BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
The LVMH group has started 2020 with a bang by organizing its first standalone exhibition to showcase the upcoming releases from four of its top tier brands at the lovely Bulgari hotel in Dubai. A few days back Harlan talked about the new Bulgari Octo Finissimo watches and today we are looking at the new Elite collection from Zenith. Featuring Sunburst patterned dials, powered by modern in-house calibers and available in a couple of sizes, these new elegant watches seem to have it all. Let’s have a look.
Zenith Elite Classic 36mm & 40.5mm
There was a time when 36mm was on the larger side for a men’s watch, but nowadays it’s a size that many women love to flaunt and that is exactly what the target audience of the Elite 36mm is going to be. Size aside, Zenith has given this new watch an added feminine touch as the bezel on this watch has been embedded with diamonds. Available in stainless steel and 18ct gold, the cases are well complemented by blue and silver dials that feature a nice sunburst pattern for added visual dynamism. These new watches are powered by the Zenith in-house automatic caliber Elite 670 that operates at a frequency of 4 Hz, offers an impressive 50-hour power reserve. The steel version would retail for CHF 7,900 whereas the gold variant would retail for almost double the price at CHF 14,900.
The Zenith Elite Classic 40.5mm is the elder sibling of the Elite 36mm with a few key differences. First and foremost is the size, which at 40.5mm hits the sweet spot for a modern men’s dress watch and should be able to cater to a variety of wrists. Another key differentiator is the sloped polished bezel that is now devoid of any embellishments to give the watch a more masculine look. On the dial front, things are still the same with beautiful patterned faces, applied markers, three hands and a date at 6. Powering this watch also is the Zenith Elite 670 automatic caliber. The Zenith Elite 40.5mm would retail for CHF 5,900 in steel and CHF 12,900 in gold.
Zenith Elite Classic Moonphase 40.5mm & 36mm
The Zenith Elite Classic Moonphase watches are slightly more complicated cousins of the Elite Classic and are targeted towards people who want a little more from their dress watches. Though not very practical, the moon phase complication is indeed charming, and it does make a significant difference to the visual appeal of a watch. Positioned at 6, the Moonphase indicator on the Zenith Elite Moonphase has been tastefully executed. Primarily rendered in blue, the disc features the moon and stars in either silver or gold to complement the stainless steel and gold cases. The Zenith Elite Classic Moonphase 40.5mm would retail for CHF 6,900 in steel and CHF 13,900 in gold.
Akin to the Elite Classic the Elite Moonphase is also available in a small 36mm size with a diamond-studded bezel and a larger 40.5mm size with a simple polished bezel. The Zenith Elite Classic Moonphase 36mm would retail for CHF 8,900 in steel and CHF 15,900 in gold. The face has once again been presented in a couple of color options namely slate gray and silver. The layout is almost similar to the Elite Classic except for the replacement of the date window with a Moonphase indicator. The watches are powered by the Zenith’s Elite 692 caliber that operates at a frequency of 4Hz and offers a power reserve of around 50 hours.
Attached to matching leather straps the new Zenith Elite watches in my opinion certainly pack a solid punch and making them a great choice for someone looking for a nice luxury dress watch.
Visit Zenith here.
