5 minute read
ZENITH
ZENITH: AND THE STARS ALIGNED
Sharmila Bertin
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The idea of bringing back to life a mythical hand-wound movement originated while sitting around a table between Zenith and Phillips Watches and then Kari Voutilainen. This watch was honoured with more than 230 chronometry prizes in the 1950s. Great people make great watches. It was also while sitting at a table that I spoke with Julien Tornare, the dynamic CEO of the Locle-based manufacturer, about the genesis of the Calibre 135 Observatoire Limited Edition unveiled in June in Geneva.
Could you describe how you were inspired to "bring back to life" the most awarded movement of the 1950s?
The project took just under three years to develop. We met for lunch, Romain Marietta, Products Development & Heritage, Zenith, Aurel Bacs, Senior Consultant, Phillips, Alexandre Ghotbi, Head of Watches, Continental Europe and Middle East, Phillips, and myself in Geneva. It was in the winter of 2020, after the auction for the 50th anniversary of El
Primero. That's when the question came up about the serial 135 calibre, whether we had any left, from our friends at Phillips. Aurel and Alexandre are very familiar with the history of the brands, their heritage, "PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY the grand calibres, and of course follow GRASPED THE EXTENT OF THE MAGIC IN THIS PROJECT" all the watch auctions. They were well aware that this movement was mythical in Zenith's past. We checked in our JULIEN TORNARE archives and there were no commercial CEO OF ZENITH versions of this calibre left in stock at all, although there were small wooden cases of the 135-0.
So, these are movements dedicated to competitions only, a bit like horses bred for racing?
PLATINUM CASE AND BLACKENED SILVER DIAL: A SUPERB CASE FOR A LEGENDARY CALIBRE.
Absolutely. We came up with the idea of developing a project with these old movements, which are incredible, but in very small series, far from a production of 100 or 200 pieces. However, we informed Phillips that they were in a raw state as they were not designed to be encased. At the outset, Romain and I thought that we should work on the refurbishment and decoration of these movements after checking their operation. From this came the idea of involving a third key player to lend them an even more exclusive, more prestigious aspect.
How did you decide on who to cast as the watchmaker? Did you have several names in mind?
Kari Voutilainen was immediately our no. 1 choice, for two reasons: he is an extraordinary watchmaker and a very humble man. For this project, he matched exactly the profile of confidence we were looking for. We knew that he would contribute his own personal touch while respecting the spirit of Zenith. For me, it was important that the company's codes be maintained.
Was there much debate over the design of this watch?
We proceeded step by step, with different stages for the design, discussing the lugs, the shape of the case, and also discussing the look of the dial, its colour. We wanted to stick close to the final 135 commercial product but with Kari's "touch". There was no need for a lot of back and forth. I wanted to ensure that he had enough breathing room to express
himself because there is no point in restricting a creator like him. Everything unfolded naturally, and Romain was very pleased to have Kari with us.
The watch quickly sold out. Did you expect this?
At the time of the launch, we knew that with our networks, between Phillips, Voutilainen, and Zenith, the series would be an immediate success. We could easily have sold a hundred of them, which is rather surprising for a three-handed watch at CHF 132,900. That's a lot of money. Yet people immediately saw the magic in this project - a collector's watch that will become even more valuable over time. It all happened in a flash. Although some clients were frustrated at not being able to buy one of these watches, we did not deliberately choose to produce a small series. We had a very limited number of movements. However, in terms of prestige, the fact of marketing these movements was a very good operation, even a little crazy. The first timepieces began delivery in July.
Do you plan on getting together again with a new idea?
We got along very well and the drive to do a more commercial project together remains, however, you have to be careful not to overdo a good thing. Zenith already worked with Phillips and then again with Kari. If we were to develop projects every year with the same people, there is a risk of becoming redundant, while at the same time obscuring the unique aspect of this cooperation.
What do you think of the collaborations that other watchmaking companies are undertaking?
THE AESTHETICS OF THIS EXCLUSIVE SERIES DRAW ON THOSE OF SEVERAL REFERENCES FROM THE 1950s.
JULIEN TORNARE CEO OF ZENITH
WATCHES-NEWS.COM X ZENITH We were the first to do it, and it's funny, I say this in all humility, we develop projects and then we notice that big names in watchmaking start doing similar things. I often say to our teams that it is a huge compliment for us to have such brands coming after us, drawing inspiration from what we do. A few years ago, one didn't necessarily go looking for good ideas from Zenith. We greatly rejuvenated the average age over the last five years without abandoning the clients who have been with us for many years. The heritage and authenticity, the "real" side of the brand, is still present in Zenith, while at the same time keeping it contemporary and modern.
Would you consider re-launching the calibre 135 in the near future?
The calibre 135-0, no, never, because it belongs to Zenith's past. However, the commercial version of which 11,000 pieces were produced between 1949 and 1962, we could indeed relaunch it but it is not in the pipeline. At the same time, there is nothing preventing us from having in the future a serial calibre 135, as precise as it is elegant, with a beautiful history but a contemporary spirit, alongside our El Primero, in our catalogue of movements.
