Zenith Version 12.0 - and Counting...

News reached the North Shore HQ of Henki Time a day or so ago about the not so rosy future of Zenith.

For those of you politely looking away from this protracted train wreck, here are the basics:

Having thrown an entire pot of spaghetti on the wall for the past 20 + years, and none of it sticking, the leadership at Zenith is proposing a few "changes"...

Now those of you recently arrived to Watch Town will likely not be aware of the constant and seemingly never ending reinvention of the folks from Le Locle. And in fairness? It's not the folks who design the watches, build the watches, and sell the watches - although they are the ones who will be paying the price. No, gentle reader, from Nataf, to a licorice assortment of temporary place holders, Zenith has struggled to not only have a steady hand at the wheel, but to clearly identify their place in Watch Town and make a real and sustained impact in retail.

One particular anecdote that to me typifies this malaise (albeit a rather "blue" one) goes back to BaselWorld and the flustered CEO explaining the concept behind having a full service barber offering haircuts and shoe shines in the booth. He joked that if things didn't improve, the next year's BaselWorld promos might involve certain things that I'd rather not go into in this space...

All of that being in the past, let's talk about where we are now. And this is just little me talking. Zenith does not inhabit the upper price echelons. It is not Patek, in fact it's not even IWC or honestly even Panerai. And I want to be clear, this is not about quality. Zenith makes an AMAZING product. But they have never, ever, been able to stay consistent and market it. They constantly get the "fidgets". This unwillingness to see things through leads to a product line that seems to be far too big, and a bit all over the place. This inevitably leads to the grey market being a likely landing place for so many "misfit toys".

The idea that Zenith's current CEO is proposing seems logical enough - super expensive, small volume brands are doing well. So let's decamp to the lofty heights of Hauteville!  But this is forgetting one important little nugget of recent history - it is far easier to reduce your prices than to increase them. Or more specifically, it is super hard to reinvent your brand ethos and get the people who actually spend coin of the realm on such luxuries as watches to buy into your new identity at the higher sticker price.

And now let's get back to the folks who are getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop - the workers. Yes, once again upper management will be fine. But if the stories out of Le Locle are to be believed, half of the staff at the manufacture will be no longer there - that's 100 jobs.

Now on the one hand, Mr. De Clerck is correct, a company can't continue to lose money indefinitely. But let's be real. Zenith didn't get to this current situation over night. As the owner of a Zenith El Primero (which I treasure), I certainly want to the brand succeed and thrive. 

Whether it will succeed through yet the latest reinvention or not remains to be seen. But as someone who counts more than a few folks who ply their trade in Le Locle, I wish them good luck and Godspeed.

The 0260 x BAIT

From Hanhart -

Courtesy of Hanhart

As. you read this, if you hadn't pulled the trigger promptly this AM, then apologies. Your time is running out ; )

Courtesy of Hanhart

 

These two models make up a very limited series of 88 pieces in each version. Priced at $3,300 

These two limited editions are a collaboration with 0260 and BAIT. If I have read the info correctly, presuming they do not sell out, they will be available through authorized retail outlets.

So if like me, you were slow on the draw this morning, you still have a limited, rapidly closing window of opportunity on Chrono 24 -

Hanhart x 0260 x Bait

Long story short, if you snooze, you lose ; )

Here are the pertinents, per Hanhart -

Hanhart has joined forces with 0260, the Miami-based lifestyle brand behind the Time To Drive Car & Watch Festival, and BAIT to present a limited edition of the 417 ES. It is available in two colourways of 88 pieces each.

The project is the work of Lex Borrero, founder of 0260, and Eric Peng Cheng, founder of BAIT. Through their work and their passions, the two collectors have long brought together the worlds
of watches, car culture, design and collecting. Each has been named ‘Watch Collector of the Year’ by GQ.

The starting point was the 417 ES, Hanhart’s pilot’s chronograph from the 1950s. Borrero and Cheng have reinterpreted it through the visual language of historic motorsport.

The first version pairs a black dial with cream sub-dials and red accents, the second a cream dial with brown sub-dials. Slender numerals and fine scales define both dials. They are joined by the signature fluted bezel of the 417 ES and its characteristic bicompax chronograph layout. The leather strap is available in black or
cognac.

