Zenith

It’s estimated that there are about 30,000 Zenith watches produced each year. The Zenith watch company produces timepieces annually for each of their many collections.

Zenith is a luxury watch brand, as all Zenith watches are Swiss made in the brand’s studio in Le Locle, Switzerland. With over 150 years of watchmaking expertise, Zenith have an array of acclaimed movements and highly precise mechanisms, with innovative complications. Zenith’s reputation as a watchmaker with many complex creations to its name makes the brand a luxury watch manufacturer, as these pieces are desirable to watch fans.

Zenith watches are made in Le Locle, Switzerland in the brand’s studio. All Zenith watches are driven by the watchmaker’s in-house manufactured movements, meaning Zenith develop, construct and test their watches internally, to meet their own as well as Swiss-made watchmaking standards.

The LVMH (Louis Vuitton-Moët Hennesy) group owns Zenith watches. The luxury goods group also owns TAG Heuer, Hublot and more. LVMH bought the Zenith watch company in 1999, and some of the innovative movements and mechanisms that Zenith created were incorporated into watches produced by other Houses in the LVMH group. The Zenith watch company was first owned by its founder George Favre-Jacot, under George Favre-Jacot & Co. The company was named ‘Zenith’ after its ground-breaking movement in 1911. Zenith merged with watch brand Movado in 1968 and later Mondia, before it was acquired by Zenith Radio Company, an American electrics company, to open the watchmaker up to opportunities in the US during the quartz crisis. Dixi bought the company in 1978, and Zenith watches was finally sold to the LVMH group in 1999.

Zenith has many brand ambassadors and wearers, including NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, contemporary artist Felipe Pantone, techno and electronic star Carl Cox, and ex-professional tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou. All Zenith wearers and ambassadors embody Zenith’s slogan of ‘Reach Your Star!’, as people who are dedicated and committed to their craft. Those who wear Zenith watches value precision and skill, just like the renowned watchmaker.

Zenith watches have a very rich history, and so there are many different watches that could appeal to collectors. During the quartz crisis for example, the Zenith watch company made the shift to quartz-driven timepieces, so many vintage Zenith watches are battery-powered. Although, even earlier models had precise mechanical movements that were considered pioneering at their time, and are desirable to horology fans and collectors, especially Zenith watches that boast the El Primero movement. Many Zenith watches are rare and highly sought after, which makes them very collectible.

The price of Zenith watches ranges typically from around £5,000 to £30,000. Higher value models are usually crafted in luxurious materials such as 18ct gold with complex technical movements and complications.