Zenith Reveals the Next Chapter in Its Icons Collection

Lindsay Judge   |   22-12-2022

Zenith has unveiled the second act of its icons collection, this time featuring Chronographs from the 1970s.

 

The watches were revealed during the RE-Luxury event in Geneva, the world’s first tradeshow dedicated to pre-owned and vintage luxury goods and collectables.

 

The ZENITH ICONS: ACT II capsule collection features distinctly space-age designs from the 1970s and additional functions integrated in the El Primero, it introduces collectors to an often overlooked but highly dynamic and daring era for the Manufacture.

 

The ZENITH ICONS pieces are sourced, restored and certified by the Manufacture’s Heritage department, which can trace the complete history of any ZENITH watch ever made and ensure that all the components are 100% original. The aim is to offer collectors peace of mind and transparency in the often opaque and inaccessible world of vintage watches.

 

The latest collection included the A782 which fully embraces the space-age designs of the 1970s and marked a new era as man landed on the moon for the first time. Made in only 1000 examples in this configuration, the A782 is sought after for its blue gradient dial with striated hour markers and mirror-polished flange ring, its standing barrel-shaped steel case with a fourteen-sided bezel and screw-down crown, and its integrated steel “lobster” bracelet that follows the contours of the case, first made by the famed Gay Frères company.

 

A782

The collection also features the A788 which had a distinctive new case shape within the ZENITH El Primero’s second generation of chronograph watches, it takes on a space-age aesthetic that defined the 1970s, with an inflated look as if liberating its steel case from gravity. Confidently futuristic, the A788 stands out with its entirely brushed hexagonal cushion-shaped case with smooth lines and no visible lugs, its galvanic blue dial with contrasting silver chronograph counters and chronograph seconds track, and its pulsometer scale in lieu of the conventional tachymeter scale.

 

A788

 

The A7817 “ESPADA” was a disruptive addition to the second generation of ZENITH El Primero automatic chronographs and the first model to integrate a complete calendar with moonphase into the seminal calibre. Combining both the El Primero’s high-frequency performance and the rugged features of the DEFY line – known as the “time safe” of ZENITH precision – the A7817 is notable for its standing barrel-shaped steel case with a fourteen-sided bezel and screw-down crown, its silver dial with signature galvanic blue counters, tachymeter scale, and striated applied hour markers to which the moonphase and full calendar were added, as well as its second-generation integrated steel “lobster” bracelet.

 

A7817

 

The 01.0140.415 was among the rarest of the second-generation of ZENITH El Primero watches, produced in a single lot of 500 pieces. Embracing the futuristic designs of the era, it takes on a space-age look with more substantial volumes and seemingly gravity-defying forms – here combined with a blue galvanic fix bezel with tachymeter scale, a feature which radically distinguished it at the time. Among its distinctive features is the standing barrel-shaped steel case combined here with a blue galvanic fix bezel bearing the tachymeter scale, the deep and brushed galvanic blue dial with a new style of luminescent baton hour markers, and the second-generation integrated steel “lobster” bracelet.

 

01.0140.415

 

And finally, the ref. 01.0200.415 features a one-of-a-kind and immediately recognizable design that fully embraces the space-age and distinctly 1970s aesthetic of the era, with a case, dial and patented pusher inspired by the television sets of the time.

 

01.0200.415

 

An outstanding reference among vintage El Primero steel chronographs, the ref. 01.0200.415 features a rectangular TV-shaped case in steel with patented “toggle” pushers, a metallic deep blue dial with rectangular TV-shaped counters and a sloped flange ring, fitted on an integrated three-link steel bracelet signed with the new ZENITH logo used from 1972 onwards.

 

“A mechanical watch is one of the rare few objects that can continue to be worn and enjoyed forever, if it is properly serviced and maintained. More than just inter-generational or heirloom accessories, ZENITH ICONS are pieces of the Manufacture’s history that we’re offering to discerning and passionate collectors around the world. RE-Luxury brings to the table a totally new concept in the world of vintage and pre-owned luxury products, and it’s the perfect setting to launch our latest ICONS capsule collection with sought-after pieces from a daring and experimental period of watch design: the 1970s.” Said Zenith CEO Julien Tornare.

 

The collection also builds on Zenith’s HORIZ-ON sustainability initiative, contributing towards a circular economy for luxury goods and allowing its most emblematic references to take on new lives.

 

The pieces will be offered exclusively at Zenith physical and online boutiques.

 

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