How do you perceive Zenith watches?

[yetra]

gregd said:

Lovely Limited Edition Hodinkee example now available.. Very tempting but a Speedmaster is next on my wanted list..

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/introducing-the-...

As much I despise hipstinkee I must say I really like this watch.

[Jimmy Recard]

Zenith? Fantastic watches. I have to have something with an El Primero inside at some point.

[nikaiyo2]

sas782b said:

I agree they don't have the recognition but that is part of the appeal for me. Zenith did have a wayward period about 5+ years ago when some of the designs were frankly hideous.

Some years ago the El Primero movement was used inside the Rolex Daytona.

]

Love the top picture

They are still capable of howlers, this could be yours for $243,000

[drainbrain]

Podie said:

True, or maybe it's that it's the movement that's iconic and not the watch design...

The famous movement certainly enjoyed prolonged use in the Daytona, but haute horologie it really ain't. Just a great workhorse. Design wise, there's 1000's of them. For the most part over busy faces and often fairly colourful too. Not all watch fiends like either of these aspects. Simple and subtle? mmmm. Maybe not. Their efforts at that end up pretty dull.

As to their top of the range models, forget it. No-one of any taste would buy one against a high end FPJ, JLC, A L&S, VC, Breuget, Audemars, Patek and many more.

Having said that if you need a very decent reasonably priced daily beater, and especially if you need chronograph functions for anything more than cluttering up a watch face then they do swathes of models to choose from.

If it was a car it'd be a Volvo.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

TheJimi said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

TheJimi said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

el stovey said:

TheJimi said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

In all honestly until I read this forum I thought they were a budget brand alongside Timex etc.

I'm struggling to believe this, tbh.

Unless you've *never* looked in the display window of a decent jewellers, it would be fairly obvious that Zenith are just a wee bit more high end that Timex!

They're not that well known as a brand really. You don't see them plastered all over Grand Prix tracks and tennis courts or on James Bond, They're certainly not the go to watch brand for Russian criminals or anyone else out to show they can afford a nice watch like Rolex or other "I've made it" brands. I just asked my wife if she'd heard of zenith watches and she hadn't. I've certainly pointed them out on many occasions to her.

This, advertising works evidently.

No, the Mk1 eyeball works. In that all you need to do is glance in a display window to see that they aren't Timex competitors.

What I find confusing is that you seem to be someone with at least a passing interest in watches. I just find it very hard to believe that you've never seen them in a display window.

I have now, but as we don't have any jewellers in my city that don't go beyond the Rolex, Tag and the other main makers they aren't a brand I had explored as I hasn't really heard of them, which I can only assume is down to their lack of advertising.

If it helps, until recently I presumed the same about Tudor.

What I don't understand is that you've heard of both Zenith and Tudor. Where did you hear about them?

You don't read or hear about something without context, and any context involving a mention of Tudor or Zenith isn't gonna involve budget watches.

I'm not sure what you find hard to understand. I've heard of both, possibly from posts on the internet, possibly from other people but the first thing to enter my mind when someone mentions a watch isn't how much it costs. Rightly or wrongly I simply assumed a watch named Zenith with it's (from my limited exposure) slightly gaudy designs and lack of advertising links with other premium events/sports was a budget brand.

I'm not a watch expert

[13m]

drainbrain said:

The famous movement certainly enjoyed prolonged use in the Daytona, but haute horologie it really ain't. Just a great workhorse. Design wise, there's 1000's of them. For the most part over busy faces and often fairly colourful too. Not all watch fiends like either of these aspects. Simple and subtle? mmmm. Maybe not. Their efforts at that end up pretty dull.

As to their top of the range models, forget it. No-one of any taste would buy one against a high end FPJ, JLC, A L&S, VC, Breuget, Audemars, Patek and many more.

Having said that if you need a very decent reasonably priced daily beater, and especially if you need chronograph functions for anything more than cluttering up a watch face then they do swathes of models to choose from.

