In a world where technology can replicate almost anything, what makes mechanical watchmaking truly irreplaceable?

They are two completely different dimensions. Traditional watchmaking retains its legitimacy precisely because it is not trying to compete with technology on the basis of pure efficiency. A smartwatch will always be more functional, faster, and objectively more precise. But that is not really the point.

Mechanical watchmaking belongs more to the realm of culture than technology. It is a discipline where mechanical constraint is deliberately embraced in order to transform precision into an art form.

When you look at a movement like the El Primero beating at 36,000 vibrations per hour, you are not simply looking at a device that measures time. You are witnessing centuries of engineering expertise and watchmaking savoir-faire made visible through mechanics. That is what remains truly irreplaceable.

Has storytelling taken on too great a role compared to the product itself?

In watchmaking, the strongest stories are often the ones already embedded within the creation itself. At ZENITH, they are the stories of legendary calibres, of a deep commitment to a certain idea of mechanical integrity, and of a centuries-long culture of precision. All of this already says something meaningful!

Storytelling itself is not the issue. In fact, I believe it is essential, because watchmaking is also about emotion and human connection. The problem begins when narrative is used to compensate for a lack of true watchmaking substance.

ZENITH has never been a Manufacture built around an overly marketing-driven discourse, and it never will be. Our role is more about providing context and revealing what makes a movement or a watch genuinely interesting, rather than artificially constructing emotion around something that lacks intrinsic depth.

Does vintage inspire your creations… or does it constrain them?

Vintage becomes a constraint when it is used as a reassuring formula. Conversely, it becomes a strength when it helps preserve a sense of cultural continuity.

At ZENITH, we have extremely strong design codes, but we do not want to become a brand trapped in the nostalgia of our 160 years of heritage. A watch must always belong to its own time.

That being said, we also fully embrace a more faithful approach to heritage through our Revival line, where we genuinely enjoy recreating some of our most emblematic models with an exceptional level of historical fidelity. It is a way of celebrating the golden age of watchmaking while allowing a new generation to rediscover these pieces in their original authenticity.

But beyond this patrimonial approach, what interests us about vintage is not simply reproducing a design down to the millimetre. It is about reconnecting with a certain kind of functional radicality. In many ways, historical creations were incredibly modern in their thinking. That spirit still feels deeply relevant today.

At what point does a watch begin to tell a story or evoke emotion more than it simply tells the time?

Choosing a watch is undeniably an act of intention. Today, no one truly needs a mechanical watch simply to tell the time. Wearing one is already an emotional and cultural statement. The watch someone chooses often says something deeply personal, about their relationship with style, with mechanics, but also about their taste and identity. A watch is rarely chosen purely for its function. It is chosen for the emotion it creates and for what it quietly reveals about the person wearing it. From that point on, it becomes far more than a utilitarian object.

The post BENOÎT DE CLERK, CEO OF ZENITH, ANSWERS OUR QUESTIONS appeared first on Watches News.

Watches News

Message History

Delivery option(s)