Zenith takes its place among the successful alternatives of the dress watch category once again with its 40mm diameter/blue dial model from the renewed Elite Classic product line.
Zenith, which has gone through a difficult period with its designs that offend its loyal fans as well as certain management inconsistencies, has left those hard times behind long ago. The cult brand, which has offered successful models under the leadership of Julien Tornare, one of the shining stars of the watchmaking industry, is under the spotlight with the Zenith Elite Classic Reference 03.3100.670 / 02.C922 that blends elegance and simplicity with eye-catching colors and superior technology.
Those who know me know well, I hate winter. Especially if you live in a city like Istanbul and have to go to work every day, it means that you have a life-draining routine, as the old saying goes. On top of it, the winter season is a perfect time to put this routine into a much worse situation. The weather gets colder, it rains (sometimes snows), the traffic gets worse, the days get shorter, etc., etc. In short, if you are a summer-guy like me, life becomes unbearable for you.
One of the rare features I love about this period is the dress watches. The elegant, leather-strap watches that you can wear under your cuff without worrying about sweat ruining your precious straps look subtle yet clear enough to attract attention -especially from the ones that know the drill.
Of course, situations have changed now… Life has become much different than we used to. As a Home-Office working editor in this new order, I am freed from many of the disadvantages that I hate about winter. But frankly, I don't like to wear a dress watch with pajamas at home.
After this long introduction, let's get to the point and have a look at one of the most successful dress watch models, the Zenith Elite Classic.
The Elite Classic family is one of the most powerful collections of the brand featuring a variety of case materials, sizes, dial colors, and strap alternatives, as well as stylish women's models. The collection, consisting of brand new models designed from scratch, draws its strength from its simplicity together with the brand's unparalleled experience.
The model I opted for review (Reference 03.3100.670 / 02.C922) comes in a stainless steel case measuring 40.5mm in diameter and 9.10mm in height. Undoubtedly, 40.5mm is not the ideal size for a classic dress watch. On the other hand, I must admit that, even though the oversized-watches hype heads for its last roundup these days, it is not easy to give up some habits. Therefore, I do not consider the case diameter issue as a drawback. Likewise, the thin shiny bezel and the 22mm wide lug width manage to preserve the elegance of the watch. There are scratch-resistant sapphire crystals on the front and back of the case. Complemented by the elegant Zenith signed winding crown, the case is resistant to water pressure up to 50 meters.
I think it is safe to say that the dial is the most eye-catching component of the model. The Zenith Elite Classic carries a perfect dial finished in a vibrant blue, which we had hard times to show via photographs. While the Sun Ray pattern created with lines that thicken out from the center adds movement to the dial, it creates a stylish contrast with the hour and minute hands designed oppositely. There is no phosphor material in the rhodium-plated and faceted hands and indices. However, the curved sapphire crystal on the front with double-sided anti-reflective coating reveals all the splendor of the dial. There is also a date window on the dial where the star logo and Zenith inscription are at 12 o'clock. Though the date indicator, placed at 6 o'clock, makes me ask: "but why?" once again with that white background date disc, it cannot overshadow the beauty of the dial.
The model features the manufacture Caliber Elite 670 movement. The 27-jewel automatic movement oscillates at a frequency of 4Hz (28.800vph) and offers up to 50 hours of power reserve when fully wound. The dazzling caliber, featuring a Zenith Elite signed rotor, designed in a perforated star shape with satin finishing, can be viewed through the sapphire crystal display case back.
Zenith Elite Classic Reference 03.3100.670 / 02.C922 comes on a crocodile leather strap, crafted in a blue tone as beautiful as the one in the dial. A steel buckle decorated with Zenith's star logo complements the hand-stitched leather strap.
