Zenith
watches carry with them a long and prestigious history. The
company, which was founded in 1865, is well
known for it
quality time pieces. The company founder Georges Favre-Jacot
was only 22 years old when he first opened the company as Georges
Favre-Jacot & Cie.
Using standardized, interchangeable watch parts and pursuing
his aim of producing only the best he quickly led the company
to prominence in a very short time. Within the first ten years
the company had won its first Gold Medal.
This dedication to excellence has since been repeated many
times over the years as Zenith has produced many notable watches
and movements and continued to receive awards. Some of its
most famous productions are the Chronomaster model and the
El Primero a movement that was used extensively in Rolex Daytona
models. Overall the company has been awarded over 1500 observatory
prizes.
When Georges died in May 1917 the leadership of the company
was taken over by his nephew Charles Vermot. Vermot continued
the traditions set by Georges and the company continued to
thrive.
For many years Zenith watches were not available in the United
States. This was because there was a well known company (Zenith
Radio Corporation) who held the rights to the name. Buyers
were forced to purchase their pieces overseas. Fortunately
this ban has since been lifted and the brand is now available
to US buyers and has quickly become one of the top brands with
Americans.
In 2000 the company became part of LVMH a group who specializes
in luxury goods. They join other prestigious companies such
as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Donna Karan and Tag Heuer.
Today
President and CEO Theirry Natal is working to restore the
company to its former glory as the “La Grande Maison” as
it was known as for most of the 19th century. In 2002 the company
released 14 new models and plans are in the works for more.
A Bit About LVMH
LVMH is a luxury goods group much in the same vein as Richemont
and The Swatch Group. Its mission is to provide its member
companies with technology, provide the member companies with
higher brand images and attract the best talent as needed.
LVMH stands for Louis Viuttion, Moet Hennessy. The group was
formed in 1987 and is currently headed by CEO Bernard Arnault.
Zenith Replica Watches - A Brief History
Founded in 1865 the Zenith watch company boasts of a 140 years
history that has been marked by some 1564 awards. The founder
Georges Favre-Jacot was a mere 22 years old when he first began
the company in Le Locle in the canton of Neuchatel. Bringing
together a team of highly qualified watch makers in one location
he provided them with the tools necessary to dedicate themselves
to their craft.
The company trademark, a star, was selected when young Georges
took night stroll viewing the night sky. Its name, Zenith,
was chosen as zenith implies the pinnacle or highest point,
which is what Georges wanted to achieve with his time pieces.
The company rapidly rose to success and by 1875 was employing
one third of the population of Le Locle in the production of
clocks, pendulum clocks, pocket watches and naval instruments.
By 1896 the company had received a gold award at the Swiss
National Fair in Geneva.
By 1920
the company had produced two million watches and had established
branches in Paris, London, Vienna,
New York, Geneva
and Moscow. The 30’s saw an increase in the need for
increased precision watches for civil aviation and the Second
World War. Zenith rose to the challenge producing watches for
the French Air Force and the British and Italian navies.
The 1960’s
saw the quartz revolution and Zenith while taking part in
this new movement also squirreled
away all their
tools for the return of the mechanical movement which they
were certain would occur. History shows that they were proven
right and the company emerged from the revolution intact and
prepared to once again start producing the mechanical movements
which have always been their stock in trade.
Unfortunately Zenith watches were not available in the United
States for many years due to a conflict of names involving
the Zenith Radio Corporation. Thus for many years purchasers
from the US were forced to buy the pieces out of country or
buy one that carried the brand name Movado with whom Zenith
became affiliated in 1969. That ban ended with the demise of
Zenith Radio Corporation.
Since 2000 Zenith has been a part of the Groupe LVMH.
In the world of fine watchmaking, Zenith is among the most
aristocratic names in Europe. This Swiss company, founded in
1865, is not only one of the oldest horological companies,
but one of a handful that still produces its own mechanical
movements.
Zenith was founded by Georges Favre-Jacot, who, at the age
of 22, was one of the first watchmakers to understand the importance
of the principle of interchangeable parts.
By the time Jacot retired in 1929, Zenith had made watch history,
winning grand prix medals for timekeeping precision at international
expositions in Geneva, Paris, Barcelona, and Neuchatel. In
1969, the company won renown for introducing the world's first
automatic chronograph movement, the El Primero.
Oscillating at 36,000 alternations/hour, the El Primero was
able to measure short time intervals to a tenth of a second,
an unsurpassed world record. In 1995, Zenith launched a new
generation of ultra-thin chronographs, the Elite, recently
voted best mechanical movement by the professional press. Since
its beginning, Zenith has been recognized with more than 1,565
first observatory prizes in chronometry, making it the Swiss
brand most rewarded for precision.
