What do Land Rover and superstar DJ Carl Cox have in common? Both have Zenith watches made in their honour
In a frank interview about the state of the luxury watch industry post-Covid-19, Zenith CEO Julien Tornare looks for the positives in how the global lockdown has forced change and innovation – while allowing him to spend more time with family
In the latest instalment of STYLE’s series of interviews with luxury CEOs, Zenith’s Julien Tornare talks about what we can expect from the brand over the second half of 2020, how lockdown has changed how the watch industry works, and how this difficult time has nevertheless brought positives too.
Work experience
2017-present: CEO, Zenith
2011-2017: managing director, Vacheron Constantin
2009-2011: international sales director, Vacheron Constantin
Be flexible and be grateful for what you have … I have been lucky to be able to spend more time with my family – in fact, it has been the first time in my entire career that I have been able to eat all three meals a day with my family
2019 was very much the year of the El Primero for Zenith; what does this year hold for Zenith fans?
We launched many new references in Dubai in January including a brand-new iteration of the 36mm Defy Midnight, not to mention some exciting new developments within the frameworks of our Carl Cox and Land Rover partnerships. Lots to look forward to! We also have a number of Chronomaster revivals in the pipeline, such as the Chronomaster Revival Shadow and Manufacture edition, launched very recently.
You’ve mentioned in interviews that one of the themes of 2020 would be women’s timepieces. In your view, what aspects of women’s watches do Zenith stress most in design?