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IF THERE IS one thing Zenith can stake its reputation on, it’s the fact that it will always push the limits of what is thought to be possible in watchmaking. Throughout its esteemed history, Zenith has dared to think outside of the box by hitching its wagon to like-minded innovators.
In 1913, during Zenith’s early days, one of the watchmaker’s timepieces accompanied French aviation pioneer Louis Blériot on the first ever flight across the English Channel. Nearly a century later, a Zenith watch became the first timepiece to free-fall through the stratosphere when Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner plummeted back to earth with a Zenith El Primero on his wrist. Even the great Mahatma Gandhi, in spite of his well-documented aversion to material possessions, was known to keep a Zenith watch.
This attachment to changemakers and boundary pushers is still driving Zenith to this day. Whether it be through a dive watch like the Defy Extreme Diver that can withstand ocean depths up to 600 metres, or through an ultra-precise movement like the El Primero automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre, which operates at a rate of 5Hz to deliver a true 1/10th of a second chronograph function, testing limits is as central to Zenith’s identity as the brand’s iconic star logo.
For the September/October 2024 issue of Esquire, we imbibed in the smouldering embrace that only the cold steel of a Zenith watch can bring, capturing some of the watchmaker’s standout timepieces. See the full photoshoot here.
nets), $17,500. Photography: Michael Comninus. Creative Direction: Grant Pearce. Prop styling: Roze Hooij.
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