Zenith launches Caliber 135 Observatory luxury replica watches
Phillips style and a touch of Voutilainen.
After designing its own limited-edition El Primero watch, Philips collaborated with Zenith and Voutilainen to create the Caliber 135 Observatoire, a limited edition of 10 pieces, each powered by the Caliber 135 movement. 135-O.
The movement is a specially regulated variant of Zenith’s flagship chronometer watch movement from the mid-20th century, designed specifically for participation in the chronometer competition. Therefore, until now, these movements have never been boxed and sold. The movement is housed in a platinum case with light decoration by Voutilainen, which also offers guilloché dials through its dial-making subsidiary Comblemine.
The Caliber 135 Observatoire is a great looking high quality copy watches. It's obviously modeled after a vintage model, not changing much from the original design but injecting some elegant details to make it more refined, such as the guilloche heraldic ring. These discreet touches are enough to make it a higher-end watch than the vintage original, which was more of a functional precision chronometer.
More broadly, it is a three-way collaboration that reflects, to varying degrees, the strengths of the collaborators.
The Observatory is a smart partnership for Philips as it dovetails with Philips' strength in selling high-end vintage and contemporary watches. It was also the perfect base for the auctioneers to tap into the keen eyes of Aurel Bacs and Alexandre Ghotbi, the gentlemen behind the project. Details such as the movement number on the dial reflect the retro aesthetic and highlight their carefully polished taste.
The Observatory also makes sense for Zenith because, with the pricing power offered by the Voutilainen and Phillips brands, it elevates the brand into areas where it has not traditionally been a part.Richard Mille replica Watches
For Kari Voutilainen, it's unclear what his brand will gain from this, especially since he is involved in various projects, the largest of which is the revival of Urban Jurgensen.
The fact that Mr Voutilainen founded his own brand with a similar watch - his own Observatoire, powered by a restored Peseux 260 that took its performance to an even higher level - meant he could use the Cal. 1. Do more. 135. Due to the fine workmanship of the movement but the extremely small number, the Voutilainen content in the Zenith Observatoire feels inadequate, especially considering the price.
As for the price—nearly $140,000—it’s a bit high for a Zenith, but the Voutilainen brand is more than satisfying. However, considering the extremely low production volume, the price is logical.
timing star
cal. Produced from 1949 to 1962. The 135 was a high-precision workhorse from Zenith, with more than 11,000 movements produced during its dozen years of operation. Most of them are destined to be installed in watches and then sold commercially. These are standard cal. 135. replica Jacob & Co Epic X Skeleton
But the second version of cal. The 135-O was designed purely as a competition chronometer, participating in observatory tests conducted by the Observatory of Neuchâtel and Geneva in Switzerland, the Tutterington Observatory outside London, and the Observatory of Besançon in France. According to Zenith, cal. The 135-O is the movement with the most chronograph awards in history, with over 230 in total.
The 10 watches in this edition are all equipped with movements from 1950 to 1954, a period during which the Cal. 135-O won the award every year. The winning movements were all regulated by Charles Fleck or René Gygax, the star regulators of the time. The ten movements selected for the limited edition all won first prize during that period (although one of them had to participate a second time to achieve this). replica Patek Philippe Complications watches
Studio Voutilainen was responsible for the restoration and decoration of the Ten Caliber. 135-Os. The work performed by Mr. Voutilainen included chamfering of the bridge plates, chamfering and polishing of the screw heads, and corrugation of the base plate.
But according to Zenith, much of the original movement aesthetic was retained in order to “carefully [preserve] Fleck and Gygax’s original adjustments and fine-tuning of the movement.”
Calibration for each restore. The Cal. 135-O movement is housed in a 38mm platinum case, a metal not used in vintage Cal.135-O movements. 135 gold or steel watch.
The dial base is sterling silver and the hour markers are decorated with barley grain guilloché. The hour markers are rhodium-plated German silver and the hands are solid gold. replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Zenith 135 chronometer movement
Ref. 40.1350.135/21.C1000
Diameter: 38mm
Height: 10.35mm
Material: Platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Waterproof performance: 30 m
Movement: Cal. 135-O
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds
Frequency: 18,000 times per hour (2.5 Hz)
Winding: manual
Power reserve: 40 hours
Strap: Calfskin with white gold pin buckle
