also in blue. As a result the entire watch looks quite different from the Chronomaster
version.
And we also have a world premiere, the Defy Double Tourbillon. We took the Defy
21 and hey we added a double tourbillon. It’s 46mm with forty pieces in carbon and ten
in platinum. One of the tourbillons functions at 5 Hz and the other functions at 50 Hz.
One is for the chronograph and the other regulates the hours, minutes and seconds. It is
a spectacular watch.
WHAT CAN I OUR READERS EXPECT IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO
FROM ZENITH?
It is quite simple. Zenith has 154 years of history, and I’m so happy about that. It’s
a richness that we have to utilize. But we should not sleep on our history. We need
to express it in a contemporary way. We need to create to bring new things forward.
People want to buy 21st century pieces, and they want to show that our industry
The Zenith Defy
Inventor, which
features a one-piece
silicon oscillator
vibrating at 18 Hz, or
129,600 VpH
is dynamic.
In our new ad campaign, we emphasize how are need to look ahead, how we
continue to build. We all have a star that we want to reach, whether at work or within
our family, and we get things done. That’s the message, about what kind of values
you have.
HOW DOES WATCHMAKING ENHANCE ITS APPEAL TO YOUNGER BUYERS?
Many people will tell you that the big challenge is to make sure that Millennials are inter-
HOW WILL THE DEFY INVENTOR BE RELEASED? ested in watchmaking. If we want to make sure that they don’t just place a cell phone
In a perfect world I would like 1,000 of these. But for now we will make 300 to 400 in on their wrist, we need to show them that this is a very dynamic Industry and that we
2019. Moving from ten initially to 300 or 400 is a good start. It’s priced at 18,900 Swiss are bringing them new things. We have to show that we are living in the 21st-century.
francs (approximately $18,900). Developing this is very costly. Financially we could This is very important.
not ask any less than this amount. On the other hand, it tells only hours minutes and
seconds and is not a complication. Still, there is no other watch like it, so we do not
I will always respect the past, but we will express it in a contemporary way.
In the middle of all this, we need to be sure that the brand remains authentic – and
want to under price it. So I think it is correctly priced for Zenith and for the creativity not just as a nice marketing word. This means that I will not do a connected watch
and technology needed to develop it. tomorrow, or mix up all of our materials. There are other brands that do that. Chronom-
etry and precision are linked to Zenith. Also, we are one of the remaining four or five
HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE HISTORICAL ZENITH OFFERINGS WITH THE
CUTTING-EDGE ZENITH?
It is important to have this balance. We live in a world where tradition and history only
brands that can say that one hundred percent of our watches has our own movement, a
Zenith movement.
I came from a brand (Vacheron Constantin) that worked hard to become a one
makes sense when it serves to move the brand into the future. Clearly Defy is playing a hundred percent manufacturing brand, and I strongly believe in that. Millennials live in a
role. It is already in contemporary design using a new invention, but that doesn’t mean virtual world, where there are fakes everywhere, and I am convinced that for a mechan-
we shouldn’t keep an elegant, classic watch. This means the Chronomaster and the Pilot. ical watch they will want a piece that has substance and real content.
Do you know that we are the only brand that owns the name pilot? We are the only
I want to say that Zenith is real content. You can visit Zenith, see our movements and
brand where we can place the word pilot on the dial. Next year will be an important see how we do it. In short, we have a long history and authenticity, and we express it in
year for the pilot line. Today we are only doing vintage pilot’s pieces, but tomorrow we a nice but fun way.
have much more to do on this front.
anniversary pieces have fifty-year warranties. The warranty will expire when we have ZENITH NOW GIVES MANUFACTURE TOURS TO THE PUBLIC EACH FRIDAY.
HOW IS THAT GOING?
the 100-year anniversary event. This is a full warranty that includes the maintenance and Our public tours have been amazing. Every Friday, when I am not traveling, I go to
the service. The owner won’t pay a single penny these watches. meet our visitors from all over the world. I wish we could welcome more people. We
We have been celebrating our anniversary with a lot of cool things. Our El Primero
are open to the world.
WHICH ADDITIONAL 2019 ZENITH DEBUTS CAN YOU HIGHLIGHT?
Defy 21 has been a huge hit for us. Our newest version, which I really love, is a carbon
edition of the Defy 21. But this is not molded carbon, is it carbon made layer by layer.
The watch is a lot of fun because of its once-per-second hand. This type of carbon
rendering almost looks like wood because of the grain that appears because of the
layering of the carbon.
Regarding complications at Zenith, we started again last year with the Defy Zero G,
and now we have two pieces, both with a lot contrasts. One of them uses a fusee chain,
and now inside the Defy case it is quite different. I also asked our watchmakers to make
the chain blue in the center of that dark movement. They did, and it looks very cool.
We have the key element of the watch highlighted. Previously, it was golden it
appeared a bit more old-fashioned or a traditional. Since this is now in Defy, we can
have fun with this.
We have made forty pieces in carbon and ten pieces in platinum. The tourbillon is
Zenith in Le Locle
offer public tours
every Friday
SUMMER 2019 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 57