World's 1200 Top Watch Brands & Watchmakers: Z

ZENITH SA is a high-end luxury Swiss watch manufacture started in 1865 by Georges Favre-Jacot at the age of 22, in Le Locle in the canton of Neuchâtel. Zenith has a long reputation for the quality and precision of their watches, with 1,565 1st-place precision awards to date. It is one of few remaining Swiss watch manufacturers that still produce their own movements in-house.

The El Primero calibre, which was first released in 1969, though still produced today, was one of the first automatic chronograph movements and has a frequency of 36,000 alternations per hour (5 Hz). This high rate allows a resolution of 1/10 of a second and a potential for greater positional accuracy over the more common standard frequency of 28,800 alternations per hour (4 Hz). The El Primero was honoured with a 2012 release of the El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th, limited to 1,969 pieces (in honour of the original 1969 release date), that housed the same 36,000 vph movement and a sub-dial measuring in tenths of a second to make a complete rotation every ten seconds.

Zenith was purchased by LVMH in November 1999, becoming one of several brands in their watch and jewellery division. The CEO of the company is Jean-Frédéric Dufour, formerly of Chopard.

Browse watch brands & makers: A-Z

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• ZADIG & VOLTAIRE - since 1997. Watches for men.
• ZADIG & VOLTAIRE - since 1997. Watches for women.
• ZANNETTI - since 1982. "Handmade and Luxury Watches." Zannetti Handmade Watches Rome. Zannetti is totally dedicated to creating extraordinary designs, unique to Haute Horologerie enthusiasts.
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• ZEGG & CERLATI Monte-Carlo - since 1982. "Discover the most luxurious watches in the world, made in Switzerland."
• ZEITWINKEL - since 2006. "Handmade watches from Switzerland." Zeitwinkel is an independent manufacture for high quality Swiss watches with in-house manufacture movements. Each Zeitwinkel manufacture movement and watch are assembled by hand by our watchmakers, so we can only produce a limited number of watches each year.
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• ZENITH - founded in 1865. Swiss luxury watchmaker. Zenith is one of the Swiss watch manufacturers that still produce their own movements themselves. Subsidiary of LVMH since 1999.
• ZENITH - Wikipedia.
• A Brief History of the Zenith El Primero - "Zenith’s El Primero automatic chronograph caliber - unveiled to the world just over 50 years ago, in 1969 - is regarded as one of the world’s best and most accurate movements. In this historical feature from the WatchTime archives, contributor Thomas Gronenthal takes a look at its development."
• LVMH Watch Week 2023: Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton - "The Defy Skyline collection is celebrated by the new and innovative Defy Skyline Skeleton, ramping up the design of the Skyline with a solid example of 'skeletonization.' And when paired with the openworked version of Zenith’s famed El Primero movement visible through the dial side of the watch, as well as through the caseback, the result is dramatic and overtly architectural. The Defy Skyline Skeleton is available in two color variations: blue and black. Both are priced at $11,000."
• The Zenith Chronomaster Original Limited Edition for Hodinkee - "A distinguished new iteration of the Chronomaster Original, created in partnership with Hodinkee."
• Zenith & Legendary DJ Carl Cox Teamed Up for a Turntable-Inspired Chronograph - "The Limited Edition Defy Extreme Carl Cox is bold, steeped in history, and offers you the chance to meet the pioneer of house music himself."
• Zenith watches join Rolex & Patek on waitlists as sales surge - "Customers seeking to buy Zenith brand watch models including the Chronomaster Sport and Defy Skyline are now having to join waitlists as sales for the Swiss brand surge. The Zenith models join brands like Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe with watches where demand outstrips supply, forcing customers to join waiting lists with retailers. Zenith watch sales are also rising overall, Tornare said, with sales in the first 7 months of the year up about 45% compared with last year’s record performance, which was highest since the storied Swiss brand was acquired by LVMH in 1999."
• Zenith’s Defy Extreme E ‘Island X Prix’ Special Edition - "Extreme E, the electric off-road motor racing series now in its second season, kicked off in Sardinia last week, with the final doubleheader races held July 9 and 10. And as Official Timekeeper and founding partner, Zenith concurrently unveiled its Defy Extreme 'E Island X Prix' Special Edition timepiece (20 pieces), which is based on the Defy Extreme Carbon."
