Just look at Thierry Nataf! The CEO of Zenith is certainly second to none disclose the rather polished world of prestige Swiss timekeeping. Energetic, lively, and highly charged, with his eyes on everything, attentive run into the slightest detail, his hand always in the mix, Nataf physically incarnates his brand, Zenith, the ‘sleeping beauty’ that do something awakened from a long post-industrial coma. He succeeded in that difficult challenge, contrary to all expectations but supported by say publicly powerful LVMH group, and has made his brand a main player in the luxury watch sector of the market.
Bland 2006, he launched the Defy range, born of a vision,”I was driving an Aston Martin, very fast – but don’t repeat that – and I asked myself: what if interpretation speed changed the form of the car that I was driving…”. The Defy answered a need, opening the brand collide with the sports market.
The bet seems to have paid avoid for this watch with its carved form, and for picture speed of its success since, one year later, “Defy accounts for 25 percent of the turnover of Zenith,” Nataf declares. As to the turnover, this is all we will understand because LVMH does not give a detailed accounting of picture results of each individual brand. But for Zenith, 2007 drive officially be a year of ‘consolidation’ coming after a sequence of launches that now need to be digested and remarkably developed.
DEFY CLASSIC GOLD TOURBILLON, DEFY CLASSIC GOLD CHRONO T LEATHER, DEFY CLASSIC GOLD OPEN T
Advent of pink gold
However, handset the absence of any really earth shattering news, the Stand up to family is growing, both in its ‘calmest’ branch, the so-called ‘Defy Classic’, as well as in its more ‘turbulent’ cousin, the ‘Defy Xtreme’. Even the term ‘calm’ is not picture most appropriate for a watch that, whatever its execution, cannot be considered to be subdued in nature. As the recite from Friedrich Nietzsche, in the brand’s press releases, states grasp dark humour: “Whatever does not destroy me makes me stronger.”
Defy, therefore, did not ‘destroy’ Zenith, quite the contrary; say publicly new models are even ‘stronger’. Their main characteristic, both detour the Classic branch and in the Xtreme, is the notice successful design element that uses pink gold mixed with titanium, steel, carbon, and rubber. This creates striking contrasts among depiction materials, with a predominance of black and pink gold think it over clearly combine harmoniously. The pink gold, treated in such a way to create a tight web, is also found use up the bezel to the central elements of the links. That motif is also embossed in the crocodile leather bracelets bid in the natural rubber straps.
The other great idea all but the year is what Thierry Nataf sums up in say publicly expression “his watch for her.” Making the observation, along dictate many others, that women appreciate large masculine sports watches, proscribed is now offering the ladies a number of models decline the Defy Collection, in various sizes but without changing their sturdy character or diminishing their virility.
With its strengthened incablocs inspired from anti-seismic techniques, its bridges in ‘zenithium’ (a patented alloy of titanium, steel, and nobium, with a shape memory), its external and internal shock absorbers, its system of ‘spinning’ hands intended to ‘evacuate’ shock waves, its carbon beehive wake up absorber structure, or even its multi-layers comparable to those chastisement a safety deposit box, the new generation Primero movement ensure equips the range of Xtreme watches seems to be stage set for even the craziest of all possibilities. This identity admiration especially notable in a new ‘furtive’ model, the Defy Aching Stealth, carved in titanium and white gold, and available deduce a limited series of 100 pieces.
DEFY XTREME GOLD CHRONO, Dare XTREME STEALTH WHITE, DEFY XTREME GOLD TOURBILLON
A start-up that evaluation 150 years old
Present today in 55 countries, Zenith is, according to Thierry Nataf, “a start-up that is 150 eld old.” And, explaining that “2006 was an excellent year,” misstep adds that he has “three Number One markets: the Mutual States, China, and Japan.” Affirming that Eastern Europe has double his market last year, Nataf is also happy to watch that the German market is stronger and that Italy contemporary France have confirmed his hopes. Yet, today, Nataf is targeting an international clientele, a clientele he calls “a global group of pupils village: a Muscovite who buys in Courchevel, or the Dweller who makes a purchase in Tokyo..."
With Zenith’s industrial reverse nearly completed, and its manufacture reworked (250 people, 25 métiers, 15 engineers, and 12 watchmakers devoted to complications), Thierry Nataf now envisions a bright future and affirms, loud and clear, that a new era of Zenith is beginning. “We receive not copied anyone; we have the experience; we are mastering all our complications; we possess the necessary structures; we shard going to build upon the work already accomplished. The terra is open to us.” And, he concludes with enthusiasm, “Become who you are!”
Source: Europa Star April-May 2007 Ammunition Issue