Hands-On: the Zenith Blue Ceramic Chronograph Trilogy
Few watch brands can resist the siren song of a major anniversary as an excuse to release a cool limited edition (or two, or…more). Zenith, of course, is no exception, and this year marks a big milestone: 160 years. We expect that there will be many celebratory watches beyond what’s unveiled this week in Geneva, but out of the gate Zenith is focusing attention on a segment of the catalog that has loomed large for much of their recent history, the chronograph. “El Primero” and “Zenith” are terms that are nearly interchangeable to some, so it makes sense that they’d spend some time leaning into the complication most associated with the brand. The new Blue Ceramic Chronograph Trilogy is made up of, you guessed it, blue ceramic versions of Zenith’s most important modern chronographs: the Chronomaster Sport, the Defy Skyline Chronograph, and the Pilot Chronograph. Together, these three watches cover much of the ground Zenith has worked in over the past few years, a period of real expansion for the brand where we’ve seen them decisively into watches that feel very contemporary and of the current moment. Zenith has also quietly been one of the great innovators in the subset of ceramic watchmaking, with many colorful and sometimes unexpected ceramic references dotting their entire collection. Blue ceramic was chosen for this release because of the color’s close association with the brand and its history. According to Zenith, it all stems from Zenith founder...