El Primero A386

Established by Georges Favre-Jacot in 1865, Zenith can claim to be one of the earliest examples of a fully integrated in-house manufacturer. Having witnessed firsthand the power of industrializing watch manufacturing, Favre-Jacot took inspiration in Zenith’s early days from US brands such as Elgin and Waltham.

This foresight for vertical integration yielded fruit: at the 1900 Paris World Fair, Favre-Jacot’s “Zenith” movement was honored with a gold medal for accuracy and technical achievement. Thus, just 11 years later, Zenith (as we know it today) was born.