Description
Zenith is one of the oldest watch manufacturers, est.1865 and one of only a handful which has always produced its own movements. The company has an almost unparalleled record of technical achievements and notably, in 1929, Zenith won world renown at Kew Observatory (England), when a Zenith wristwatch won first prize for an accuracy of better than 0.6 seconds per day. During the late 1940’s and throughout the 1950s Zenith held the lead in producing the most commercially successful and technically advanced, chronograph wristwatches. The company has supplied movements to many other manufacturers for fitting into their watches including Rolex for their Daytona Chronograph!
Notable features of this watch are its excellent size at 36mm, a rare 18ct pink gold case and the amazing and wonderful condition its movement which has to be seen to be believed!
The Dial
The stunning two-tone Silver and Ivory Cream dial has applied gilt numerals and dagger hour indices, matched by the original gilt ’50s ‘Leaf’ style hands. The dial catches the light wonderfully, particularly the outer Silver which carries a slight vertical grain – we have tried to illustrate the dial under differing light conditions in the above images. As can be seen, typically of the period, this watch has a subsidiary seconds dial at 6. All things considered, this is a very elegant, impressive and attractive dial.
The lens has been replaced by a new original part. This is the original dial restored to the highest standards by our dial restorers, which are considered to be the best in the UK.
The Movement
The 18,000 bph Cal.126 hand-wound movement was made in a total of 110,000 pieces between 1950-1955 and was highly successful. This example, which is plated in beryllium-bronze is, as can be seen, in simply amazing condition. The movement has just been fully overhauled and serviced by our watchmaker. This means fully dismantling the watch and movement, ultrasonic cleaning of all the parts, inspection to the critical surfaces under high magnification and replacement as required with genuine new originals parts, then careful reassembly and oiling, using all the correct lubricants to manufacturer’s specification before final testing and calibration. This is watch is therefore now running perfectly having been calibrated and timed at -1 second per day! Please note, this timing has been confirmed on our electronic timegrapher and it is truly outstanding for any watch of this age. The watch movement is signed Zenith, Swiss Made and carries the Calibre number 126-6. and the Serial No. 4,471,731 dating the watch to 1954.
The Watch Case
The 18ct Pink Gold watch case measures 36mm, excluding the original Zenith signed crown. Watch cases made in pink gold from the 1950s are rare, as not many were made and this one is immaculate with no scratches, dings or other damage visible to the naked eye. The case has been cleaned, carefully inspected and very gently hand polished, as this was all that was required to bring it back to its current tip-top condition. The inside of the case-back is signed by GAB, case makers for Zenith, and carries 18ct markings.
As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
The Strap and Buckle
The strap fitted is a new high quality Burgundy Lizard strap with a plain gold plated buckle. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige, free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown burgundy and black straps in stock, in plain, padded leather, alligator, crocodile or lizard skin.
The Box and Papers
Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating the watch to 1954.
Detailed particulars will be included with the receipt, along with our 12 months warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.
The watch also comes complete with the high quality hardwood presentation box as shown in the photographs.
As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
In Conclusion
This is a very impressive and rare pink gold vintage Zenith automatic dress watch, which is ready to wear and very practical for everyday use. If treated with care, this watch will make an excellent investment or heirloom piece. Zenith has always benefitted from a first class reputation for the superb quality of its vintage watch movements and just like Longines, Zenith watches have also been noticeably increasing in value of late.
A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.
We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you wish to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.
We also welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.
Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.
We will be happy to Service, Repair or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.
If you have any questions, please call our landline 020 7727 7095 or mobile 07515 949 250 or if calling from overseas our landline number is +44 207 727 7095 or mobile +44 7515 949 250.
We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches, including buying, selling, or collecting, we will also be very happy to hear from you. We await your call!
Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine Vintage Gold Watches!
Thank you.
Andrew M via feefo 
3rd December 2024 
JLC1891 