And here are the specifics:

CASE

DIMENSIONS
Diameter 39 mm
Height with glass 13.3 mm (11.55 mm without glass)

MATERIAL
Stainless steel, satin/polished

BEZEL
Fluted bezel, bidirectional, continuously rotatable with red insert

GLASS
Convex sapphire crystal with internal AR-coating
Highly domed sapphire crystal

CASE BACK
Screw down caseback
Limitation number XX/88

WATER RESISTANCE
Water-resistant up to 10 bar/10 ATM in accordance with DIN 8310

MOVEMENT

CALIBER
Manual winding
Sellita SW 510 M
Symmetrical pusher spacing
28,800 A/h, 4 Hz, 23 jewels

POWER RESERVE
58 hours after full winding

FUNCTIONS
Small second
30-minute counter
Central stop second
Hacking seconds

DIAL

DIAL
Historical Hanhart Logo
Creme or Black
0260 and BAIT on Dial

NUMBERS
Historical Font

HANDS
Super-LumiNova® coated

STRAP

STRAP
Cowhide with white stitching and  strap
Lug width 20 mm

COLORS
Black
Dark brown
Light brown

BUCKLE
Pin buckle with historical logo

The Tour des Chavannes

From Elka -

Courtesy of Elka

I had a chance to check out Elka's new offering at The HYPE this past weekend, and I have to say I'm kinda' crushing on it. Now point of full disclosure, I am the proud owner of two of Elka's time machines, and I am a fan. With that said, the Tour des Chavannes builds upon a now well established design grammar.

These two pieces are also known as the R Series. The inspiration comes from Elka's current base of operations, Neuchatel. In their own words:

"...deeply rooted in the history of the eponymous tower, an iconic landmark of Neuchâtel located right next to our Elka Watch Co. boutique at 16, rue des Chavannes. Demolished in 1867, this tower shaped the city's heritage—housing the "javiole" (disciplinary cell) from 1531 onwards and serving as an essential time marker with its historic 1736 dial painted by Samuel Müller. To preserve this memory, our two new timepieces proudly feature the inscription "TOUR DES CHAVANNES" at 6 o'clock, replicating the handwritten lettering by engineer Henri Ladame from his original plans dated July 29, 1867"

Courtesy of Elka

First up is the ELKA R Series — R02wo-0814 "Tour des Chavannes: Pierre d'Hauterive". The color code pays homage to the limestone that was used to build the old town of Neuchatel. 

The case is of stainless steel and measures 40.8 mm across and is 10.80 thick. Under the hood is La Joux Perret's G101 self-winding/ automatic movement.

It is priced at CHF1716 which currently comes to $2,087 here in the lower 48.

Here are the pertinents:

CALIBER
La Joux Perret G101 automatic 4 Hz / 28'800 A/h, stop second 68-hour power reserve
FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes
CASE MATERIALS
1.4404 steel
CASE DIMENSIONS
40.8 mm in diameter 10.80 thick 46.50 mm Lug to Lug
SCREWED CASE BACK
Steel 1.4404
OPEN CASE BACK
SS and Sapphire Crystal
DIAL
Beige Dial, Black Roman Numbers
HANDS
Brushed Black colored
GLASS
Chevé type sapphire - box - anti-scratch anti-reflective treatment on one side
BRACELET
Suede cognac color -Rembordé Width 20/18 mm
BUCKLE
Pin buckle Steel 1.4404
WATERPROOF
50 meters / 5 bar
WARRANTY
2 years

The second member of this dynamic duo is the 

ELKA R Series — R01wo-0817 "Tour des Chavannes: 1736 Edition"

Courtesy of Elka

This version draws its inspiration from another piece of Neuchatel's history, again per Elka:

"A striking tribute to the monumental clock that once set the rhythm of life for the people of Neuchâtel from the top of the historic tower. The R01wo-0817 edition draws its direct inspiration from the historical dial painted by heraldist and sign painter Samuel Müller in 1736."

