We spoke with Zenith CEO Julien Tornare during LVMH Watch Week 2021 . He detailed how Zenith developed the hot new Chronomaster Sport and why the watch is an especially important launch as Zenith continues expanding its appeal globally in 2021 and beyond .
IW : HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CHRONOMASTER COLLECTION TO THE ZENITH IDENTITY ?
Julien Tornare : It is clear that Chronomaster is a key product collection for us . You may remember that in 2017 we launched the new Defy , and not everybody was pleased that we were emphasizing that Defy collection . At the time I had issues with the Chronomaster collection because it was going in too many directions at once . This made some people confused . It had a variety of size , shape , colors , and it was too much of a patchwork .
But Defy was selling well ; we have been fortunate . Defy was giving the brand fresh air , exactly what we – with Mr . Biver – wanted at that time . And it gave me time to sit back with my friend Romain Marietta ( products development , heritage director at Zenith ) and think about the key design elements for Zenith , specifically for Chronomaster . We started to show some new designs in 2019 with the 50th anniversary celebration of the El Primero .
Of course we were scheduled to launch the new Chronomaster Sport this past June . Plus , we were to launch a new classic version later during 2020 . So now we are on a slightly delayed schedule .
ARE YOU PLEASED WITH THE REACTION TO THE NEW CHRONOMASTER SPORT ?
We knew that we would bring back an iconic watch with the Chronomaster , which many people were waiting for . We expected a good reaction , but the reaction since it was launched has been incredible . We did not expect the enthusiasm to such a great extent . I am very happy and proud and I congratulate our entire team .
The morning after we launched the new Chronomaster Sport I had messages from all over the world . I had so many retailers I have known call and say they needed this new Chronomaster .
DOES THE CHRONOMASTER SPORT COMPLETE THE COLLECTION ?
Now it is very clear what Chronomaster is . We have the Revival , we have the Chronomaster Sport , and coming up next we ’ ll have the Classic side . This repositions Chronomaster very clearly for us . Chronomaster for me is the past and present . And Defy is the present and the future . So they are connected and complementary .
HOW DID YOU APPROACH DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHRONOMASTER SPORT ?
We looked at three pieces in 2018 to help us design the new Chrono master sport .
The Zenith A277 was made in 1965 , for years before El Primero . But you can already see this sporty influence on the new watch , especially with the sporty bezel and a bracelet . Then , a few years after that , we launched the Luka . This was also a big deal for us . Here you see it again the black bezel , the sporty chronograph look , and the same basic bracelet .
And finally , we looked at the Rainbow , which was also very important for us in the 1980s in the 1990s . That case , and again with the sporty bezel , were influential .
All three of these watches help us create the new Chronomaster Sport .
Of course we added the Zenith three-color chronograph counters . We worked on those colors to have them elegant and more beautiful – not too flashy . The blue and the grays are quite light and very slightly shiny . The watch is 41mm in diameter and 13.6mm thick , so still elegant and not too thick . Easy to wear .
AND YOU USED A NEW MOVEMENT INSIDE ?
Of course , we worked on the movement , which is the El Primero 3600 . The upgrades from the earlier El Primero include the column wheel in blue , which makes it clearly visible . We added ten hours to the power reserve to reach a total of sixty hours of power reserve .
And for me a real chronograph should be one-tenth of a second , like the El Primero . When you get 36,000 vph , which is 5 Hz , you can measure one-tenth of a second exactly . With 3 Hz and 4 Hz you measure the one-sixth or the one-eighth of a second , which is not really how we measure any event . And here we really wanted to show off our ability to measure one-tenth of a second .
Zenith can now showcase three different watches with chronograph hands rotating around their dials at three different rotation speeds .
FALL 2021 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 87