Zenith History

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History Of Zenith

In 1865, under the guidance of Georges Favre-Jacot, one of the most mythical manufacturers of quality watches was born. A 22-year old visionary, he was the first to create the very concept of a watchmaking Manufacture. He brought all artisan watchmakers together under one roof, providing them with heat and light, allowing them thus to dedicate themselves entirely to the design of their timepieces.

From the hand of the watchmaker, “manus” in Latin, came the etymology of the word “Manufacture”.

One evening, Georges Favre-Jacot perfected a movement which he considered almost perfection. He went out into the silver night and lifted his eyes towards the heavenly sky. And the cosmos spoke to him. He saw a gigantic constellation turning around the Pole star, similar in its complexity to the movements of the pivots and the wheels on their axes. He decided then to call his new movement, and its Manufacture, after the word that designates the highest point in the universe, ZENITH. He adopted the star as a symbol, a shining good luck charm, a celestial guide towards a promising destiny.

From then on, protected by this radiance, the Manufacture with its 2000 golden hands, traversed the 20th century with style. 1565 awards, over 50 mythical calibres, branches throughout the world, from New York to Paris, from Moscow to Tokyo. History is in the making, led by exceptional men and women, who conscious of the treasure they hold in their hands, develop it with love, while keeping true to the founding values: beauty, truth, integrity, precision, and mastery over complexity. Furthermore, not content to simply perpetuate tradition, they reinvent it.

Today, the Manufacture continues to meet its challenge: to combine beauty and mechanical perfection, subtly uniting tradition with modernity. In the heavens, the ZENITH star continues to shine, as if Georges Favre-Jacot, from a panoramic vantage point, continues to look after his heritage, observing the work of his successors.

1865 - ZENITH is born in the Swiss Jura thanks to the initiative of Georges Favre-Jacot, one of the most mythical names amongst high quality watchmakers. A 22 year old visionary, he is the first to create the real concept of a watchmaking manufacture.

1875 - Success comes rapidly. In 1875, the company already has over one thousand employees. It creates pocket watches, pendulum clocks and counter instruments for the navy.

1896 - Georges Favre-Jacot is awarded a gold medal at the Swiss National Exhibition in Geneva. Four years later, honours at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. These prizes and awards, acknowledging the quality and the precision of his timepieces, continued to increase over the years. The company with its thousand talented workforce sails through the 20th century in glory: 1565 awards and over 50 mythical movements.

1911 - Georges Favre-Jacot decides to give the company, which still bore his name, a lasting identity. He names it “Manufacture ZENITH”. According to the legend, as he was walking one night under a starry sky in the Swiss mountains the idea came to him to give to his best movement, and later also to the company, the name of the highest point in the sky. A star hence became the symbol of the company, evidencing the special importance that Georges Favre-Jacot saw between mechanical time and cosmic time.

1920 - The company has already produced two million timepieces. The desire to communicate this passion further afield sparks the idea of opening branches in Geneva, Moscow, Paris, Vienna, London and New York... Carried by the thrust of this magnificent effort, ZENITH starts its international history. This is ongoing: today, ZENITH has 17 subsidiaries and its business is equally shared between America, Europe and Asia.

1930 - During the 30s, also because of the progress achieved in fields such as civil aviation, the watchmaking industry is required to offer greater precision. A benchmark in the production of high quality mechanical movements, ZENITH Manufacture diversifies its production and its marine pieces were to be found on seaplanes of the French navy, on board Royal Navy vessels, as well as the Italian and British navy.

1940 - During the 40s and the years that followed the war, ZENITH Manufacture goes back to basics and thanks to its experience and maturity, decides to concentrate on its core business. Faithful to its innovative spirit and its faith in progress, new automatic movements are developed, in a quest for the perfect movement.

1969 -  throbbing at 36,000 vibrations per hour, the El Primero movement is born, the first integrated automatic chronograph, a triumph over the challenge to fit in the smallest possible space a maximum of technical functionality. Today it still is the fastest automatic chronograph and the most precise in the world.

