Georges Favre-Jacot
The Zenith company was founded by Georges Favre-Jacot at the age of 22. The founder of the brand was one of the first watchmakers who came up with the idea of rationalizing the watch production with help of interchangeable parts.
To start his watchmaking business, Georges Favre-Jacot united together different areas and know-how of the horology. Since its foundation in 1865, the Zenith Company remained faithful to the spirit of creating the most precise movements, as initiated by Georges Favre-Jacot.

Having developed numerous innovations for its timepieces, the company was able to reach the top level in the sphere of watchmaking. Zenith is one of the few watch companies expertized enough to produce its own mechanical movements.
When the founder of Zenith retired, the company had already won prestigious prizes for its precision movements. The timekeeping creations of the company won appreciation of watch experts and connoisseurs at international exhibitions in Geneva, Paris and Barcelona.

The Zenith El Primero, introduced in 1969, was destined to become the world's first automatic chronograph movement that made the name of the company even more famous. The El Primero, oscillating at 36,000 alternations per hour, was provided with the ability to measure short time intervals to a tenth of a second. The El Primero marked a new world record.
Elite
One more highlight in the development of the company was in 1995 when Zenith introduced its new ultra-thin chronographs. The Elite was appreciated as the best mechanical movement according to the professional press. Since the day of foundation, Zenith won more than 1500 prizes in chronometry. The company may boast of the highest number of awards won for precision of its mechanisms.
Historical highlights
Look through the list of some more highlights in the remarkable history of the brand:
- the first place at Swiss National Exhibition held in Geneva in 1896;
- gold medal at the World Fair organized in Paris in 1900;
- the first place at Neuchatel Observatory in 1903 in a chronometry competition;
- grand prix wining tour with the 1929 World Fair in Barcelona;
- In 1960 the company started the development of 5011 caliber mechanical movement, the holder of precision record.
