1970 Zenith Captain De Luxe Chronometer Automatic in Yellow Gold

The Captain De Luxe is undeniably one of the most luxurious watches Zenith has ever made.
An extremely limited number of pieces with solid yellow gold dials were produced. Our superbly preserved example retains its rare and remarkable original two-tone dial with faceted indexes and hands and date window at 3 o'clock, its characteristic crown marked with a "Z", and its screwed case back, bearing on the inside the Swiss hammerhead hallmark n°143, indicating production of the gold case by Nardin & Cie., which worked with the greatest houses: IWC, Vacheron Constantin, Zenith, etc.
Fully serviced by an experienced watchmaker prior to publishing, this 1970 Captain De Luxe is a rare opportunity for the special Zenith watch collector, but also for any enthusiast looking for an elegant vintage yellow gold automatic wristwatch that's preserved in excellent condition.

The Captain collection appeared in the early 1950s. It was Zenith's response to Omega's Constellation and Longines' Conquest lines, which were enjoying great commercial success. The Captain was intended to be precise, elegant and nicely finished. The first versions without a date were equipped with self-winding 133.8 calibers known as "bumper", developed by Ephrem Jobin. These movements are easily recognizable thanks to their generous diameter for the time (37 to 38 mm) and the slightly domed shape of both the dial and the screwed back.

In 1954 that Zenith equipped its bumper movement with a date window at 3 o'clock: this was the appearance of the high-precision 71 caliber, the production of which ceased in 1957 after 6,000 examples had been manufactured. It was not until the 1960s, and Zenith's takeover of the Martel Watch manufacture, that the brand introduced self-winding movements into the Captain collection. In 1964, the automatic 2532 caliber with date at 3 o'clock allowed for flatter versions than up until then. The Captain then naturally benefited from the developments of this caliber, up to the 2572 version with quick-set date and instantaneous date jump.

The Captain was available in steel and gold-plated metal. There was also a rare third offering, in 18-carat solid gold, the "De Luxe", which was chronometer-certified and came with its official COSC bulletin. It is this model, the most prestigious of the range, that we are presenting today.

The Captain De Luxe is undeniably one of the most luxurious watches Zenith has ever made. An extremely limited number of pieces with solid yellow gold dials were produced. Our superbly preserved example retains its rare and remarkable original two-tone dial with faceted indexes and hands and date window at 3 o'clock, its characteristic crown marked with a "Z", and its screwed case back, bearing on the inside the Swiss hammerhead hallmark n°143, indicating production of the gold case by Nardin & Cie., which worked with the greatest houses: IWC, Vacheron Constantin, Zenith, etc. Fully serviced by an experienced watchmaker prior to publishing, this 1970 Captain De Luxe is a rare opportunity for the special Zenith watch collector, but also for any enthusiast looking for an elegant vintage yellow gold automatic wristwatch that's preserved in excellent condition.

Beyond its rarity, this Zenith Captain De Luxe is preserved in superb overall condition.
The case, particularly unpolished, has clean facets, and the case back retains its original circular satin finish. The engravings between the lugs are very deep and perfectly clear, they have never been touched since the watch was born. As with any vintage watch, superficial scratches from use may be present.
The gold dial has a remarkable shine, accentuated by the faceted indexes and hands.
The plexiglass dome glass has been replaced with a new one for perfect readability.
The custom-made Amplitude° bracelet in black Horween Shell Cordovan leather is new.
The self-winding mechanical movement, Zenith caliber 2542 PC, was fully serviced by an experienced watchmaker before the watch was released, and operates to the strictest tolerances, with a professional chronocomparator reading of 280° amplitude, +6 s/d, and 0.1 ms beat error.

All the watches available on our website have been meticulously inspected by our team of experts to guarantee their authenticity and originality.

All our watches are systematically checked for mechanical function and precision, and undergo a complete overhaul if necessary.

Every watch sold is covered by a two-year warranty.

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