El Primero 21

Bienne2998 · Mar 22, 2017

Over at the Omega section there is a lot of noise about the announcement of their new (anniversary) watches....
Here at the Zenith forum no one seems to care that Baselworld started and Zenith showed its new El Primero 21 with a hundred of a seconds accuracy....

http://baselworld.zenith-watches.co...h-watches-baselworld-2017/defy-el-primero-21/

what do you think about it?

alam · Mar 22, 2017

Bienne2998
what do you think about it?

too much bare skin.. 😵‍💫

abrod520 · Mar 22, 2017

Bienne2998
what do you think about it?

Biver, for all his affability, is very focused on contemporary design.

Then again, it could be a good business model as these will look hopelessly aged when they introduce the next generation model...

kov · Mar 22, 2017

Way too busy for my taste. Wow.

Jwit · Mar 22, 2017

I think it is pretty cool. Not sure how many people actually need to time things to the 1/100th of a second. But still interesting none the less.

I could get behind this if there were no power reserve indicator. I feel that was a lazy attempt to fill empty space on the dial

Bienne2998 · Mar 22, 2017

Aesthetics apart. What about the movement. Is this really new? How is it compared to the 1/100 Chronograph Tag Heuer issued a couple of years ago? I think both have two barrels and the chronograph is separated from the "base watch".

nygiants · Mar 22, 2017

Bienne2998
Aesthetics apart. What about the movement. Is this really new? How is it compared to the 1/100 Chronograph Tag Heuer issued a couple of years ago? I think both have two barrels and the chronograph is separated from the "base watch".

I believe it's a much better movement that tag...High horology so to speak...It's the asthmatics that is kinda of a bummer...It's still think the striking 10th LE is the best current modern el primero...Haven't seen the Panda yet so can't speak for that

marcn · Mar 22, 2017

Jwit
I think it is pretty cool. Not sure how many people actually need to time things to the 1/100th of a second. But still interesting none the less.

I could get behind this if there were no power reserve indicator. I feel that was a lazy attempt to fill empty space on the dial

Dear Zenith: FIFY. 😉

Bienne2998 · Mar 22, 2017

And please max 42mm not 44.

kurtj29 · Mar 22, 2017

I am with you all - the power reserve kind of ruins it, pushes the star up into the ouside track. Terrible. The photoshop without the power reserve - much better.

This is one of the best looking skeleton watches I have seen, but I don't care for that. But pretty, just not going to buy it.

ahartfie · Mar 22, 2017

The skeleton is beautiful but let's be honest... how the @#$@# do you read it with a glance?

LouS · Mar 22, 2017

*sigh*

Zenith just can't get out of its own way.

dsio · Mar 22, 2017

LouS
*sigh*

Zenith just can't get out of its own way.

I think it really needs to decide what it wants to be and go with that long enough for people to get to know it again, its had so many new regimes and taken more body blows than just about any watch company in Switzerland and is still feeling around in the dark trying to find an identity.

I remember in around 2013/2014 here in AU you could but a nice Zenith El Primero for around $4200-4400, while a TAG Heuer Carrera 7750 was $5000 and just saying to the store owner how is it that the Zenith is so much more watch for less and still nobody's buying them? I still don't understand how it became that way.

Shibata · Mar 22, 2017

I must say, I could watch that spin all day.

M.C.B1974 · Mar 23, 2017

Jwit
I think it is pretty cool. Not sure how many people actually need to time things to the 1/100th of a second. But still interesting none the less.

I could get behind this if there were no power reserve indicator. I feel that was a lazy attempt to fill empty space on the dial

Hi, I agree with you on the power reserve, not to my liking as it looks like a cheap replica. (IMHO)

Foo2rama · Mar 23, 2017

Power reserves F'in up watch faces from day one!

SeanO · Mar 30, 2017

It's like every now and then they look across the road at Hublot and think...

what the ferk were they thinking with that skeleton?

Riviera Paradise · Mar 30, 2017

dsio
I think it really needs to decide what it wants to be and go with that long enough for people to get to know it again, its had so many new regimes and taken more body blows than just about any watch company in Switzerland and is still feeling around in the dark trying to find an identity.

I remember in around 2013/2014 here in AU you could but a nice Zenith El Primero for around $4200-4400, while a TAG Heuer Carrera 7750 was $5000 and just saying to the store owner how is it that the Zenith is so much more watch for less and still nobody's buying them? I still don't understand how it became that way.

In a recent interview on watchestv, Biver stated he was positioning the average shop price for Tag/Heuer around CHF3K, Zenith CHF10K, and Hublot CHF20K.

I think he seems to be gunning for lower end Omega with the higher end Heuer vintage (around 5-6CHF) and higher end Omega with the Zenith vintage + modern line-up. With Zenith, his messaging seems to be similar to Omega's high tech innovation + a nod to the vintage heritage pass. The LVMH team effort they put in to the El Primeiro 21 reminds me of the Swatch group putting together a top team of engineers for the new +15000Gauss anti-magnetic technology. I do think Zenith deserve praise for launching a new chronograph calibre, but their modern collection urgently needs to find a clear consistent brand design identity...an area where Omega IMO is significantly ahead (yes, I know there have been a few recent design faux pas from Omega - Basel 2016 was probably their worst year)

On the "vintage design" side of the Zenith collection...the El Primeiro Heritage 146 chronometer is only 38mm and gorgeous. Pics below courtesy of Monochrome watches (they quote pricing at 6,900CHF)

NeedForSpeed · Mar 30, 2017

That Heritage 146 is a beaut! Much nicer than the skeleton dial in my humble opinion.

[/IMG] I'm a big fan of the chronomaster moonphase - looks great and seems very good value for a moonphase!

NeedForSpeed · Mar 30, 2017

El Primero 21

Bienne2998

alam

abrod520

kov

Jwit

Bienne2998

nygiants

marcn

Bienne2998

kurtj29

ahartfie

LouS

dsio

Shibata

M.C.B1974

Foo2rama

SeanO

Riviera Paradise

NeedForSpeed

NeedForSpeed

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