Baselworld 2013 preview…

This new Zenith Captain Winsor Annual Calendar is a really great watch.  To be sold exclusively in Zenith boutiques, this piece features the same “MIH” annual calendar complication on top of Zenith’s in-house El Primero automatic chronograph movement that we have seen in similar past iterations from Zenith (more on this below).  It will be offered in both rose gold (seen here) and steel (with a grey fume dial).

I discussed the collaboration between Zenith and MIH’s Ludwig Oechslin a couple years ago when Zenith first came out with the Captain Winsor Annual Calendar — you can read more about it here.  In short, the MIH annual calendar complication features a mere nine mobile parts for the calendar display (a fraction of many other annual calendars), and requires adjustment only one time per year — the jump from February to March.  It is by any standard a brilliant calendar complication, largely a result of its simplicity.

So yes this a really exciting watch and even better we see now Zenith is diversifying the look with this new version.  Unlike the prior models which had the guilloche dial and baton hour markers (including the USA Westime exclusive), this latest iteration features a matte white dial with applied Arabic numerals which sit just inside the track-style minute ring.  Note also the sub-dials which are framed in rose-gold.

For purposes of comparison, here is a close up of the earlier dials that were offered.  Again note the different style vs. above — guilloche inner dial with baton style hour markers:

In sum, I say that the value proposition for this beautiful watch is really compelling — I believe this watch will sell for around $10,000 – $12,000 in steel and the rose gold version for a bit north of $20k.   A neat complication at a relatively accessible price.