Priced the same as its partner at CHF1716 (approximately) $2,087 US, here are all the pertinents -

CALIBER
La Joux Perret G101 automatic 4 Hz / 28'800 A/h, stop second 68-hour power reserve
FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes
CASE MATERIALS
1.4404 steel
CASE DIMENSIONS
40.8 mm in diameter 10.80 thick 46.50 mm Lug to Lug
SCREWED CASE BACK
Steel 1.4404
OPEN CASE BACK
SS and Sapphire Crystal
DIAL
Black Dial, Rose Gold Roman Numbers
HANDS
Polished Rose Gold colored
GLASS
Chevé type sapphire - box - anti-scratch anti-reflective treatment on one side
BRACELET
Black color "Veau Glacé" -Semi Rembordé Width 20/18 mm
BUCKLE
Pin buckle Steel 1.4404
WATERPROOF
50 meters / 5 bar
WARRANTY
2 years

The BR-03 Space Mission

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is the latest offering in the BR-03 family, the BR-034 Space Mission.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Limited to 999 pieces, with initial deliveries anticipated in November. Priced at $5,200.

Here are the pertinents -

Movement : Calibre BR-CAL.325. Automatic mechanical movement. 54-hour power reserve.

Functions : Hours and minutes.

Case : 41 mm wide. 10.60 mm thick. Micro-blasted black ceramic.

Dial : Black aventurine plate representing space. The hours are indicated by a transparent disc featuring a printed image of the Earth and Moon, with the Moon marking the hours. The minutes hand is represented by the spaceplane.

Crystal : Anti-reflective sapphire.

Water resistance : 100 metres.

Strap : Black rubber and ultra-resilient black synthetic fabric.

Buckle : Pin. Steel with matt black PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) micro-blasted finish.

7 Days with the Hager Commando GMT 10th Anniversary

 Begins now.

Two New Turquoise Pieces

From MeisterSinger -

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

Both are automatic, self-winding.

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

The first up is the No. 03. This is the classic single handed model that MeisterSinger made its bones with. This one is of stainless steel and measures 38 mm in diameter.

Model		№03 Special (S-BM9928)
Movement		SW300, Automatic, power reserve 42h
Diameter		38 mm
Case		Stainless steel, 6 screws glass back, 5 bar waterresistance, sapphire glass
Dial		Turquoise blue
Strap		Textile strap – Sport fabric, light blue
Specialty		Limited special edition
Origin		German watch brand; Swiss Made
Retail price*		2.190€
Availability		October/November

Courtesy of MeisterSinger

The Perigraph is also of stainless steel and 38 mm.

Model		Perigraph Special (S-BM1128)
Movement		SW300, automatic, power reserve 42 h
Diameter		38 mm
Case		Stainless steel, 6 screws glass back, 5 bar waterresistance, sapphire glass
Dial		Turquoise blue
Strap		Textile strap – Sport fabric, light blue
Specialty		Limited special edition
Origin		German watch brand; Swiss Made
Retail price*		2.490€
Availability		October/November

Weird Wild Stuff...

Okay, in fairness, I don't claim to be the smartest guy in the room. And no, it's not like LVMH, Swatch Group, or Richemont have me shortlisted for a leadership role. But with that said I nearly spit out my coffee onto the screen of my not-so-new laptop. I don't claim to have intimate knowledge of the worth of things in Watch Town, but I do know a little bit. And although my high school geometry teacher was convinced that academically I represented the scholastic equivalent of the sunk cost trap, I can add and subtract.

So that is why it was more than a bit of a head scratcher to read the crowing coming from parts Swiss about the eminent triumphant, phoenix- from-the-flames turnaround, love-story triumph of Ebel version 3.0

As we say in Salem, MA - "Witch, please..."

As we're close to Thanksgiving (at least north of the lower 48), let's talk turkey! Ebel has gone through more than a few iterations:

• 1994 the original found family sold to Investcorp.
• 1999 LVMH buys Ebel
• 2003 Movado buys Ebel from LVMH for, I believe, $62.2 million yankee greenbacks - this also included Le Courbusier's  La Villa Turque, a house I have walked past more times than I have fingers and toes.
• 2026 Movado goes on the block again and this time is picked up by a consortium which includes Chanel and F.P. Journe (among others) who will control 95%, with the price being $66.5 million, meaning that the part retained by Movado is valued at $3.325 million, meaning a total value of just south of $70 million ($69 and some change) if my math is right. The big question is - who gets to live in the house ; )

But all of this begs a bigger question. And I will call upon that other great commentator on the watch business, The Queen of Soul, Miss Aretha Franklin: "Who's Zoomin' Who?"

