Zenith

History

The extended history summarises the open references listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited passage. Confirm key dates in period documents before relying on them.

Timeline

Zenith's recorded dates, dated events from this profile and its sources, and dated pieces and sales from the object catalogue. Dates are as each record gives them.

1. 1865 · Career

   Georges Favre-Jacot founded the company in Le Locle, Switzerland, in 1865, originally naming the workshop Fabrique des Billodes.

   Profile text · see Sources

2. 1906 · Catalogued piece

   Zenith Grand Prix Paris 1900 Pocket Watch to Wristwatch Conversion

   Provenance: Second Hand Horology

3. circa 1910 · Catalogued piece

   Zenith Minute Repeating, Quarter-Hour Self-Strike and Monopusher Chronograph Hunter-Case Pocket Watch

   Provenance: Christie's

4. c1925 · Catalogued piece

   Zenith 18K Gold Full Hunter Chronograph Pocket Watch

   Provenance: Antiques Boutique

5. 1939 · Catalogued piece

   Zenith 9K Gold Manual Wind Watch, Ref. 11412

   Provenance: Bonhams

6. c. 1944 · Catalogued piece

   Zenith German military issue pocket watch

   Provenance: Antiques Boutique

7. 1950s-1960s · Catalogued piece

   Zenith Oak Wall Clock

   Provenance: The Clock & Watch Shop

8. Circa 1960 · Catalogued piece

   Zenith 18K gold extra-thin open face pocket watch

   Provenance: Bonhams

9. 1969 · Career

   Favre-Jacot gathered the separate trades of watchmaking under one roof at Le Locle, and the firm became known for precision pocket watches, observatory competition results and the high-frequency automatic chronograph introduced in 1969.

   Profile text · see Sources

10. 1969 · Career

    The company gained prominence for its high-frequency El Primero automatic chronograph movement, which was first introduced in 1969.

    Profile text · see Sources

11. 1978 · Career

    Following a period of ownership by the Dixi group starting in 1978, the company was acquired by the French luxury conglomerate LVMH in 1999.

    Profile text · see Sources

12. circa 1990-2000 · Catalogued piece

    Zenith Horological School of Porrentruy Ref. 01.0500.400 Chronograph

    Provenance: Antiquorum

Current watchmaking & later fate

• Since 1999, the Zenith watch manufacture has been a subsidiary of the French luxury group LVMH.
• The company maintains its manufacture at the same location in Le Locle where its founder established the first workshop.
• Zenith currently produces watches across several collections including Defy, Chronomaster, G.F.J., Elite, and Pilot.

As stated in the references listed under Sources, retrieved 2026-10-27. Ownership and collections change; check the maker's own announcements for the latest position.

Key models

El Primero

Introduced in 1969, the El Primero was the first high-frequency automatic chronograph movement.

Elite

The Elite collection and its associated ultra-thin automatic movement were launched in 1994.

Calibre 135

Developed in 1948, the Calibre 135 was a precision movement that won five Neuchâtel Observatory prizes during the early 1950s.

Major innovations

• The El Primero movement was the first high-frequency automatic chronograph, operating at 36,000 vibrations per hour.
• Early integration of all production stages in one factory
• The Elite movement, introduced in 1994, is a thin, adaptable in-house calibre developed with computer-aided design.

Known markings

• 'Zenith' with the star device
• Calibre marking on the movement
• The company adopted a five-pointed star as its official corporate logo.

Serial numbers

Movement numbers are recorded in company archives, which can supply extracts for individual watches.

Collecting significance

El Primero chronographs and precision pocket watches attract the most attention; original chronograph parts are increasingly difficult to source.

In the object catalogue

24 catalogued objects are recorded under Zenith. Attributions are as given by each source and are not independent authentication.

• 1916 Zenith Signal Corps USA Trench WatchMilitary & trench watch · 1916
• Zenith 18ct Gold Half-Hunter Pocket WatchHunter-case watch · c.1925
• Zenith 18ct Gold Manual Wind WristwatchHand-wound wristwatch · 1930
• Zenith 18K gold extra-thin open face pocket watchOpen-face watch · Circa 1960
• Zenith 18K Gold Full Hunter Chronograph Pocket WatchChronograph & split-seconds watch · c1925
• Zenith 9K Gold Manual Wind Watch, Ref. 11412Hand-wound wristwatch · 1939
• Zenith Academy Force Constante, Georges Favre-Jacot, Ref. 18.2210.4810/01.C713Hand-wound wristwatch · Circa 2016
• Zenith Academy Georges Favre-Jacot 150th Anniversary Limited EditionHand-wound wristwatch · circa 2015
• Zenith Automatic Bumper WristwatchAutomatic wristwatch · c. 1953
• Zenith Bezel-Wound Marine ChronometerTwo-day marine chronometer · Mid-20th century
• Zenith Chronograph Desk ClockDesk clock · circa 1930
• Zenith ChronoMaster El Primero ChronomètreChronograph · circa 2000

Browse all 24 in the object catalogue

Provenance

Where the 24 catalogued pieces by Zenith were recorded, with the collectors, owners and sales their records name.

Auction history

Each line is copied from the object's source record and is not independently verified. Holders are as recorded when the piece was catalogued: museum objects may not be on display, and sold lots have since changed hands.