If it was a car it'd be a Volvo.

Interesting assessment.

The EP has an advantage over the Daytona in as much as it has a date complication. That is an advantage in my eyes ate least.

[klmhcp]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

TheJimi said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

TheJimi said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

el stovey said:

TheJimi said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

In all honestly until I read this forum I thought they were a budget brand alongside Timex etc.

I'm struggling to believe this, tbh.

Unless you've *never* looked in the display window of a decent jewellers, it would be fairly obvious that Zenith are just a wee bit more high end that Timex!

They're not that well known as a brand really. You don't see them plastered all over Grand Prix tracks and tennis courts or on James Bond, They're certainly not the go to watch brand for Russian criminals or anyone else out to show they can afford a nice watch like Rolex or other "I've made it" brands. I just asked my wife if she'd heard of zenith watches and she hadn't. I've certainly pointed them out on many occasions to her.

This, advertising works evidently.

No, the Mk1 eyeball works. In that all you need to do is glance in a display window to see that they aren't Timex competitors.

What I find confusing is that you seem to be someone with at least a passing interest in watches. I just find it very hard to believe that you've never seen them in a display window.

I have now, but as we don't have any jewellers in my city that don't go beyond the Rolex, Tag and the other main makers they aren't a brand I had explored as I hasn't really heard of them, which I can only assume is down to their lack of advertising.

If it helps, until recently I presumed the same about Tudor.

What I don't understand is that you've heard of both Zenith and Tudor. Where did you hear about them?

You don't read or hear about something without context, and any context involving a mention of Tudor or Zenith isn't gonna involve budget watches.

I'm not sure what you find hard to understand. I've heard of both, possibly from posts on the internet, possibly from other people but the first thing to enter my mind when someone mentions a watch isn't how much it costs. Rightly or wrongly I simply assumed a watch named Zenith with it's (from my limited exposure) slightly gaudy designs and lack of advertising links with other premium events/sports was a budget brand.

I'm not a watch expert

I agree completely. I've had a passing interest in watches for about 15 years but up to about 3 years ago would have said zenith was an Argos watch. Maybe it's just he name.

[sas782b]

nikaiyo2 said:

sas782b said:

I agree they don't have the recognition but that is part of the appeal for me. Zenith did have a wayward period about 5+ years ago when some of the designs were frankly hideous.

Some years ago the El Primero movement was used inside the Rolex Daytona.

]

Love the top picture

They are still capable of howlers, this could be yours for $243,000

Agreed. That is the kind of watch I meant. Basically the Direction Zenith was taking prior to Dufour taking over. He has since moved on but Zenith are back on track imho.

ETA - although that is a current model I believe - Stones special edition?

[Podie]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

TheJimi said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

TheJimi said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

el stovey said:

TheJimi said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

In all honestly until I read this forum I thought they were a budget brand alongside Timex etc.

I'm struggling to believe this, tbh.

Unless you've *never* looked in the display window of a decent jewellers, it would be fairly obvious that Zenith are just a wee bit more high end that Timex!

They're not that well known as a brand really. You don't see them plastered all over Grand Prix tracks and tennis courts or on James Bond, They're certainly not the go to watch brand for Russian criminals or anyone else out to show they can afford a nice watch like Rolex or other "I've made it" brands. I just asked my wife if she'd heard of zenith watches and she hadn't. I've certainly pointed them out on many occasions to her.

This, advertising works evidently.

No, the Mk1 eyeball works. In that all you need to do is glance in a display window to see that they aren't Timex competitors.

What I find confusing is that you seem to be someone with at least a passing interest in watches. I just find it very hard to believe that you've never seen them in a display window.

I have now, but as we don't have any jewellers in my city that don't go beyond the Rolex, Tag and the other main makers they aren't a brand I had explored as I hasn't really heard of them, which I can only assume is down to their lack of advertising.

If it helps, until recently I presumed the same about Tudor.

What I don't understand is that you've heard of both Zenith and Tudor. Where did you hear about them?

