Zenith (watchmaker)

The watch manufacturer Zenith in Le Locle was founded in 1865 on the initiative of Georges Favre- Jacot in Switzerland as " Fabrique of Billodes ".

In 1911 the company was converted into a public limited company with the name " Fabrique des Montres Zenith". The name Zenith result of the following incident: One evening, Georges Favre- Jacot perfected a movement which seemed to him to be better than all previous. When he joined shortly thereafter in the starry night out and turned his gaze to the sky, the celestial mechanics seemed like the game of the wheels and cones of a movement and he decided to call his new movement, and its Manufacture, after the highest point of the universe: Zenith. He also chose to match the name, a five-pointed star as a corporate logo.

On January 10 of 1969, Zenith introduced the developed after two years of work first automatic chronograph movement, the El Primero with 36000/2 vibrations per hour, and thus won the prestigious race with the company Breitling and Hamilton - Buren.

The " El Primero " is now regarded as the most famous work in its class; it is the comparable works Lemania 5100 and Valjoux 7750 ETA due to its high rate of vibration of 36,000 semi-oscillations per hour (equivalent to 5 Hz, usual 21,600 and 28,800 vibrations per hour, so 3 or 4 Hz) superior and high production quality.

In 1994, the ultra-thin automatic movement elite was presented.

Zenith belongs since 1999 together with brands TAG Heuer and Chaumet the French LVMH group.