If we compare the two most recent sales prices, the value of the brand has only risen $7.3 million or a little over 10%. But when we adjust for inflation, that original sale was worth a little south of $113,000 today (thank you CPI Inflation Calculator). And yet it is being sold for dramatically less when you factor in that inflation.

So while the folks at Movado are, in principal, taking a hit on this, when you take into account exactly how much they have going on globally, and you factor in how much Ebel has struggled - let's be honest about this, this is actually a very good deal for Movado group. They offload what can only be described as under performing, and get to hang onto 5% for auld lang syne.

And what of the three musketeers who are now riding in to save Ebel? Chanel has the dollars, F.P. Journe certainly has the horological bona fides, and Pierre Jacques has certainly spent time at the helm with De Bethune. But Ebel is a different animal. The scale and scope are completely different, and it is a brand that sits at a very awkward intersection in terms of pricing & product.

As with anything that happens in Watch Town, there is what the protagonists will tell us, and a lot that is unknown. So as is always the case, we will wait and we will see.

The BR-03 Green Radar Ceramic

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is the latest addition to the BR-03 family, the Green Radar Ceramic.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

The case is of sand blasted ceramic and measures 41 mm across and is 10.6 mm thick.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Under the hood is the BR-CAL.327, which is automatic mechanical. It boasts 54-hours of power reserve.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

It ships with two straps. One is black rubber (above), and Black rubber and the other is black synthetic fabric.

It is limited to 999 pieces and priced at $5,100 here in the lower 48.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Here are all the pertinents, straight from Bell & Ross -

Movement : Calibre BR-CAL.327. Automatic Mechanical Movement. 54-hour power reserve.

Functions : Hours, minutes and seconds.

Case : 41 mm wide. 10.60 mm thick. Micro-blasted black ceramic.

Dial : Composed of three black discs with a green gradient for the hours, minutes and seconds, each is represented by a plane with a marking in Dark Green Super-LumiNova® (green glow).

Crystal : Sapphire crystal, through-coloured green, with an anti-reflective coating under which a target marking is applied.

Water resistance : 100 metres.

Strap : Black rubber and ultra-resilient black synthetic fabric.

Buckle : Pin. Steel with black PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish.

Wrapping Up Seven Days with the Islander Astoria Automatic

While perhaps not all good things must come to an end, a one-week watch review by its very nature must ;  )

I have spent the last seven days with the Islander Astoria Automatic, and it has been a revelatory experience. Most of you familiar with Islander watches will know that it is sometimes thought of as the "house brand" for Long Island Watch, a very well-established e-commerce watch seller. But what you then also probably know is that the owner, Marc Frankel, is one of the most perspicacious chroniclers of watches around through his You Tube presence. He is also more than a bit of a rock star with watch collectors. Think I'm exaggerating? Go to the Wind Up Watch Fair in NYC from the 16 - 18 of this month. Try to get close enough to say hello and shake hands. You will be battling a scrum of fans and well-wishers. Yes, he is that popular. But one other thing about Marc - he is actually as nice and engaging as advertised. But I've already gone a bit off topic, so back to the matter at hand.

Back at the turn of the last century, there was a bit of a fascination with tounneau (that's barrel for you non-francophones out there) style watch cases. You might recall they were the calling card for one Franck Muller watches. But even at the more pedestrian levels they were a hot item. And the tounneau bug first bit me when I clapped eyes on the Tissot Porto. Actually, that is only half true. I encountered the Porto's older sister, the Lisboa while transiting (as I did about 5 times a year) through Kastrup airport in Copenhagen either on my way back home to Helsinki, or to London for business. It was a classic looking watch with a twist on a tank style. But it fell out of production before I could pull the trigger, and this was when Ebay was in its infancy. So the Porto really came out just in time for me. 

The pros of the Porto - design clues consistent with Franck Muller's big-boy tonneau.

