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A site dedicated to smartphones and an iPhone application
Perpetuating a tradition means constantly making the most
of all that modern times can bring. While the moments of ZENITH
timepieces represent the culmination of a century and a half of
mechanical know-how, the Manufacture in Le Locle is keenly aware that
encountering devotees of fine watchmaking now also involves a presence
in digital space. In order to establish an ever closer relationship with
its clients, ZENITH has just launched an on-line version of its
optimised website for all smartphones, as well as a dedicated iPhone
app.
Watchmaking enthusiasts are also devotees of new
technologies; smartphones (iPhone, Android mobiles, Blackberry) share a
certain number of values with watchmaking, including the quest for
miniaturisation, for autonomy, the multiplication of functions and
complicated features. Especially with them in mind, the Manufacture
ZENITH has just introduced a version of its website specially designed
to be consulted from a smartphone, as well as a ZENITH Watches iPhone
app available free of charge from the App Store.
Functions of the ZENITH Watches mobile site
This
new site, available in a choice of French or English, naturally
comprises all the classic functions one would expect. They are
intuitively accessible by means of a ring-shaped menu displayed at the
bottom of the screen.
• The mobile site gives access to the catalogue of ZENITH collections, organised into four worlds : Academy, Classic, Iconic, Legend. It is thus easy to view high-definition pictures of any model, and to obtain all the related technical information.
• The News section enables visitors to keep up to date with the latest news from ZENITH: new launches from the Manufacture, partnership, ZENITH ambassadors’ activities, etc.
• The Services section allows users to register their watch online by typing in its movement number, and to access a personalised customer area for all aspects relating to the guarantee and maintenance of a ZENITH watch.
• The Points of sale section serves to locate Zenith stores around the world, and brand distributors country by country. Naturally, the mobile version of the ZENITH website could not merely be a straightforward transposition of the classic site adapted to the smartphone format: it had to make the most of the specific possibilities provided by these mobile terminals. It is thus possible, thanks to the integrated GPS function, to visualise on a map the ZENITH point of sales nearest to one’s current position.
A virtual “try-on session” for ZENITH watches with the iPhone application
The ZENITH Watches iPhone app enriches the catalogue browsing experience with a clever function : using the integrated camera provides a first-ever chance to virtually try on all the models offered by the Manufacture. To do this, users simply select the desired model and takes a close-up photo of their wrist, into which it is automatically embedded : it is of course also possible to adjust the position of the watch, as well as its size, to ensure a perfect illusion.
The “photo” thus taken can be shared via Facebook or by e-mail, thus enabling prospective buyers to have their friends admire their “new watch” even before purchasing it, or to get their opinion if they are hesitating between various models…
Connecting with the ZENITH community
The easy sharing mode symbolises the spirit in which the new site and the application have been developed. The ZENITH mobile site naturally focuses on this relational dimension: it enables brand followers to keep up to date with all the latest news and products; it also provides them with the opportunity of direct exchanges with ZENITH and with other enthusiasts via a new section, named, Fanspace, which directs them towards the Manufacture’s official Facebook page. The GPS function linked with guidance towards a specialised point of sale is also part of these closer and more personal ties that ZENITH is keen to establish with its customers: because basically, isn’t the whole purpose of virtual technology all about culminating in a direct and concrete experience ?
Mini-site accessible from a smartphone via the address www.zenith-watches.com
iPhone app downloadable free of charge from the App Store via the itunes.apple.com
