The world’s leading performance monohull circuitZenith is official timekeeper of the 52 Super Series
The 52 Super Series, the world’s leading performance monohull circuit, has appointed Swiss premium watch brand Zenith as official timekeeper following a new agreement in preparation for the first regatta of the 2014 season, Quantum Key West which started on Monday January 20th. The partnership is initially set to span three years.
As official timekeeper for the 52 Super Series, Zenith is associated with the Grand Prix monohull inshore circuit which sees racing in the USA, Italy and Spain this season featuring many international entries and promising great competition in 2014 along with the prospect of future growth from 2015 onward.
“We are very excited to mark this first major sponsorship agreement for the 52 Super Series, a big step in the right direction as we look to increase support and interest in the circuit by bringing on board premium brands like this.” Commenting on the partnership during a visit to the Manufacture in Switzerland, 52 Super Series CEO Agustín Zuleta explained: “One of the goals of the 52 Super Series is to form partnerships with brands sharing the same values. Joining Zenith for the next three years is advantageous for both of us, with a view to developing our respective projects together and fulfilling our long-term challenges. 2014 is looking to be a year of progress for the 52 Super Series and hopefully it will attract more like-minded brands to join our project. It is great to see prestigious global brands such as Zenith ready to make use of all aspects of the 52 Super Series by aligning their high-performance precision products with the high-performance circuit that is the 52 Super Series.”
Zenith’s President and CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour said, “By associating with the 52 Super Series’ high-performance, high-precision regattas raced by exceptional sailors, Zenith can draw a parallel with its watches, a field in which its highly qualified watchmakers are driven by the same concern for performance and precision. Moreover, this new partnership is in complete harmony with the Zenith values of authenticity, daring and pleasure: authenticity, through a shared passion for excellence; daring, expressed through design and technology; and of course pleasure in terms of a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of having nothing to prove and yet equipping oneself with the means to move consistently forward.”
52 SUPER SERIES 2014 EVENT CALENDAR
• Quantum Key West Race Week, Key West, Florida, January 20th – 24th
• 52 US East Coast Championship, Miami, Florida, March 5 th – 9th
• Rolex Capri Sailing Week, Capri, Italy, May 20th – 24th
• TP 52 World Championship, Porto Cervo, Italy, June 10th – 14th
• Copa del Rey, Palma, Spain, August 4th – 9th
• Royal Cup Marina Ibiza, Ibiza, Spain, September 17th – 21st
Caption: Augustín Zulueta (52 Super Series CEO) and Jean-Frédéric Dufour (Zenith President & CEO)
Since its founding in Le Locle in 1865, the Zenith Manufacture has constantly pushed the boundaries of precision – a quest notably expressed through the production from the early 20th century onward of marine chronometers intended to facilitate navigation. Zenith marine chronometers were particularly appreciated because of their power-reserve indication, a definite asset in ensuring time is displayed continually.
Caliber 260, specially developed by Zenith in the 1930s to meet the needs of its merchant mariner and navy clientele, won more than 300 observatory prizes for its precision. The gimbal suspension of these marine chronometers enabled them to remain in the same position despite the ship’s pitching and rolling. It is this device that more recently inspired the creation of the Christophe Colomb mechanism and its gravity control system regarded as the ultimate evolution of the marine chronometer. It is this same quest for precision that led to the creation of the legendary El Primero caliber in 1969, beating at the exceptional frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour.
Today, Zenith is not only acknowledged for the precision of its watches, but is above all the brand that holds the absolute record for chronometry awards, with 2,333 prizes in the pocket watch, onboard watch and wristwatch categories.