Zenith

I share to some extend your sentiment. There was a lot of (abrupt) change, revolution, lack of consistency in the last decade at Zenith. What I'd like to mention though is that there at least was a consistency within the reigns of the then CEO's, i.e., there are clearly identifiable 'Nataf' and 'Dufour' Zeniths.

That aside, what's bothering for a lot of collectors is that diverse CEO actually can have such an influence (at Zenith) which clearly exceeds the boundaries of single collections. 

My question would be 'WHY'?

(An) answer: because the owners do not have a clearly focussed and targeted strategy for the brand. So they try it with reinventing the company through a trial-and-error approach. And this is which appears to the outside world as a "complete lack of direction, innovation, and cohesion", and in fact I think this is correct.

Compare this to brands like Omega, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin or Breguet - clear focus, intact consistency, correct?

I see however positive signs at the HQs in Le Locle. Mr Dufour brought Zenith (closer) back to the tracks of the ancestors, and now we have Mr Magada who comes from Breitling - a company with a very clear and coherent long term focus on sports watches. Thus I am positive that Mr Magada will do his best to further hone and streamline Zenith into a brand with a face.

I have heard (again, nothing confirmed and thus to be taken with a grain of salt!) that at LMVH the watch brands will be positioned as such:

- Tag Heuer: entry level sports watches, no high end creations anymore

- Hublot: the fun, sports watch

- Zenith: the 'master class', the high end complication/innovation power house.

If that turns out to be the case I am more than positive that 'direction, innovation, and cohesion' will be properly addressed very soon. El Primero is great, but certainly not enough (anymore) to qualify for master class...

Lastly, I personally to not read to much into the Sellita adventure. Its (supposedly) history, and this for a good reason. It hurt the brand image (at least among collectors) without having ever the chance to return investments above the damage accrued. Can you sell that many Type 20 Extra Special? I doubt it.

Lot's of brands, even the most consistent ones, have their outliers - remember Vacheron Constantin and their Valjoux 861-driven Medicus with its cam/lever design? Sub-par in respect to the brand identity... But still they did offer it even in expensive platinum skeletonised editions...

Thus, and to finish, the jury on Zenith is still out, and I have high hopes with the new CEO. I will monitor the brand intensively over the next months and see how it develops.

Cheers,

Magnus

More posts: DufourEl PrimeroPilotType 20 Extra Special

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