Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rolex SA
Jean-Frédéric Dufour - Zenith
Zenith is the maker of the legendary El Primero, one of the first automatic chronograph movements. CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour talks about the legitimacy of Pilot watches, the Montres D'Aeronet Type 20, the El Primero Espada, and explains the significance of the prize-winning Christophe Colombo watch last year.
About Jean-frédéric Dufour
Jean-Frédéric Dufour, while serving as CEO of Zenith from 2009 until his move to Rolex, discussed the brand's history and product strategy in several interviews. He described Zenith as a manufacturer that has produced its own movements in-house at its original location in Le Locle for nearly 150 years. Dufour highlighted the El Primero caliber as a legendary and iconic movement, and noted the development of the Christopher Columbus watch, which he said was the only wristwatch at the time able to control the effect of gravity in any position. He also stated that the brand aimed to be contemporary by associating with "modern heroes" such as Felix Baumgartner to inspire new generations. Dufour emphasized the importance of authenticity in watchmaking, cautioning that consumers should verify the origin of components in high-priced tourbillons. He described the brand's pilot watch collection as legitimate due to Zenith's long history in aviation, noting that the company had registered the "pilot" name. Dufour characterized the brand's core identity as one of simplicity and reliability, stating that the original concept of producing precise watches had remained strong regardless of management changes.
Transcript (8 segments)
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Jean-frédéric Dufour0:13
Since the planes are flying, Zenith was there. The very first instrument ever produced for aviation was made by Zenith. I'm not talking about 1940, I'm talking about 1900. Then it has a legacy of more than a century in the history of our nation. The pilot name, for example, is registered by Zenith since forever, and we own the name Pilot for watches.
We found in the archives of the company a caliber called 5011, and that caliber is a legendary caliber of the watch industry. It was developed in the 50s, and then it won 277 prizes with that caliber out of the 2,333 prizes won by the company. It's a legendary caliber because it has been used as a war instrument in planes, as a marine chronometer on the bow of boats, as a pocket watch, and now as a wristwatch.
We did a watch inspired by the very first watch worn by pilots. I think the pilots almost invented the wristwatches, and they were looking very much like pocket watches with a strap. This is why if you look at that watch, it looks a little bit like a pocket watch style, but also very contemporary. The figures are not painted figures but applied indexes, super-luminova indexes. We stamp them the same way if we had to stamp metal figures, but they are in super-luminova, so they are much thicker. It makes them lasting for much longer than just painting.
It's limited to 250 pieces. It's a titanium one because it's 58 millimeters, so being big, it has to be light. And there will also be a limited edition of 75 pieces in rose gold. It's called the Double Matic World Timer. And why Double Matic? Because I have two barrels—one barrel is for the watch and the other barrel is for the alarm. It's a world timer and you have an alarm which is not striking the back of the watch like a cricket, but it's an alarm with a hammer which is striking a gong like on a minute repeater. Last but not least, the alarm is lasting more than 30 seconds, so it's really something which can wake you up. The design is very attractive, and again you'll find the same principle in terms of indexes—it's also super-luminova. Not limited, and rose gold limited edition.
I'm very proud of the El Primero. It's the only three-hand watch in the world beating at high frequency. The El Primero—the name is an old name back from the 70s in the Zenith collection, and it means 'the first.' It's something you need when you wake up in the morning in the world where we live. You need a must-have. That watch is a timeless manufacture watch with an open case back. It's a watch which has really all the curves of a manufacture watch but in a sporty shape that you can use from Monday morning to Sunday night.
The Captain is completely dedicated to elegance. Zenith has been producing since the very beginning reliable, precise, and elegant watches. Back in the fifties we had a name called Captain, and since now two years we have a new collection called Captain. In that collection we start with the central second, but we also have the power reserve, we have the moon phase, and we have then also a chronograph which is really a timeless chronograph. When you cannot make any mistake—you buy it, you will love it for your lifetime, and even though maybe the next generation will thank you for having had such good taste when buying this watch.
We present a big step forward for the watch industry, because watchmakers have been looking forever to control the effect of gravity on the balance spring and the escapement itself. In marine chronometers, which were placed on gimbals, whatever the position of the boat, the mechanism was always staying in a reasonable position. The vertical position is the best position for a watch because it's where the amplitude is the best, and it is where you can control the effect of gravity, because gravity is pulling down something which is vertical—so it has actually almost no effect on the mechanism itself.
For the first time, Zenith developed a mechanism which is now patented that can move in all directions. Whatever the position of my wrist, the balance spring will stay in the original position. The tourbillon was invented to self-compensate the effect of gravity in the vertical position for pocket watches. In one minute, the mechanism is rotating around an axis just to compensate this effect of gravity. In one minute, it means that if you're wearing a tourbillon watch on your wrist, theoretically speaking, you won't be compensating any effect. But with this watch, as you see, it's working in three dimensions, if I may say so. The mechanism always stays in the original position—it's just what the watchmakers were looking for centuries, and Zenith did it.