1970 - The end of this decade also sees the arrival of quartz. ZENITH Manufacture takes up the challenge, whilst still preserving its precious tooling awaiting the return of mechanical movements that it considers inevitable. In doing so it does not lose its heart, or its soul.

1980 - Whilst the beautiful mechanical watches are once again riding the wave, ZENITH Manufacture has all the necessary equipment to relaunch the El Primero movement. Having become famous, it is in great demand, also by other prestigious watchmakers.

1994 - Animated by exuberant dynamism, it creates new watches, like the extra slim Elite movement. Thanks to its outstanding know-how in traditional watchmaking, ZENITH Manufacture enters the third millennium with confidence and an even greater desire for innovation and modernity.

1999 - The LVMH Group (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) acquires ZENITH Manufacture, a rare pearl that it wants to turn into a leading star of watchmaking in the 20th century.

2001 - The rebirth: ZENITH searches the depths of its past hundred years to reinvent itself. Drawing inspiration from the legacy of its young and brilliant founder, ZENITH forges a unique style, classical and yet innovative, the link between tradition and modernity.

2002 - During the Basel Watch Fair in 2002, ZENITH launches 4 new movements and 14 new models representing 52 new variations. History is on the move...

2003 - Launch of the Chronomaster Open El Primero, a technological innovation enabling a view of the beating heart of the movement through an opening in the dial. This model rapidly becomes the icon of the ZENITH Manufacture and encounters a resounding success.

The company also decides to turn its attention to ladies and offer them a range in their image, beautiful and intelligent: the Star. Great enthusiasm ensues. Sales of this segment show continuous growth and today have reached a third of total production.

The production facilities are modernised with the new digital manufacturing technology. However, the watchmaker’s craft remains at the centre of it all and old manual or semi automatic skills are reinstated (angling and decorating craftsmen...).

2004 - The first Tourbillon ZENITH: integrated to the El Primero chronograph, it is the fastest Tourbillon in the world. Thanks to this watchmaking masterpiece, the ZENITH star now shines high in the heavens of the most prestigious Watchmakers.

It obtains the “Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie” in Geneva, the prize for men’s watch. The Grande Chronomaster Open El Primero is awarded the “Best Watch of the Year 2004”.

2005 - The first Haute Couture watch is launched: the Starissime, a tourbillon embellished with over 230 diamonds, designed for an exceptional woman.

ZENITH Manufacture also endows itself with one of the most complicated watches in the world, the Grande Class Traveller Répétition Minutes El Primero: a chronograph, an alarm clock, with a vibrating mode, a date display, dual time and, of course, a minute-repeater.

One hundred and forty years after its creation, ZENITH shines at the highest point: the zenith.

2006 - The Manufacture is now launching a collection of sport-chic watches – DEFY - and has thus reconnected with its recent past of excellence and records in chronometry. An unusual design, an avant-garde technology, a unique style, an outstanding performance… truly a revolution in both aesthetic and mechanical design. Power, virility, modernity, he who wears it has a racy lifestyle.

2007 - «Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie» in Geneva : the ZENITH Manufacture received the award for the DEFY Xtreme Open El Primero Stealth in the Public’s Prize category.

An unusual design, avant-garde technology, unique style, extraordinary performance. A true revolution in aesthetics and technology that has confirmed ZENITH’s global success whilst opening up new horizons: the sports watch revisited by the spirit of luxury.

2008 - The principal event of 2008 is the arrival of the 8800 Tourbillon Zero-G (zero gravity) movement, a major innovation in the world of watchmaking. This revolutionary system, which includes a gyroscope cage tourbillon and constant horizontal escapement, means the mechanism avoids the effects of gravity and thus gives considerably greater accuracy.
Defy Classic does justice to the Zero-G with 2 breathtakingly designed constructions, one Classic and one Xtreme, both available in a numbered edition with the 2008 millésime.

2009 - ZENITH celebrate the 40 years of the El Primero
Developed in 1969, El Primero, throbbing at 36,000 vibrations per hour, was the first automatic integrated chronograph movement, capable of measuring short time intervals to a tenth of a second.

Today it still is the fastest automatic chronograph and the most precise in the world.