You don't read or hear about something without context, and any context involving a mention of Tudor or Zenith isn't gonna involve budget watches.

I'm not sure what you find hard to understand. I've heard of both, possibly from posts on the internet, possibly from other people but the first thing to enter my mind when someone mentions a watch isn't how much it costs. Rightly or wrongly I simply assumed a watch named Zenith with it's (from my limited exposure) slightly gaudy designs and lack of advertising links with other premium events/sports was a budget brand.

I'm not a watch expert

A walk along Oxford Street this morning, and you see Omega, TAG, Rolex (and Tudor if you look closely) and Patek Philippe in the windows.

Even Seiko is more prominent (in H Samuels) than anything bearing the Zenith name.

[protemporum]

Zenith have, for a long time, had a "market perception" problem. Most of which i believe stems from the U.S.A. Where the Zenith brand name was (still is?) owned by a very large, and very protective, electronics company. They refused the sale of 'zenith' branded watches for many years.

[drainbrain]

protemporum said:

Zenith have, for a long time, had a "market perception" problem. Most of which i believe stems from the U.S.A. Where the Zenith brand name was (still is?) owned by a very large, and very protective, electronics company. They refused the sale of 'zenith' branded watches for many years.

That's the Zenith who used to make great radios. Owned by LG now.

[nikaiyo2]

sas782b said:

Agreed. That is the kind of watch I meant. Basically the Direction Zenith was taking prior to Dufour taking over. He has since moved on but Zenith are back on track imho.

ETA - although that is a current model I believe - Stones special edition?

Yeah it's the Stones special edition, I don't really get why the stones would do it?

[tertius]

I love them, one of my favourite makers, very under-rated. I have had several:

Two El Primeros:



Still have the black one, and its very unlikely ever to be sold.

Three vintage:

[Animal]

jules_s said:

The Zenith el primero rainbow flyback is the perfect watch IMO

I love mine - I hope I'm buried wearing it!

[leglessAlex]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

I'm not sure what you find hard to understand. I've heard of both, possibly from posts on the internet, possibly from other people but the first thing to enter my mind when someone mentions a watch isn't how much it costs. Rightly or wrongly I simply assumed a watch named Zenith with it's (from my limited exposure) slightly gaudy designs and lack of advertising links with other premium events/sports was a budget brand.

I'm not a watch expert

The full quote is getting a bit large, but I'm much the same as LOH in this.

I like watches, but I don't get out and about that much so I don't look in shop windows. On the odd occasion I do, I vaguely recall seeing Zenith but have never paid that much attention. Anyway, a lot of my information is just from reading on the internet and while I've seen the name Zenith come up a fair bit, I never realised what league they were in. Add to that the designs that aren't really my cup of tea and I just would never have thought they are as good as they are.

[13m]

Turns out we have a Zenith agent nearby and I tried on an El Primero 42mm on black strap over the weekend. To be honest I was slightly underwhelmed and the watch lacked presence.

The 45mm on the other hand was like a saucer on a strap.

I wonder whether the EP in a different colour may look better than the standard.

[djtex]

Not an El Primero admittedly but I love my Port Royal Elite Reserve de Marche, was a big purchase for me at the time 11 years ago. Bit of a shame they stopped the rectangular watches completely in my opinion. They are beautifully made though.

[scott-1vt9j]

Love Zenith watches. Their marketing is quite poor, hence some ignorance, but the classic designs are great. I have several and regret selling a 1965 Respirator

[jimmyslr]

I have one. I bought it knowing they were a little a left field, not as well recognised as some, but they have a solid engineering provenance, including an in house movement. To me those were positive points, but not to all. I see chaps (almost always chaps) looking and wondering sometimes. That makes me smile and I'm pleased with that.

Each to his own, but for me the slight difference is a good thing.

[Bobajobbob]

I have a Zenith Daytona which I prefer to the more modern versions with the in house movement because of the dial colour and placement.