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LVMH Watch Week: Zenith Doubles Down on Color and Finesse

For LVMH Watch Week, Zenith makes a bold statement, flexing into artful hues and horological decoration on two of its popular models.

By Mike Espindle
Executive Editor

Le Locle-based watchmaker Zenith took the opportunity of LVMH Watch Week to debut two models that lean even more heavily into the brand’s visual appeal and artisan expertise.

Primarily known as one of the top producers of exciting sports watches, Zenith’s bejeweled, show-stopping white gold/rainbow version of its Chronomaster Sport is an eye-catching new variant from the show floor.

Not to be outdone, new skeletonized executions of Zenith’s DEFY Skyline Chronograph take that model into a new area of horological decoration.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Color Splash

Sometimes, bringing gemstones and color to a flagship chronograph may imbue a piece with an overly feminine quality. But in the case of Zenith’s new 41mm 18k white-gold Chronomaster Sport Rainbow, the result is – I’ll just say it – as handsome as it is sophisticated.

The 50 rainbow baguette-cut gemstones comprise 40 sapphires of differing hues (with each color commanding a 10-second interval of the bezel) and 10 baguette-cut diamonds to separate each ROYGBIV section.
 

By grouping the distinct colors into coherent sectors on the timepiece’s bezel and directly associating those hues to the 12 specific baguette-cut gem hour indices on the glossy black dial, Zenith’s designers have created a logical, technical purpose for the colored twinklers beyond their obvious decoration, giving the whole package a more gender-neutral spin.

“Steely” White Gold

While this new white-gold version follows a similarly bejeweled rose gold version of the Chronomaster Sport that debuted last year, the gleaming white gold essentially brings this take back into a purer, albeit elevated, sports chronograph presentation. And the specs and movement back up that functional authenticity.
 

The El Primero 3600 automatic movement, with its 1/10th of a second chronograph functionality and 60-hour power reserve, constitutes the beating heart of this timepiece. Meanwhile, its sub-dials fall into the traditional Chronomaster Sport orientation (i.e., small seconds at 9 o’clock, 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock, 60-second tallier at 3 o’clock).
 

Expect the El Primero’s associated 10-second rotation central chronograph indicator, as well, and an exhibition caseback and date aperture at 5 o’clock-ish round out the wrist presence of this precious timepiece. The Zenith Chronometer Sport Rainbow lists for $112,100 and is exclusively available at Zenith boutiques and online.

Skeleton Crew

Since the DEFY collection’s rebirth in 2022, the canvas of the design has proven to be apt and extraordinarily flexible, especially in its chronograph versions.

Do you need an extreme race companion? You got it. A white-out fashion play? Très chic. What about an everyday piece that will turn heads? The DEFY Skyline Chronograph from last year’s Watches & Wonders is simply stunning.
 

Of course, skeletonized approaches to watchmaking are an artful way to flex some unexpected design muscle. But more to the point, the technique provides abundant visibility into a watch movement. And who isn’t down to see more of Zenith’s legendary El Primero chronograph movement? I don’t see any hands.
 

No Bones About It

While an openwork approach can sometimes lead to a certain preciousness or fussiness that can detract from a sports chronograph’s badassness, this is simply not the case for Zenith’s new DEFY Skyline Chronograph Skeleton models.

Available in black or blue dial executions, the edgy look of its overall chunkiness of the 42mm steel cases, the visual delight of the integrated steel bracelets (or the black or blue rubber straps that are also included with each watch), and the sub-dial technicality are actually enhanced precisely because the El Primero 3600SK automatic movement is visible.
 

The dial view gives you even more to see, after all. Of course, the blazing central seconds chronograph hand (counter-balanced with a star-shaped logo) makes one rotation in 10 seconds, and the whirling 1/10th of second chronograph sub-dial, small seconds counter, and hour tallier all take their victory laps on the top.

However, combined with the exhibition casebacks, which offer a nice look at the special dial-color-matched star-shaped rotors, you are now getting a more complete operational view of the astounding movement.
 

This sporty experiment in horological architecture carries a 60-hour power reserve, even with all the visual action and drama. Both the black and blue dial versions list for $15,500.
 

You can learn more about these LVMH Watch Week debuts and all of the watchmaker’s timepieces via the Zenith website.

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