Key Features
Thin and wearable, this handsome watch features a domed acrylic crystal. You can almost get lost in its rich dark brown dial, the mint gold plated cases matches this watch tastefully. Mondia/Zenith/Movado in the 70s belonged to the same parent company, so we can expect great reliability, collectability and quality assurance from Mondia. This timepiece is rare as it is in mint condition and all original parts. Keeping excellent time and ready to be worn.
About Movado-Zenith-Mondia
Movado-Zenith was founded by 1969 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. They purchased Mondia later that year, becoming Movado-Zenith-Mondia. This gave the group access to high-end watch movements like the Zenith El Primero, excellent brand presence in the United States thanks to Movado, and a mass-market brand in Mondia. But the quartz crisis caused trouble for this plan.
In June 1972, Zenith Radio Corp. of the United States purchased the company. It had not been previously associated with Zenith watches, but the names had caused confusion. The company refocused on quartz watches, with all mechanical movements discontinued and discarded. This proved foolish, as the Japanese competition forced higher-priced brands like Zenith out of the market.
The group was purchased by a consortium of Swiss businessmen in 1978. This was lead by Paul Castella, who owned the Dixi machine tool company. Zenith and Movado merged into Zenith Movado Le Locle SA and Mondia integrated into Dixi. The purchase restricted the use of the Zenith name in the North American market, so for a time they were marketed using the Movado name.
Movado was divested to North American Watch Company in 1983. Zenith took over the existing Dixi factory and was rebuilt over the next decade. One driver for this was the successful use of the El Primero movement by Ebel and Rolex.
Dixi operated Zenith and Mondia through the 1990s. Zenith was sold to LVMH in 1999, where it resides today. The other brands are defunct.
Servicing and Guarantee
This timepiece has been serviced with full disassembly. Make sure to follow the usage and care guidelines.
Overview
Case and Strap
- Original, gold plated case.
- Domed Acrylic crystal
- Stainless steel snap-in sprung caseback.
- Gold plated crown
- Brand new brown leather strap.
Dimensions:
- Width w/o crown: 34mm
- Width w/ crown: 37mm
- Full height: 42.5mm
- Thickness: 11mm
- Strap: 18mm
Dial and Hands
- Original, deep brown matte dial with white outer radial for legibility
- Gold tone mirror polished indices.
- Signed ‘Mondia’
- Gold tone mirror polished Baton style hands
Movement
- Swiss-made movement
- AS 1950/51
Testing results:
- Testing duration: 2 week cyclic test
- Average timekeeping range: 15-30 sec/day
Servicing and Guarantee
- Fully serviced.
- Mechanics in full working order.
- Brand new brown leathe rstrap
- Care and usage guidelines.
