Few watch brands can resist the siren song of a major anniversary as an excuse to release a cool limited edition (or two, or…more). Zenith, of course, is no exception, and this year marks a big milestone: 160 years. We expect that there will be many celebratory watches beyond what’s unveiled this week in Geneva, but out of the gate Zenith is focusing attention on a segment of the catalog that has loomed large for much of their recent history, the chronograph. “El Primero” and “Zenith” are terms that are nearly interchangeable to some, so it makes sense that they’d spend some time leaning into the complication most associated with the brand.
The new Blue Ceramic Chronograph Trilogy is made up of, you guessed it, blue ceramic versions of Zenith’s most important modern chronographs: the Chronomaster Sport, the Defy Skyline Chronograph, and the Pilot Chronograph. Together, these three watches cover much of the ground Zenith has worked in over the past few years, a period of real expansion for the brand where we’ve seen them decisively into watches that feel very contemporary and of the current moment. Zenith has also quietly been one of the great innovators in the subset of ceramic watchmaking, with many colorful and sometimes unexpected ceramic references dotting their entire collection.
Blue ceramic was chosen for this release because of the color’s close association with the brand and its history. According to Zenith, it all stems from Zenith founder Georges Favre-Jacot’s predilection for gazing at the night sky, the infinite nature of which served as a metaphor for the heights to which he hoped to take the brand. Over the years, blue has emerged as a signature color for Zenith, frequently finding its way to dials of important, milestone watches.
Crafting a watch from blue ceramic poses some unique challenges. This isn’t the first time blue ceramic has been used by the brand (it was one of three color options in the fondly remembered Defy Classic Ceramic series), but it might be their best execution in terms of finishing. The Chronograph Sport and Defy Skyline in particular are made with what must be a fairly high degree of difficulty considering the variety of surface finishes and the construction of the bracelets. The Pilot, by comparison, has a uniform, matte finish that is less visually complex but matches the vibe of the watch, as well as previous iterations of the Pilot, which was originally released at Watches and Wonders two years ago.
Aside from the materials found in the case and bracelet, the watches seen here are pretty much exactly like their counterparts in steel, titanium, and black ceramic. The Chronomaster Sport and Defy Skyline Chronograph are both powered by the El Primero 3600 movement, while the Pilot runs on the El Primero 3652, which is effectively the same high frequency chronograph caliber but with a big date display at the 6:00 position. All of the movements are also affixed with a special “160th Anniversary” openworked rotor.
Colored ceramic was likely inevitable for these watches – it falls in line with what has been a fairly predictable product roadmap for Zenith over these past several years. But tying the release to the anniversary of the brand is a twist, and nicely sets these watches apart from their more pedestrian, less colorful, counterparts.
The retail price for the Pilot is $15,500, the Defy Skyline Chronograph is $23,800, and the Chronomaster Sport comes in at $22,700. Each is a limited edition of 160 pieces. A limited number of three watch sets will also be made available to collectors. Zenith
