TAG Heuer help Zenith design the next El Primero

Calibre11 · Mar 8, 2017

We all know that TAG Heuer is often derided by some as a marketing company who had to buy movements from Seiko, etc, etc. I wonder what they would make of this:

http://www.watchtime.com/wristwatch...-biver-on-zeniths-new-chronograph-movement/2/

TAG Heuer is not only helping design the new version of the El Primero (seemingly based on the Mikro platform), but lead designer Christoph Behling is also involved with the design!

Hubert · Mar 8, 2017

A while back, can't recall the source, I remember reading rumblings about this. My original thought was that last year's Mikrograph would have "borrowed" from Zenith. So nice to see this was a true collaboration with genuine synergy!

RB: Several years ago Guy Sémon, General Director at TAG Heuer, developed a chronograph for TAG Heuer with 1/100th second timing capabilities. Was he involved in the new Zenith movement?
JCB: Yes. I also brought together several different engineers and designers from Zenith, TAG Heuer, and Hublot to form a kind of task force. We had the best people from our brands on the team.

RB: What did your briefing look like?
JCB: I wanted a combination of the 20th and 21st centuries. That’s how the idea came about — to take the El Primero, with its 36,000 vibrations, as the basis, and then switch to 360,000 once the chronograph is engaged. Between June and November there were regular meetings between Guy Sémon and engineers from Zenith and designers. Christoph Behling, the head of design at TAG Heuer, was also on board. Work has been carried out on the movement at Zenith since December. This has been the first time within my division that we’ve used synergies from our different areas of expertise. One day, when everything has evolved, Zenith will eventually need fewer synergies, but I will always want to use these phenomenal and great synergies from our Watch Division.

RB: You’ve revitalized the TAG Heuer brand so that it appeals to younger people now. Will this be a necessary step for Zenith too?
JCB: Yes. Every brand needs to be revitalized from time to time and needs to connect to the future. But it’s at a different level at Zenith than at TAG Heuer. The design of the new chronograph with the El Primero 21 has to appeal to younger people who don’t even know about Zenith.

OttoWilliam · Mar 8, 2017

Can anyone please explained in easiest of language what is 1/100th second timing capabilities ? Thanks

Mr_Orange · Mar 8, 2017

OttoWilliam
Can anyone please explained in easiest of language what is 1/100th second timing capabilities ? Thanks

The chronograph can record the elapsed time to an accuracy of 0.01 seconds.

MrJKLFoams · Mar 8, 2017

Im excited to see the product of this collaboration.

OttoWilliam · Mar 9, 2017

Mr_Orange
The chronograph can record the elapsed time to an accuracy of 0.01 seconds.

Thanks

calibre11user · Mar 23, 2017

Looks like one of the end results of this collaboration between TAG Heuer and Zenith is the new El Primero 21 movement in the new Zenith Defy El Primero 21 released at Baselworld 2017. Guy Semon from TAG Heuer apparently led the engineering of this entirely new movement.

In my mind, the "El Primero 21" name signifies that the El Primero 21 movement is the "El Primero for the 21st century." Aside from the name, the movement inside of the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 watch is not a traditional El Primero. It is, in fact, technology that began at fellow LVMH group brand TAG Heuer that has been refined and re-engineered for Zenith in a way that probably makes a lot more sense at the Zenith of today than the TAG Heuer of today. Jean-Claude Biver has always been smart about using established assets to create things which feel fresh.

...

I spoke with Guy Semon - the "head engineer" at TAG Heuer who is among the most important technical people at the brand - about the El Primero 21 movement. Guy admitted that he was more or less the person who began the El Primero 21, which makes total sense because he is the guy to go to (as TAG Heuer and Zenith are in the same group), and Mr. Biver knows it. Guy started at TAG Heuer around 2004 when the brand needed someone to make the now famed Monaco V4 watch work. TAG Heuer never let him go, and for good reason.

Mr. Semon is the man responsible for some of our modern era's more technically challenging watch movements and also for helping TAG Heuer connect with Intel for the Connected smartwatch product. He is also the mind behind the Zenith El Primero 21 movement. According to Guy, while there are similarities between the El Primero 21 and the Mikograph, beyond sharing a dial layout, the two movements don't share any parts, and the Zenith El Primero 21 is a movement that is totally fresh with an entirely novel system.

Aquagraph · Mar 23, 2017

RB: You’ve revitalized the TAG Heuer brand so that it appeals to younger people now. Will this be a necessary step for Zenith too?
JCB: Yes. Every brand needs to be revitalized from time to time and needs to connect to the future. But it’s at a different level at Zenith than at TAG Heuer.

Cue more whingeing from traditionalists!

Big Adam · Mar 23, 2017

I don't think it's the same whinge.
Without going over old/new Autavia ground, there's nothing in the TH Baselworld offering for the 'old boys'. My view is that, viewed as a whole, it's all pretty underwhelming.
With Zenith, the 'Defy' models have always been a little different, a little out-there. The models shown above do nothing for me but also don't look like much of a departure from what Zenith have been offering (as part of it's range) for quite some time.

Aquagraph · Mar 23, 2017

Big Adam
I don't think it's the same whinge.
Without going over old/new Autavia ground, there's nothing in the TH Baselworld offering for the 'old boys'. My view is that, viewed as a whole, it's all pretty underwhelming.
With Zenith, the 'Defy' models have always been a little different, a little out-there. The models shown above do nothing for me but also don't look like much of a departure from what Zenith have been offering (as part of it's range) for quite some time.

Indeed, so maybe they haven't launched a more radical redesign yet?

Hubert · Mar 26, 2017

MrJKLFoams · Mar 27, 2017

I really like this one 36K vph and 360K vph when chrono engaged. Just amazing collaboration between 3 brands. Just wondering when this will become available? Thanks

Mr_Orange · Mar 27, 2017

MrJKLFoams
I really like this one 36K vph and 360K vph when chrono engaged. Just amazing collaboration between 3 brands. Just wondering when this will become available? Thanks

Just to be clear, there are two separate going trains. The 5Hz train runs the time and an entirely separate 50Hz train runs the chronograph. This is built off the technology used to power the TAG Heuer Mikrograph, amongst other watches.

Hubert · Apr 2, 2017

Mr_Orange · Apr 2, 2017

Hubert
...

How is this relevant to the new El Primero movement?

Hubert · Apr 2, 2017

Mr_Orange
How is this relevant to the new El Primero movement?

Refresh the page

Aquagraph · Apr 3, 2017

Saw lots of El Primero Zeniths at the weekend in the Trafford Centre. They all seemed to be about £5000, isn't that unusually cheap?

OttoWilliam · Apr 3, 2017

Aquagraph
Saw lots of El Primero Zeniths at the weekend in the Trafford Centre. They all seemed to be about £5000, isn't that unusually cheap?

Now i want one !

Aquagraph · Apr 3, 2017

Actually it doesn't seem that they are on sale, but here's on for example. Nice rubber strap, 45mm - £5700

http://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0105014/Zenith-El-Primero-36000-VPH-Automatic-Mens-Watch/p

drunken monkey · Apr 3, 2017

I've said this before but it feels like Zenith are now going to be making/selling the watches that TAGHeuer aren't allowed to.