Zenith Grande Class Elite

Georges Favre-Jacot founded the Swiss watch manufacturer Zenith in 1865 at the young age of 22. The workshop was located in Le Locle, in the county of Neuchâtel. Since then, the watches from Zenith have stood for fine timepieces that embody traditionally exclusive designs.

Initially, the young entrepreneur and founder Georges Favre-Zenith-Jacot produced fine precision pocket watches that were signed with his name. The company Zenith was born when Favre-Jacot gazed up into the sky and recognised a similarity between the correlation of the wheels and pins within his newly developed movement and the celestial interplay of the highest point of the universe – the zenith. The Zenith company logo is a distinctive five-pointed star, which perfectly complements the historic symbolism of the brand.

Early in the 20th century, Zenith extended its product range to include board chronometers, table clocks, precision pendulum clocks, and later on, began to manufacture marine chronometers. It was only after the First World War that Zenith began to focus on the development and manufacture of wristwatches that included additional complications such as alarm and chronograph features. In 1969, Zenith introduced the revolutionary chronograph movement with automatic winding – the El Primero.

The Zenith Academy once again demonstrated the horological precision and exclusive design concepts of the renowned manufacturer. With the launch of the Zenith Academy, the company entered a new territory that presented new possibilities for the watch industry. The Zenith Academy collection impresses with first-class technological solutions thanks to the unyielding inventive spirit of the company. The superior expertise of Zenith is packed in an exceptionally designed watch case that measures 45-millimeters in diameter. The prevailing curiosity and innovative mentality of the company allow them to reach for the stars.

The tourbillon complication is the pinnacle of watchmaking. The optimal precision of a timepiece can only be achieved through a system that does not hinder the possibility of a tourbillon. The development of the “Gravity Control” gyroscopic module was conducted in-house and required the creation of no less than 60 new specialised tools that enables the production of a variety of miniature pieces, which were then assembled patiently by hand. The “Gravity Control” gyroscopic module convinces with horological expertise and highlights the technical finesse of the company.

Another peak feature of the company is its implementation of the “Gravity Control” gyroscopic module in the movement of the Academy Christophe Colomb watch. The powerful calibre has an impressive high frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour.

The complexity of the Academy Christophe Colomb timepiece can be considered a major horological breakthrough of the 21st century. In fact, the watch was honoured with the coveted Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève prize in 2011. The always-reliable constant horizontal escapement ensures that the timepieces from Zenith are maximally precise. As a matter of fact, Zenith timepieces are considered to be revolutionary in the world of watches thanks to this self-regulating mechanism. The Gravity Control System is made up of a total of 173 parts and ensures that the escapement is levelled at all times, meaning that watch never has to be regulated in multiple positions. Although the Gravity Control System is a highly modern and innovative mechanism, it actually pays tribute to the rich and exciting past of the renowned manufacturer. Zenith drew inspiration for the mechanism from the gimbal suspension systems that were used in vintage marine chronometers to offset the ships movements at sea.

The Academy Christophe Colomb is considered to be a prestigious watch thanks to the exclusive Gravity Control System that is incorporated into the watches. In fact, all of the timepieces from the collection are distinguished by a highly balanced system, including the Christophe Colomb, the Christophe Colomb Hurricane, the Christophe Colomb Equation du Temps, and the Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II.

The special edition Répétition Minutes with Zenith El Primero caliber 4043 (Ref. 18.2251.4043 / 36.C713) is limited to 25 pieces, whereas the Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar with El-Primero Chronograph Tourbillon and the Perpetual Calendar ( Ref. 18.2250.4033 / 01.C713) are limited to a rare 10 pieces.

The exclusive Christophe Colomb Planète Bleue (Ref. 40.2211.8804 / 91.C714 or 18.2211.8804 / 91.C713) timepiece stands out not only due to its technical sophistication, but also surprises with a distinctively designed dial that takes the form of a world map. The Christophe Colomb Academy Tribute to Felix Baumgartner (Ref. 39.2210.8804 / 58.C714) impresses with a unique dial mode of aventurine in turquoise blue and stands out from the rest of the crown with a pictorial representation of Felix Baumgartner's jump from the stratosphere as a focus of the dial.