Baselword 2012 - Official PuristSPro Report: Zenith
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[Note: due to an exhausted batterie our main 'horological' camera was defunct, thus we had to rely on a compact camera. For 'better' picture please take a look at François-Xavier's report ! Apologies from our side!]
Zenith was one of the most anticipated appointments for Baselworld 2012, our desire singlehandedly driven by the launch of the spectacular yet controversial Aéronef Type 20 pilot’s watch.
But Zenith 2012 was a near miss: At the time of our appointment nobody was available to present the collection to us, and instead of the watches we enjoyed saffron risotto and champagne and left after 1h:
Nevertheless, your intrepid horological detectives persisted and a second presentation could be arranged. So we paid a second visit to the booth, where a very enthusiastic Claire Ferrier, International Communications Manager, gave us a splendid overview over the novelties:
Zenith, like a few others, concentrated this year on aviation timekeeping, an area where the manufacture has much historical relation and credibility. But see yourself!
Comments:
Ornatus-Mundi April 14th, 2012-10:58
The Pilot Collection The focus of Zenith’s offerings this year were perfectly clear even to the least sensitive and uninitiated person once the booth was entered: The company reconsidered its rich history in aviation timekeeping which encompassed board instruments like ...
Ornatus-Mundi April 14th, 2012-10:59
The El Primero Collection Espada The El Primero family gets a new addition with the introduction of the time-only El primero calibre 4650 B. Essentially it’s the famous calibre stripped of its chronograph mechanism – just like the ETA Valgranges movement is to the Valj...
Ornatus-Mundi April 14th, 2012-10:59
The Captain Collection Chronograph The legacy Zenith watch with a lot of design cues taken from the past. We were shown a 42mm El Primero chronograph in red gold with an appealing frappé ‘dial (egg-shell’-like in both colour and surface): An easy watch to wear,...
Ornatus-Mundi April 14th, 2012-11:00
The Ladies Collection For the female audience Zenith offers two new watches in a cushion-shaped case with either a moon phase (Elite-based) or a chronograph (El Primero-based) complication: The dial diameter is almost as large as the outer dimensions of the case, leaving four ...
Ornatus-Mundi April 14th, 2012-11:00
The Academy Collection Christophe Colomb Equation of Time A watch that at first was presented to us by Mr Nataf, in a - please excuse! - rather horrendous case design. That design we guess was in part responsible for the initial rejection of this watch by a large group of watch...
Ornatus-Mundi April 14th, 2012-11:01
Our Conclusion! The “crazy” days are over and Zenith bethinks its own roots. Zenith is back and the wide range (classical basics … sophisticated complications) looks like they are ready to attack Omega, IWC, JLC, Blancpain etc. Like in the past they off...
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Baselword 2012 - Official PuristSPro Report: Bulgari
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Dear All: we begin our series of Baselworld 2012 reports with the Bulgari company. Bulgari, formerly known as a jewellery/luxury brand made serious foray into the world of fine watches. It started already in 1977 with the launch of the BVLGARI BVLGARI watch which has received a cult status amongst collectors. Only 5 years later, in 1982, Bulgari Time , a company dedicated to watchmaking, was created in Neuchâtel.