The cons (and sorry Tissot, there were several) - the case was waaaaay too big. Also easily scratched. But into the bargain the case felt "tinny", not the sort of gravitas you expected for the size. The self-winding movement was more than okay. But in truth, I never fuly warmed to it. It was too big and felt a little "thirsty" as it was a dead ringer for it's more expensive competitor.

Now in fairness, that was 25 years ago. And tempus has clearly fugited since then. 

And that is why I was so interested when I stumbled across the Islander Astoria Automatic on my Instagram feed. 

So now that we've completed more than enough preamble, let's get down to the review.

The case, while smaller than my star-crossed Tissot Porto falls into my "Goldilocks" category of just right. It measures 34 mm in diameter, and is 37 mm on the vertical scale. It's total lug to lug is a very harmonious 44.2 mm. 

The case back is solid, and in truth, I am so tired of looking at plain, undecorated movements I prefer it this way. But the case back also has a visual story to impart. The engraving is a rendering of Steinway Manor which is located in Astoria - hence the name.

The edges are smooth, not sharp, the fit is comfortable, and the size of the watch will be a good fit for most of the folks out there.

The dial is another nice touch. The texture and pattern add depth to the watch face as a whole, and the use of 4 roman numerals (at 12, 3, 6, and 9) is nicely complimented by indices to complete the whole. 

The movement is Miyota's 9055 (no date). The time keeping has been solid, and I only needed one time correction over the course of this review week.

The setting and winding was smooth. The crown bears the Islander logo, and is smooth to the touch, yet tactile at the same time.

The strap's lug width is 18 mm, tapering down to 16 mm at the clasp, which also bears the Islander logo.

The strap is made of fabric with a leather backing. And this would really be my only critique. The quality and comfort are there, and I ALWAYS appreciate quick springs. But I would have probably preferred all leather. That's just little me, we all have our preferences. With that being said, it looks quite smart and as mentioned is comfortable to wear all day.

The dial and hands are lumed, and in all honesty, I am glad that they are. It is a subtle application that does not overwhelm, but rather enhances the watch's aesthetics. And there is one fun little Easter egg. If you look closely at the Roman numeral at 6 o'clock, you will notice that the right half of the V in the VI is actually the world ISLANDER printed out ; )

 

Now ultimately, inevitably, we have to talk about price. The Islander Astoria is priced at $359! That is a lot of wrist-bound-time-machine goodness for not a lot of money!

And while I personally love the pink, there are still two other color possibilities out there for you if pink is not your jam.

So, from your pal Henki's perspective, this is a wonderful watch at a very, very aggressive price. It is well finished, performs well, and truthfully? It gave me joy to wear. As mentioned previously, the only thing I would change is the strap, but that is it.

Should you wish to do some further research, here are the pertinents, straight from Islander:

Movement: Miyota 90S5 Hi-Beat Automatic (self-winding, hand wind, hacks)

Case: Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 34mm

Case Height: 9.2mm

Case Lug to Lug: Stainless steel, 34mm x 37mm, 9.2mm thick, 44.2mm lug to lug

Case Back: Solid etched caseback held with screws

Crystal: Sapphire

Band: Leather backed fabric, quick release, 18mm

Band Width: 18mm

Water Resistance: 50 meters

Weight: 53 grams

Warranty: 1 year

Hope

 From Mauron Musy -

Courtesy of Mauron Musy

This is a unique (as in singular) version based on the MU06 UniX created in support of the Watches for ELA auction this November.

Here are the details from the Watches for ELA listing:

MAURON MUSY
REF. MU06-115 'LIGHT OF HOPE'

Mauron Musy presents a unique 41 mm Grade 5 titanium timepiece centered on its handcrafted midnight-blue ‘Light of Hope’ dial. Christophe Musy has personally handwritten the word ‘Hope’ across the dial, almost invisible by day before emerging through Super-LumiNova in low light, a symbolic detail conceived especially for ELA. The caseback is engraved ‘PIÈCE UNIQUE’ and reveals the Manufacture MM02 automatic micro-rotor calibre beneath. Combining the brand’s patented gasket-free nO-Ring® water-resistance technology with an evocative expression of hope, this singular creation unites Mauron Musy’s engineering expertise with a deeply symbolic design.

Estimation

CHF 15,000–25,000