Zenith's caliber 135 is probably the most revered movement in the Zenith stable. Designed for observatory competition, the 135 took first almost right out of the box, for five years running.





In 1958, Zenith launched a new product line specifically to house the holy 135, and called it the Port Royal, after a convent school that was the apogee of french enlightenment learning - pretty heady stuff.

The watch itself is designed to be impressive. It's large 36mm are mostly due to a very thick walled and heavy gold case. The impression is ingot-like. While the dial may be fussy, the case is not - its just massive.



The dial actually has a bit of an avant-garde feel, the usual concentricities broken up by a rhomboid shape emphasizing the 3-6-9-12



It's not easy to photograph, being both convex and reflective, and me being too lazy to set up my light box. The lugs are interesting too, being semi-hooded. You'll have to take my word for it.

The movement is...well, I never see the 135 without being impressed by the large balance, the swooping cutouts of the bridges, that lovely Zenith snail cam regulator, the cotes de geneve...



Now, a question to the forum cognoscenti: The dial veneer on this watch has obviously discolored. Someone started to clean it off between 12 and 2 o'clock but then got bored or thought the better of it.



Better to finish the job or leave as is?

 

I have a few vintage omegas that have aged original dials but have chosen to leave them alone - too much risk even in the hands of a very experienced redialer. That would be my advice here - leave well enough alone.

 

I think we have consensus

Happily, the difference is not all that great in person.

It would have been nice to get the full visual impact of the piece by seeing the dial without the slight color change of the veneer, but I think I will leave it alone...

 

Yes, I did note the signs of struggle around that jewel, as if someone had trained an Aberdeen terrier for jewel removal. There has also been some repair and dial scoring around the pinion of the second hand. In addition, the watch had an inscription on the back which has been removed reasonably well, but not so well that signs of the removal are invisible. It has issues, but I'm too impatient to wait for the next Port Royal to hit the 'bay (watch it happen next week).

 

I foolishly sold my only zenith a few years ago - a stainless steel port royal 135.