Over the past few years, Zenith, under the thoughtful and effective stewardship of recently departed CEO Julien Tornare, succeeded in revamping its catalogue to include a healthy mix of classic and progressive models that repositioned the brand well for the future. The headline-grabbing releases in the Defy collection seen during Watches and Wonders 2024 have been great at causing a stir, but Zenith’s real strength is in its highly-regarded chronographs that continue to set the standard in their price bracket.
It’s always pleasing to struggle to pick just five worthy watches for a list of this nature, and while every single one of my selections features the ability to track elapsed time on demand, I believe the variety of the below cohort keenly expresses the brand’s area of specialisation.
5. Zenith Chronomaster Sport Boutique Edition 03.3103.3600/69.M3100
Zenith Chronomaster Sport Boutique Edition 03.3103.3600/69.M3100 - Credit Zenith
Unlimited but only available from boutiques, reference 03.3103.3600/69.M3100 is a standout model from the relatively new Chronomaster sport line that debuted in 2021. Billed as a Daytona killer (for obvious aesthetic reasons), the Chronomaster sport builds on the classic Zenith chronograph layout but brings a polished ceramic bezel into play for a more luxurious and modern feel.
What I like most about this boutique edition, is the way the three-colour bezel pulls the traditional colours of the Chronomaster’s sub-dials out onto the exterior of the case. The technique for creating a multi-coloured bezel out of ceramic is pretty special and gives this watch a look that you won’t find anywhere but in the Zenith collection. A generously sized crown and vintage pump pushers tone down the hyper-modern aesthetic with aplomb. It’s a subtle yet interesting addition to the line and a conversation starter that creates enough stylistic separation between it and its rival Rolex counterpart to be a worthwhile inclusion in any serious collector’s watch box.
4. Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A3817 03.A384.400/3817.M3817
Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A3817 03.A384.400/3817.M3817 - Credit Zenith
I’m a sucker for this case shape and the dinky 37 mm diameter. Its 12.6 mm thickness means it wears like a little pebble, somehow getting away with somewhat stodgy proportions on paper due to its similarly stout 47 mm lug-to-lug and the natural and immediate drop-off of the bracelet.
It oozes vintage appeal with all the benefits of modern manufacturing techniques and has a huge amount of visual interest thanks to the colourful dial that once again uses the blue, grey, and anthracite sub-dial colours, but pairs them with old radium lume and a vivid red seconds hand (not to mention the jagged and dynamic split seconds track that highlights the 36,000 vph operating frequency of the movement by splitting each second into five increments).
I can’t say enough about this reissue (from 1971) and I think Zenith shouldn’t stop mining its own back catalogue for more of the same. Few brands can do it so naturally, which is a massive strength in an era that’s seen plenty of lazier remakes.
3. Zenith Chronomaster Original 03.3400.3610/39.C910
Zenith Chronomaster Original 03.3400.3610/39.C910 - Credit Zenith
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Who doesn’t love a triple calendar?
This was one of my favourite pieces I saw during Watches & Wonders this year because it felt familiar and fresh at the same time. The biggest controversy surrounding my selection of this model in the number three spot is perhaps the fact I prefer it on the strap as opposed to the popular bracelet. Why? I feel that the leather brings out the classicism of the piece that is mostly embellished by the traditionally styled moon phase complication found in the 6 o’clock sub-dial.
2. Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback 49.4000.3652/21.I001
Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback 49.4000.3652/21.I001 - Credit Zenith
When Zenith dropped its reimagined pilot line (the only line of Pilot’s watches legally allowed to print “Pilot” on the dial) my heart skipped a beat. This was something new. Far from being a traditional Flieger or a desperate refashioning of something old into something new, this collection expresses the best things about modern watch design.
However, when I first encountered the watches in real life, I found myself a little disappointed in the steel models (I thought the finishing of flat-topped bezels was not as crisply done as it could have been) and, instead, gravitated towards the matte black ceramic version.
That’s extremely uncommon for me as I much prefer steel to ceramic in almost all cases, but here it really enhances the concept and makes for one of the coolest, most off-beat Pilot chronographs the industry currently has to offer without being garish or gimmicky in the slightest. Sign me up.
1. Zenith Chronomaster EP Original 03.3200.3600/21.C903
Zenith Chronomaster EP Original 03.3200.3600/21.C903 - Credit Zenith
Colour can do so much when sensitively applied. Reference 03.3200.3600/21.C903 is somehow relaxing to look at. It is perfectly balanced, has all the character of an old watch with all the precision one would expect from a modern timepiece, and is a peerless ambassador for the brand and all that’s right with it.
Powered by the El Primero chronograph calibre (36,000 vph), which sits comfortably in a restrained 38 mm case (that wears a little larger than you’d expect thanks to its almost non-existent bezel), it’s just about the perfect execution of the A386 concept and one I’d be proud to wear any day of the week.
