10 seconds instead of 60) enabling totally accurate readings to within 1/10th of second. One particularly important feature of this model lies in the chronograph stop function. When it is stopped, the hand-locking system brings the hand to an extremely precise halt, since the brake-lever positions the hand between two of the 100 teeth on the chronograph wheel, thereby further enhancing the precision of the 1/10th of a second read-off. The original El Primero movement sweeps around the dial in 60 seconds in tiny 1/10th of a second jumps, meaning the chronograph hand performs 600 jumps a minute. The ultra-fast stopping and restarting of this large chronograph hand 10 times a second calls for a huge amount of energy. The watch functions had to be significantly improved and optimised to enable this energy-consuming acceleration. Seeking to reduce the energy required naturally entailed making the movement wheels as light as possible, which is why some of them are in silicon �C a material three and a half times lighter than its traditional counterparts. An attractive new face Driven by the El Primero 4052 B automatic calibre, the new El Primero Jumping Seconds chronograph comes in a choice of 18-carat rose gold or stainless steel for its 42mm case that is water-resistant to 100 meters and fitted with a transparent sapphire crystal on either side. The silver sunray-brushed dial features circular satin-brushed zones for the rose gold version. Both the stainless steel model and the gold model feature three counters. On the stainless steel version, these come in subtle shades of blue and grey. The faceted hands and hour-markers coated with Superluminova are rhodium-plated, or gold-plated on the rose gold models. The distinctive 1/10th of a second indication is clearly marked off by the dedicated chronograph hand. This elegantly sophisticated model is fitted with a choice of rubber-lined black or brown alligator leather strap, secured to the wrist by a pin buckle in stainless steel or 18kr rose gold, or by a stainless steel bracelet with triple folding clasp. Vividly embodying a revolutionary technical enhancement that is reflected in its stand-out design, the El Primero Jumping Seconds chronograph takes high-precision timing read-off to a whole new level.