6150 no longer appears in the Zenith catalog. 670, pictured in a 1996 press photo, remains in production after over 25 yearsĪs of 2020, Cal. ![]() In the mean time, the old Elite just soldiered on as the promised 6150 family never developed past that first movement. But a funny thing happened over the next few years: Although a few models (notably the Pilot Type 20) did use Sellita movements, that plan was cancelled by the new CEO. This would have pushed the new Elite movement up-market at the expense of some of the hard-won respect the brand had earned from enthusiasts. Outgoing CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour had radically reduced the number of models offered by Zenith and directed the company to switch to cheaper Sellita SW300 movements for low-end models. This double-barrel movement boasted 100 hours power reserve and a generous diameter of 30 mm, and Zenith’s new CEO Aldo Magada suggested it would see widespread use. 6150, shown in late 2014 but officially launched in 2015. The company set about designing a new larger movement, likely intending to slot it above the Elite as a basis for future complicated models. This gave it a look entirely unlike the rest of the Elite series.Įarly in the 2010s, Zenith recognized that the diminutive Elite movement wasn’t a good match for the ever-larger cases preferred by modern buyers. 689, which moves the small seconds subdial to the traditional location of 6:00 on the dial. Perhaps the most unusual member of the family is Cal. These complications would appear in various combinations with date and moon phase for 25 years. A popular complication was a central 24 hour hand adjusted using a simple pushbutton at 10:00 on the case. 661, and models with a fan-shaped power reserve indicator between 1 and 2 on the dial. The small seconds movements were much more prominent in the Elite range, and far more varieties were produced.Įarly variations on the Elite included the hand-winding Cal. 670, with central seconds, but this never seemed to be the focus. Zenith also offered a similar movement, Cal. Perhaps this was to add interest and a feeling of complexity to the watches that used the new Cal. Stranger still was the location of this subdial: 9:00 on the dial. It measured just 11.5 ligne (25.60 mm) diameter and 3.28 mm thick, making it even slimmer than the similar ETA 2892.Īt a time when subdial “small seconds” were seen as old-fashioned, Zenith designed this into Elite movement. The Glucydur balance ticked 28,800 times per hour but the design was efficient enough to run for over 50 hours from a single mainspring barrel. It was thoroughly up to date, with modern features including hacking seconds, instant date change, and a ball bearing rotor. The resulting Zenith Elite movement would prove to be an excellent all-around performer. The company was using computer-aided design (CAD) technology for the first time, and reportedly brought in help from consulting company Conseilray. It would be a relatively small and thin automatic movement with specifications similar to ETA’s leading Cal. ![]() Zenith technical director Jean-Pierre Gerber lead a team to create a design of their own. IWC and ETA were showing what could be accomplished by layering a module on top of a reliable base, and every manufacturer was scrambling to secure such a movement. In 1991, the Swiss watch industry was finding its way out of the quartz crisis, with complicated automatic movements leading the charge. But a company can’t rely on a single movement for all of its sales, especially a complex and expensive one. And for good reason: Not only is it historic, it’s also got a fun survival story and is a great movement to boot. Mention Zenith to a watch enthusiast and they’ll likely start talking about the famous high-beat automatic chronograph known as El Primero. Zenith used this illustration for the launch of Cal.
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