Zenith Elite 6150

Zenith made watchmaking history with the development of the El Primero, the first automatic chronograph caliber worldwide. The Elite movement, which was first introduced at Baselworld in 1994 and was selected as the "Best Movement of the Year," is also a personal milestone for Zenith. It was the first movement to ever be developed with the help of computerized programs and impressed with its high-quality construction and thinness. At Baselworld 2015, Zenith released the Elite 6150, a reworked, optimized version of the predecessor. By using two barrels, Zenith managed to increase the power reserve to 100 hours without making the caliber any larger than its previous thickness of 3.92 mm. Conceived as a base caliber that can easily be modified, the Elite 6150 was designed with both the future and ever-increasing market needs in mind.

The model Zenith Elite 6150 bearing the same name is a simple yet tasteful three-hand timepiece that is the perfect dress watch. Thanks to the ultra-thin movement, the case is as well; however, the case diameter has grown to 42 mm, larger than the first Elite models from the 1990s. The subtly curved lugs ensure optimal comfort when you're wearing the timepiece and a sapphire glass case back rounds out this model's beautiful design.

Since the Elite 6150 was recently released, pre-owned models are somewhat difficult to find. Nevertheless, there are enough mint condition Elite 6150s available at moderate prices, even though the timepiece is powered by a high-quality and ultra-precise in-house Swiss movement. A stainless steel Elite 6150 (03.2270.6150/01.C493) in mint condition costs around 5,000 euros and comes paired with a black alligator leather strap and a silver-plated dial. This timepiece is waterproof to 30 m (3 bar) and thus also splashproof.

If you prefer a rose gold case, you should look at the version with reference number 18.2270.6150/01.C498, which costs about 9,500 euros. It was presented a year after the stainless steel version at Baselworld 2016, is waterproof to 50 m (5 bar), and comes with a matching brown alligator leather strap.

The stainless steel Elite 6150 with reference number 03.2272.6150/51.C700 has a very modern design. The timepiece unites futuristic accents with classic features and has a dark blue dial with a matching blue strap. It's waterproof to 50 m (5 bar) and only costs 5,000 euros.

If you're searching for a traditional women's watch, you could find what you're looking for amongst the predecessors to the Elite 6150 in the Elite collection. The 18-karat rose gold Elite Lady Moonphase (18.2320.692/80.C713) uses simple indices as hour markers on its mother-of-pearl dial and thus has a very clean look. With a 36-mm case, it's the perfect size for smaller wrists. You can view the in-house, automatic Elite 692 caliber in action through the sapphire glass case back. The caliber also features a moon phase display and small seconds. This luxury watch from Zenith costs around 8,500 euros and is available in many variants.

Alternatively, Jaeger-LeCoultre offers ultra-thin dress watches in their Master Ultra Thin collection. The variant with reference number 1292520 strongly resembles the Zenith 6150, has a manual in-house caliber, and costs around 12,000 euros when new. The manufacturer Frédérique Constant has a range of fairly priced watches with more traditional designs. The Slimline collection, for example, has many versions with different complications such as a moon phase display. Thus, if you like the look of the Elite 6150 but don't want to spend that much, a Frédérique Constant Manufacture Slimline would be a good choice; after all, it only costs 1,000 euros.