Zenith's Haute Horlogerie Reset: What the 2029 Relaunch Means for Collectors
Few names in Swiss watchmaking carry the weight of Zenith. The Le Locle manufacture is known above all for the El Primero, the high-beat chronograph calibre that has defined the brand for generations, as Hodinkee has often noted. So when Business of Fashion reported on October 22, 2026 that the LVMH-owned house is embarking on a major strategic repositioning — one that could see the vast majority of its current collections discontinued — the news landed with unusual force across the collecting world.
This is not a quiet refresh. It is, in the words of chief executive Benoit de Clerck, a reset of the entire business model. Here is what has been announced, why it is happening, and what it means for collectors who own — or hope to own — a Zenith.
What was announced
According to Business of Fashion, de Clerck told staff that Zenith requires "a profound resizing" to become "more exclusive, rarer, and with a stronger identity," acknowledging that the company could no longer sustain "continuous financial losses." The plan, as reported, would see Zenith discontinue the vast majority of its current collections "in the very short term," with the brand returning in 2029 focused on haute horlogerie.
A formal staff consultation under Swiss employment law runs until November 12, and no decisions can be made before that date. A Zenith spokesperson confirmed to swissinfo (Keystone-ATS, October 22, 2026) that a staff consultation had been opened as part of a strategic repositioning project. The human cost is significant: Le Temps, reported via Business of Fashion, WatchPro and swissinfo, indicates that around half of roughly 200 jobs at the Le Locle manufacture are at stake, plus around 100 roles in sales and distribution outside Switzerland.
De Clerck's diagnosis, quoted by Business of Fashion, is blunt: "Our commercial and industrial footprint is far larger than our sales volume, which heavily weighs on our profitability." His ambition is equally clear: "To make Zenith the pinnacle of LVMH watchmaking."
Why Zenith is doing this: the mid-range squeeze
The logic becomes clearer when you look at where Zenith currently sits. According to Échappement, the core of the present range is priced between CHF 8,000 and 15,000 — a fiercely contested segment. Analyst estimates from LuxeConsult and Morgan Stanley, cited by WatchPro and Échappement, suggest Zenith made about 8,500 watches in 2025 with revenue of roughly CHF 98 million; these are analyst estimates rather than audited figures, but they sketch a brand producing meaningful volume at prices that no longer cover its costs.
WatchPro reported on October 23, 2026 that de Clerck told staff: "No company can lose money indefinitely. The project presented today is difficult. But it is based on a clear conviction: Zenith has a future, provided it fundamentally changes its business model. We are choosing to relaunch the brand." WatchPro adds that average prices after the relaunch could be closer to CHF 50,000 — a deliberate move out of the squeezed middle and into rarefied territory.
The G.F.J. Calibre 135 as the template
If you want to see what the future Zenith looks like, look at the G.F.J. Calibre 135. Per Échappement, the line was presented at Watches and Wonders 2025 and won in the chronometry category at the latest Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève. Business of Fashion describes it as a low-volume line in precious metals with prices starting around $50,000 — and per Zenith's own website, most models are sold out.
The most telling detail: a double-signed $75,000 version made with Japan's Naoya Hida, limited to 10 pieces, was fully allocated before its public introduction, according to Business of Fashion. That is the model — small runs, precious materials, waiting lists — that Zenith now intends to scale across the whole brand. As a high-end maker, Business of Fashion notes, Zenith would face competition from within its own family: LVMH stablemates Gerald Genta, Daniel Roth and Louis Vuitton all occupy the haute horlogerie space.
The movement-maker continues
One part of the business appears safe. WatchPro reports that Zenith's movement manufacturing for other brands — including Hublot and Bulgari — is expected to continue, with an order book full until 2027. The manufacture's industrial expertise, in other words, remains in demand even as its own collections are reimagined. For collectors, this matters: the savoir-faire behind the El Primero is not being dismantled, it is being refocused.
What it means for collectors
For owners of today's Zenith pieces, the first reassurance is practical: according to Échappement, after-sales service is untouched. Your El Primero or Chronomaster will continue to be serviced by the manufacture that built it.
The second consideration is scarcity. If the vast majority of current collections are indeed discontinued in the very short term, today's Chronomaster and El Primero references become the final chapters of a volume era. Watches that were freely available at CHF 8,000 to 15,000 may soon exist only on the secondary market — and history suggests that cleanly discontinued lines from great manufactures rarely become less interesting to collectors over time.
That is where the Pre-Loved (Certified) route earns its place. As Zenith moves upmarket toward CHF 50,000 averages, the accessible entry point into the brand's heritage will increasingly be the secondary market. A Pre-Loved (Certified) Zenith, authenticated and verified, offers exactly what this moment calls for: a genuine piece of the manufacture's history, purchased with confidence, at prices that reflect the era the brand is leaving behind rather than the one it is entering.
Our advice for collectors watching this unfold is simple. If a current-production Zenith has been on your list, the window for buying one new may be shorter than anyone expected. If you are patient, the secondary market will offer choice for years to come — but condition, provenance and certification will matter more than ever as these pieces age into collectibility. Explore our curated selection of Zenith watches and the wider Pre-Loved (Certified) watch collection, and read about how we verify every piece in our Authenticity Promise.
The bottom line
Zenith's reset is one of the boldest strategic gambles in recent watch industry memory: a storied manufacture deliberately shrinking to survive, trading volume for rarity, and betting that its future lies at the pinnacle rather than in the middle. The consultation period runs until November 12, and the full shape of the 2029 relaunch will only emerge over the coming three years. What is already clear is that the Zenith of today — the accessible El Primero, the CHF 8,000 Chronomaster — is becoming a finite resource. For collectors, that is not a reason to panic. It is a reason to pay attention.
Featured image: an original AI-generated macro study of a chronograph movement, created for The Verse. It depicts no specific brand or model.