• CHRONOMASTER - "The CHRONOMASTER collection showcases the Manufacture's mastery of the automatic high-frequency chronograph movement and the unique design language it established in over 50 years. From faithful reproductions of its most emblematic references from the 1960s and 1970s to reaching new levels of precision with the 1/10 th of a second function in the evolved version of the famed calibre, the CHRONOMASTER collection bridges the past and present of the most prized automatic chronograph ever made."
• CHRONOMASTER Original Hodinkee Edition El Primero - "A limited edition of 300 pieces made in collaboration with Hodinkee, the CHRONOMASTER Original Hodinkee Edition in a 38mm steel reimagines the retro-inspired chronograph with an opaline salmon dial and matching date-wheel, as well as the emblematic tricolour counters done in three shades of grey."
• DEFY - "Crafting the future of watchmaking. The ZENITH DEFY collection of watches for men and women is the epitome of ZENITH's endless pursuit of precision through innovation. Combining cutting-edge manufacture movements with futuristic forms and materials, the DEFY collection continues ZENITH's legacy of always surpassing itself and setting new standards of performance and style."
• DEFY EXTREME E ISLAND X PRIX - "The DEFY Extreme E "Island X Prix" Edition 1/100th of a second chronograph inspired by the Extreme E electric rally race in Sardinia, Italy. Crafted in a robust carbon fibre case with titanium elements. Powered by the El Primero 21 1/100th of a second automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre. Orange recycled tires Velcro strap."
• ELITE - "ZENITH revisits its own past from the vantage point of today through the ELITE collection of unisex automatic watches. Sleek and minimalistic yet strong in its graphic identity and confident in its timeless lines and proportions, the ELITE collection doesn’t repeat the past, but rather rejuvenates the codes of mid-20th century watchmaking. The ELITE Classic and Moonphase models set the tone for ZENITH’s vision of contemporary elegance."
• ICONS - "ZENITH ICONS is a curated collection of rare and highly sought-after vintage ZENITH watches that have been sourced, restored and certified by the Manufacture. Organized into thematic capsule collections, ZENITH ICONS allows you to own a piece of watchmaking history with total peace-of-mind."
• Our collection - "Passing on ancestral skills in order to forge the future. Fulfilling the destiny of a Fine Watchmaking Swiss Manufacturer consistently driven by daring, authenticity and passion since 1865."
• PILOT - "Born during the dawn of man’s earliest flights over a century ago, ZENITH’s watchmaking heritage in the world of aviation is unrivalled, having created the very first “Pilot Watch” and even trademarking the term in 1904, and has remained the only watch brand with the rights to bear the term “Pilot” on its dials. The modern ZENITH PILOT collection pays tribute to the extraordinary pioneering spirit of the time, built for the adventurers of today."
• ZENO-WATCH BASEL - founded in 1868. "Independent Swiss watch manufacturing." Is a small watch manufacturer and a synonym for traditional made Swiss precision since 1868.
• ZENTON - "Watch company is specialized in producing high quality dive watches in limited editions with waterresistance up to 2000m, we do watches in Stainless steel and some models in AB5S Bronze. We are located in Hong Kong."
• ZEON - since 1950. "Zeon Ltd is the UK's largest importer and distributor of timepieces."
• ZEPPELIN - since 1987. "A tour with the Zeppelin has always been the most elegant way of traveling and has lost none of its fascination to this day. Like the Zeppelin airships, the watches in this collection impress with their technical sophistication and timeless beauty. The Zeppelin watches offer a sophisticated, distinctive design with an excellent price-performance ratio and a high product quality. All watches are made by highly qualified watch maker in Germany."
• ZIIIRO - since 2010. "Make Time Fun." Ziiiro make unconventional watches, they have no hands or markings, instead they have a constantly changing pattern of rings indicating the passing of time.
• ZIPPO - Zippo Watches. Displaying 1 to 25.
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• ZITURA - since 1952. "Zitura is known throughout the financial and watch world as the Swiss Bankers Watch. From its founding in 1952, Zitura designed 24K gold watches that were elegant, unique, and striking in appearance."
• 24K solid GOLD DIAL 999.9
• Classic 1 gram gold
• REEFTON PLATINUM COLLECTION
• ZODIAC - A Legacy Since 1882. "Throughout its history, Zodiac has been synonymous with diving. But not all dive watches are created equal. Imagining new technical solutions and having them validated through the grueling series of tests required to earn the COS-C & ISO certification was quite the task. Ultimately, we passed and having it printed on the dial is a real badge of honor." Men's dive watches.
• Dear Zodiac, Bring Back The Red Point Divers - "Another incredibly cool diver from the brand’s catalog that we’d love to see make a comeback."