Hi, Zenith lovers!!

I am willing to improve some of my vintage pieces, and ZENITH offers (in its website) two options:
1. Extract from the Registers. 80 CHF
2. Certificate of Origin. 400 CHF

First is easy: pictures of the watch, including the movement, and serial number of case and movement. With that, they will give you a paper like this:




But what about the Certificate? You must send your watch to Zenith in Lelocle (through some of the dealers), it takes 40 days, and they will certificate any pieces of the watch ... it seems interesting, but only for some pieces because it’s high price.

anyone of you had done it? I would like to see how it is the documents they send, and how depth is the work ...

 

how old is that extract?

 

In for pics - never seen one but for CHF400 but I would hope it’s more than just calibre, case, dial and date because any competent watchmaker (maybe even a highly experienced Zenith collector) could tell you that for less. Granted the paper has much of it’s value due to it originating from Le Locle

 

And why are there brackets around entire paragraphs, or in other places things seemingly not filled out?

I’ve never seen a Zenith extract, and interested

 

It's strange enough that this 'Extract from the Registers' doesn't include 'Manufacturing date'. Here is mine:

 

I don’t know, I took it from Internet

 

Thanks for sharing! As i said before, I took it from Internet.

 

I think some of the detailed information for the extract comes from the pics you provide. If they see a black dial and it appears like it belongs they’ll write something about it. Otherwise I think most of their information is limited to delivery date.

 

Do they still do that? I thought it was only an extract, paper €80 or €60 PDF

 

I don't think they will verify watches fully, meaning if the movement belongs in the case they will do it but if its a complete frankens they will not. But they wouldn't comment much about authenticity. I also don't think their records are complete to offer the same service as the likes of Omega.

 

their records are complete but they can only tell you what was written in the books at the time. If they know who ordered the watch or where it was shipped, they can tell you. It may be that Omega and others kept better records but you can get the basics.

 

My experience is only on “extract from the registers”. They ask photos of dial, case number and movement. They verify if the watch is right with their informations.
So the extract is based not only on the photos but also on the books.
I put the link of a OF post by NDGAL:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/cir...t-extract-of-the-archives.80293/#post-1026546

NDGAL says “Just received a call from Zenith to inform me that upon searching their archives for the extract I ordered, this watch came up as reference A384 and not an A385 which means the dial was replaced at some point.”
As we know a384 and a385 have the same case, Zenith can say if a case was born for a384 or a385.

For the “certificate of origin” they need the watch to verify if all parts are correct.

 

I thought a bunch of the records were destroyed when Zenith Radio took over, But if not great.

 

Unfortunately many records were lost.
For example I have this pocket watch:



Nobody knows who was Ф.Р.ДРОНОВЪ (F.R.Dronov). I sent a request to Zenith and got such answer:
----------------------------
Dear Mister *******,

We have the great pleasure to attach to this message your Extracts from the Zenith Registers, relating to your Zenith ‘Ф. Р. ДРОНОВЪ’ Open face Pocket watch from 1912, fitted with Zenith Manufacture Caliber 20 ½ NVI (of 20.5 lines).

Although we unfortunately didn’t find any traces either of a ‘F.R. Dronov’ on internet nor in our Watchmakers' Dictionaries, the way this name appears on the dial much probably indicates the Watchmaking Store having ordered and distributed this watch.

Also worth noticing is your watch dial’s strong resemblance with the 'Railroad-Types' of Models Zenith proposed in its 1910s catalogue below – associated in the case of your watch with a British-type of pendant.



With our compliments,
and very best regards,

Your

HERITAGE DEPARTMENT


BRANCH OF LVMH SWISS MANUFACTURES SA
Rue des Billodes 34 | 2400 Le Locle | Switzerland
T +41 32 930 65 67 | F +41 32 930 63 63
www.zenith-watches.com

 

Here is my experience:

-Omega extract from archives. 120 CHF. They only needed serial number of watch and movement ... no pictures ... so you know you will have a register copy, but you will not know almost anything about your watch (even if your watch is the same as the registers)
-Zenith. Extract from the registers. 80 CHF. In addition of what is in the books, they will give you info (probably based on your pictures). For some watches is great
-Zenith. cerrification. 400CHF and sending the watch to LeLocle. If you are interested in a certification of each component, this is your service. The service descriptions in the website includes if the watch is not original, they will charge you with 100CHF (instead of 400), of course no certificate

 

I am going to ask for EXTRACT FROM REGISTERS for some of my watches, and I will share about the process and document/info finally arrived.

Also thinking in doing a CERTIFICATE for a special piece (DeLuca Mark I or A386). I will let you know

 

Let me know. I too have a DeLuca Mark I and would be curious. That being said I think the certificate just authenticates your watch. It's a nice service but unless you thought the DeLuca was a frankenwatch, it seems like a lot of money to spend for them to say "this is an authentic El Primero". For the a386 it would make more sense but I would also be worried that shipping such an expensive watch comes with risks like them saying "we never received the watch. We'll refund your 400CHF"

 

Well, some update of these questions:

-I asked for papers extract from registers to these theee watches by February 16th:
-gold plated three hands
-de Luca Mark I
-sub sea A3635
I really have some problems, because it is necessary to send pictures of the dial, back cover, movement and so on, and serial number of case and movement. Well, any of you who looked to them in the past, lot of zenith watches do not have serial number on the movement (or it is not visible) neither serial number on the case.

I paid by PayPal (it seems the only method) through the zenith website.

-I received a notification by the end of March, regarding the A3635. Zenith didn’t find the watch (no serial number of movement or case) on the registers, or some polite argument, so this order was cancelled

-On April 1st I received the extract from register for Zenith De Luca (by the end of March, I received the document of plated one)

-by beginning of April, I received the paper copy of the extract of the De Luca, that I include for your information




Of course, I am very happy with it.

It is strange that Zenith send me the extract with no serial on case or movement

Until now, I didn’t received the paper copy of the extract of the plated watch.

 

How can you expect them to give you information if they don’t have any numbers.

 

I think he’s saying he provided the serial off the back case but didn’t want to open it to show the movement since most zenith movements don’t have a visible serial number anyways. When I got mine they told me my A384 was produced during a 4 month window in 1970 but didn’t have info on where it was delivered or anything other details. I paid 60chf for the .pdf version since I can print it myself and save 20.