A stAr turns fifty
Zenith heads to singapore to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the el primero movement and the 1st for the le monde ÉtoilÉ experience. JoeZer mandagi reports
t his is a big year for Zenith. since a couple of years ago, the visionary watch brand has started hyping up the then upcoming 50th anniversary of the el primero movement. granted, the el primero counts itself among the most ambitious—and also most impressive—mechanical movements in the world of watchmaking.
incidentally, 2019 also marks the first anniversary of le monde Étoilé, “a uniquely immersive experience at the Zenith manufacture that allows visitors to discover the history of Zenith and swiss watchmaking.” to expand on this official description, last year Zenith partnered up with the neuchâtel tourism office and opened up its neuchâtel factory to the public. manufacture visits are usually reserved for the press, retailers and notable collectors or vip clientele, so this was quite an interesting development. more importantly, it proved to be a highly successful one. Who would have guessed that the average visitor to the cradle of swiss watchmaking would be interested in seeing how swiss watches are actually made?
With these two major milestones on the agenda, Zenith headed to singapore for the debut of its “a star Through time” pop-up exhibition. Through the exhibit, Zenith aims to bring the le monde Étoilé experience to the world while also highlighting the rich history and magnificence of the el primero caliber— starting on singapore’s famed orchard road. Why there?
“singapore has always been accommodating to Zenith’s forward-thinking approach to watchmaking,” said Julien tornare, Zenith’s ceo. “by bringing le monde Étoilé ahead
“No story of the El Primero would be complete without mentioning Zenith’s famous attic”
of our new singapore boutique’s opening, we are offering a unique occasion to discover the past, present and future of Zenith in such a captivating way.”
safe to say, “captivating” was a most fitting descriptor for the exhibit. rare vintage watches from the archives of Zenith were on display along with old archives and old adverts for the brand’s timepieces. of course, the el primero is the undisputed star of the show, with its story told through various specimens both old and new, a timeline spanning an entire wall chronicling the journey and major milestones for the movement, along with interactive displays.
no story of the el primero—or of Zenith, for that matter—would be complete without mentioning the brand’s famous attic. see, at the height of the quartz crisis, when many manufacturers almost gave up on mechanical timepieces, watchmaker charles vermot hid as many tools as he could, the ones used in the production of the el primero, in the attic of the Zenith manufacture. This rebellious yet courageous act ensured the survival—and the eventual success—of the el primero movement. part of that famous attic was recreated in a corner of the “a star Through time” and there, visitors could see some of the actual tools that the hero of Zenith kept safe during its darkest hours. a video of charles vermot’s story, including several interviews with the legendary watchmaker, played on a screen. to say that it was emotional would be an understatement.
The journey of the el primero was also showcased quite ingeniously in another corner. one of the highlights of the el primero movement is the fact that it’s the world’s first fully integrated, high-frequency automatic chronograph movement. What many people have trouble grasping is the “high-frequency” part. now, one interactive corner at “a star Through time” allowed visitors to see and— more importantly hear—the differences between a 4hz movement, a 5hz one and also 50hz.
from the past and the present, the exhibit then closed with the future, that of Zenith and—arguably—of swiss watchmaking as a whole. The last stop in “a star Through time” showcases the defy inventor. a continuation of the defy el primero 21 and the defy lab, Zenith’s defy inventor perfectly encapsulates Zenith’s spirit of innovation and its vision for the future of watchmaking with its single-piece Zenith oscillator. a truly groundbreaking innovation, this mechanical marvel may just rewrite the rules of watchmaking as we know it.
While the singapore exhibit has ended, it was only the first stop in the “a star Through time” journey. next year, the story will continue in other destinations, as Zenith continues to celebrate its most iconic creation, its groundbreaking initiative to reach out to more and more people and it vision for the future of swiss watchmaking.