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Zenith is one of the great names in Swiss watchmaking, and yet, to this day, it remains one of the most criminally undervalued manufactures in the collector market. Founded in Le Locle in 1865, Zenith has been producing movements entirely in-house for over 150 years, a claim that vanishingly few Swiss houses can honestly make. While the brand is rightly celebrated for the legendary El Primero chronograph caliber, introduced in 1969 as one of the first automatic chronograph movements in the world, that iconic achievement sometimes overshadows the remarkable depth and quality of Zenith’s broader catalog. Their time-and-date automatics from the late 1960s and 1970s are, in our opinion, some of the finest everyday dress watches of the era, offering a level of in-house movement finishing and dial craft that rivals anything from the bigger names at a fraction of the price.
The Cal. 2542 PC is a perfect case in point. This is a 28-jewel automatic movement designed and manufactured by Zenith in Le Locle, featuring a date complication and hacking seconds. Flip this watch over and you’ll find a solid screw-down caseback. Beneath it sits the large Zenith-signed Cal. 2542 PC, a beautifully finished movement featuring crisp Geneva stripes on the bridges and jewels set in polished chatons. Zenith clearly had nothing to hide with this caliber. The finishing is superb, with a level of care and attention that speaks to the manufacture’s pride in its craft. It’s wild to think that at a time when many Swiss brands were increasingly outsourcing movement production, Zenith was still doing everything under one roof in the Jura mountains.
This particular example is a real head-turner, and it’s all about that dial. The charcoal sunburst finish is absolutely captivating, shifting between deep anthracite, smoky grey, and near-black depending on the angle and the light. It has a richness and depth that you simply don’t get from a standard silver or white dial, and the way it plays against the warm gold of the applied stick indices creates a moody, sophisticated contrast that feels incredibly modern despite being half a century old. The indices themselves are beautifully executed, with polished gold surrounds and black-filled centers that give them a three-dimensional quality. The Zenith star logo sits proudly above the brand name and the italic “automatic” script, both printed in gold. A date window at approximately 4:30 is neatly integrated without disrupting the dial’s balance.
The gold-filled case, with its 20 microns of gold over a steel back, is in solid condition. The angular, squared-off lugs give it a distinctly architectural feel that was very much in vogue during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and they remain crisp and well-defined. The side profile reveals a clean, pleasingly proportioned case with a smooth bezel that frames the dial beautifully. Some light wear is visible at the lug tips and edges, which is entirely expected for a gold-filled case of this age and speaks to a watch that was worn and enjoyed rather than locked away in a drawer. The stainless steel caseback shows the honest surface scratching of a life well-lived, while the inner caseback is clearly stamped with the Zenith name and specifications.
For the collector who appreciates genuine manufacture pedigree, in-house movement craft, and a dial that absolutely sings with character, this Zenith represents a fantastic proposition. Paired here with an earthy olive green strap that complements the warm gold and cool charcoal tones beautifully, it’s the kind of watch that draws knowing nods from fellow enthusiasts while remaining effortlessly wearable every day. In a market where vintage Omega and Longines dress watches receive the lion’s share of attention, a Zenith automatic like this one is arguably the connoisseur’s choice, offering more movement, more finishing, and more personality for the money. To us, that’s an irresistible combination.
