£3,500
Fully Inspected, Serviced and Guaranteed
A Beautifully Well Cared For And Lightly Used Example
34mm Diameter Case, Excluding the Zenith Signed Crown
Wonderful 9ct Yellow Gold Zenith Swiss Fully Signed Case
Original, Unrestored and Untouched Slightly Off-White Dial
Wonderful Faceted Dauphine Hands and Subsidiary Seconds Dial
Pristine Cal.135, 19 Jewel, Incabloc High Grade Manual Movement
High Quality Brown Leather Strap with Plain Gold-Plated Buckle
All in Absolutely Top Grade & Simply Stunning Condition
VGWL Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee
VGWL 12 Months’ Warranty Included*
High Quality Hardwood Presentation Box Included
Free Worldwide FedEx Delivery
Free UK Special Delivery
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Zenith
Zenith is one of the oldest watch manufacturers, est.1865 and one of only a handful which has always produced its own movements. The company has an almost unparalleled record of technical achievements and notably, in 1929, Zenith won world renown at Kew Observatory (England), when a Zenith wristwatch won first prize for an accuracy of better than 0.6 seconds per day. During the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, Zenith held the lead in producing the most commercially successful and technically advanced, chronograph wristwatches. Later, Zenith became the first in 1969, to develop a high-frequency automatic integrated column-wheel chronograph, powered by the legendary El-Primero movement, beating at 36,000 vibrations per hour. This obsession with precision, as well as this constant quest for technical innovation, has been duly rewarded; the Manufacture has been awarded 2,333 chronometry prizes as well as eight medals, making it the most titled brand in the field of precision. The company has also provided a huge number of movements to many other manufacturers for their more technically advanced watches, including even Rolex for their Daytona Chronograph.
Description
The 1950s saw Zenith produce some of the greatest watch movements available from any manufacturer. Zenith watch movements were incredibly advanced and the watch we have here is an excellent example, having a superb Swiss made 9ct yellow gold case and the Calibre 135 Chronometre hand-wound movement. Zenith Chronometre watches from this period are very rare and highly sought after. This watch also has a original, unrestored and untouched slightly off-white dial which as can be seen, is simply outstanding.
The Dial
The classic and beautifully styled slightly off-white dial has wonderful original ‘baton’ hour indices mixed with standard Arabic numerals at ‘3 – 6 – 9 – 12’ which are matched with original 1950s ‘dauphine’ hands. This is an impressive dial due to the contrast between the off-white colour of the dial and the yellow gold of the case and dial furnishings.
The dial carries the Zenith signature star and is signed ‘Zenith’ and ‘Chronometre’ with ‘Swiss Made’ at the very bottom.
Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however, we decided in this case, due to its exceptional condition, to retain its originality and charm for the many collectors who prefer this. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website which have been restored.
Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you see here may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen, or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.
The Movement
This watch does not only feature an outstanding case and dial, but also carries the high grade Zenith Calibre 135, 19 jewel Chronometre hand-wound movement. These Zenith Chronometre movements from this period are highly accurate, very special and very rare.
The example here is in wonderful condition. The movement has just been fully overhauled and serviced by our watchmaker which means fully dismantling the watch and movement, ultrasonic cleaning of all parts, inspection to the critical surfaces under high magnification with replacement as required with genuine new original parts, then careful reassembly and oiling, using all the correct lubricants to manufacturer’s specification before final testing and calibration. This watch is now running perfectly, having been calibrated and timed at +8 seconds per day! This timing is truly amazing for any watch of this age and has been confirmed on our electronic timegrapher. We therefore we have no hesitation in offering this watch with our 12 months warranty*.
The movement is signed ‘Zenith’, ‘Swiss Made’ and ‘19 Jewels’ and carries both the Calibre number 135 and the reference number 4663143, dating the watch to 1957.
*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicble if the list price is paid.
The Watch Case
The 9ct yelllow gold, Zenith Swiss made watch case measures a large 34mm, excluding the correct Zenith signed crown. The watch case has been professionally cleaned before being carefully inspected and very gently hand-polished, which was all that was required to bring it back to its current tip-top condition. The case has no scratches, dings or other marks visible to the naked eye.
As can be seen, the inside of the case-back is simply signed with the 9ct hallmarks and carries the serial number 30814, as can be seen in the accompanying photographs.
Please note – our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
The Strap and Buckle
The strap fitted is a new high quality brown leather strap and plain gold-plated buckle. If a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige, free of charge. We carry Tan, Conker, Dark Brown, Burgundy and Black straps in stock, in plain, padded leather, alligator, crocodile or lizard skin.
The Box and Papers
Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating the watch to 1957.
Detailed particulars will be included with the receipt, along with our 12 months warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.
The watch also comes complete with a high quality hardwood presentation box, as shown in the photographs.
In Conclusion
This is a very impressive vintage Zenith chronometre wristwatch, which is ready to wear and very practical for everyday use. If treated with care, this watch will make an excellent investment or heirloom piece. Zenith has always benefitted from a first class reputation for the superb quality of their watch movements and just as in the case of Longines, which have been undervalued in the past, this is beginning to show in the way Zenith watches are increasing in value.
A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well-known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two and three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.
We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.
Please note, we welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.
We will be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch. All at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.
If you have any questions, please call our landline 020 7727 7095 or mobile 07515 949 250 or if calling from overseas our landline number is +44 207 727 7095 or mobile +44 7515 949 250.
We are here, ready, available and awaiting your call! We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches, including buying, selling, or collecting vintage watches, we will also be happy to hear from you.
Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine vintage gold watches.
Thank you.
