Basically the title. Zenith makes some pretty stellar and innovative watches imo. I also love their history and style. However, the brand recognition outside of watch lovers is pretty dismal. And while I generally buy watches for me, I do want the watches I buy (particularly those I’m paying $5k-10k for) to have some brand recognition among the public. What happened with Zenith in this respect? Or am I giving the public too little credit?
Most people simply don’t care
Lack of marketing imo.
Didn’t Zenith make (maybe they still do?) make TV and electronics?
It’s a different company but consumer electronics is where my head goes first when I hear Zenith.
This is the problem. If you can’t even distinguish the company from a tv company, that’s an issue.
Many companies make many products. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, especially in the 80s, that an electronic company would also make quartz watches.
As it is, I never heard of Zenith watches until maybe the last year. I have decades of Zenith selling TVs and radios in my head.
No I don’t mean that it’s an issue with you, it’s an issue that Zenith should be doing better marketing!
Different company but, strangely enough, the Zenith that made TVs owned Zenith watches for a brief time in the 1970s.
That’s when Zenith TV was at their zenith
Zing!
This is exactly the problem. I connote the name with home electronics.
For me, it’d be like purchasing a Sanyo watch.
I just can’t dissociate the Zenith name from home electronics. As a result, I could never buy a Zenith watch.
Perhaps only me, but I appreciate the under-the-radar positioning of certain upscale brands such as Zenith. People who know, know. And as those folks are more likely to be real watch enthusiasts, it’s almost like a secret handshake or password or something. Just more fun.
Exactly this. It’s fun to see another watch person get excited. Secret handshake is a good way to put it. Flaunt only to yet unknown friends as mutual appreciation, without bluntly flaunting to just everyone which always looks desperate for approval.
Not that I don’t appreciate the under the radar, but I’d like the good brands to get the recognition they deserve.
I’m more inclined to buy more under the radar luxury things that I personally love. I’m this way with clothes as well. Plus because you’re not paying for the brand name in a lot of cases you get more craftsmanship for your money. Wearing Gucci and a Rolex downtown is a good way to get robbed lol
Yes. I am actually more drawn towards brands that only watch enthusiasts know. Which why I am not really targetting Rolex and Omega. If someone notices my Zenith, we both know we like watches.
Maybe it’s bc they named their brand after a TV from back in the day?
If you want under the radar then don’t get a luxury watch to begin with. This sub always has this mentality of “stealth” but there’s no stealth in luxury watches. It’s so delusional to say that “oh I spend that 10k on a piece of stainless steel to impress myself, not anyone else!”
Of course you are trying to impress someone and hoping that someone would recognize it. That’s why there’s always wrist shots on this sub asking “how did I do?” “Does it fit?”. Some of the guys here are just so delusional and cringe. Once they bought the GS then they start complaining about how “why won’t anyone recognize the greatness of my watch! 😡”. Turns out all they wanted the whole time is a piece of jewelry to flex. When they accept that their brand is not as mainstream and likely never will be, they turn to this sub to starts bashing the big 5 brands. It’s just pathetic. There’s no true “enthusiast” watch brands, it’s a luxury product market targets mostly men. You either get it or you don’t.
The problem with Zenith is the same problem as any other brands. The quartz crisis hit them like a truck and they lost all relevance they had once an American management took over and demand they start making quartz. If you know what actually happened to the company you understand it’s actually Rolex that saved the el primero. Ppl here don’t know jack shit and doesn’t understand why certain brands are popular for a legitimate reason.
I agree 100%. I buy watches for me, not to show off to anyone else that I (am dumb enough to) dropped 10k on a watch. I grew up working class and while I can afford these things now I can’t imagine showing my dad or my relatives that I spend this kind of money on such a frivolous item lol.
I totally identify with this. My father would freak about my speedmaster even with being able to afford it. It’s just against our midwestern budget DNA.
All that non watch people really know is Rolex and omega. You could also ask why most no watch people don’t recognize patek or vacheron Constantine even though those are some of the most sought after watches in the world. The fact is that most people that don’t care about luxury watches will only think a watch is fancy if it’s a Rolex or iced out
I would actually say TAG is more well known than omega. Hublot is getting up there too but you’re right, outside of those 3 + Rolex and maybe casio, they aren’t going to know what your watch is.
Yeah your right. I just thought of omega off the top of my head because of James Bond
Bad name. Sounds like some cheap chinese homage brand.
Who cares if other people don’t recognize your brand? As long as you like it and you know the quality that’s all that matters
Most brands other than Rolex are not recognizable by anyone other than enthusiasts. Rolex is a fashion and status brand; brands like Zenith are enthusiast brands. Different CVP.
zenith elite 37’s can be found for $2k used, for an 8mm thick automatic dress watch.
Zenith makes numerous stunning pieces.
When I think of Zenith, I think of TVs from the 80s
Almost every brand is unknown to non-watch people. Everyone has heard of rolex and maybe Casio. After that I would say TAG Heuer and maybe omega are known but that’s about it. If you’re buying watching for people to recognise, you’re doing it wrong. And unless you limit yourself to those brands they’ll never care.
Jean Claude Biver came in spreading gaudy hublot esque design queues to get more sales. I think it cheapened the brand a bit. Just my opinion.
Because it’s not a Rolex.
It has the same name as an old shitty TV brand, it’s not helping
their football helmets are ugly