Zenith Sporto 35 mm Saurer dial cal. 126

Rare double signed Zenith x SAURER wristwatch from the early 1950’s, in an unpolished steel case, made in Switzerland

Case
35 mm in diameter, excluding winding crown. Case appears unpolished!

Dial
Unique SAURER signed dial, in beautiful bright colors. Furthermore, the dials features an elegantly placed sub-dial and painted ‘Telephone’ hour markers in black. The dial is finished two times before the paint was added. This causes a mesmerizing effect when the light catches the dial (please look carefully how the grey and white colors change in picture 1 and 2!)

Movement
In-house manual wind Zenith cal. 126

Strap
Black NATO band. (in await of bespoke leather strap 17 mm for fixed bars)

Condition
Finding a SAURER signed dial on a relatively large Zenith from the 1950’s, is not an everyday practice! But first let’s dive into, what SAURER actually is. SAURER was a mechanical contractor which were known for making trucks and engines for (fighter) aircraft. Having a branded collaboration between a watch brand and a mechanical contractor was very uncommon combination to see back then. On the contrary, collabs between brands (mostly in the fashion industry) is a common practice today. Sneaker brands for example, which design a shoe together with a renowned artist. When looking at the horological scene in 2023, it appears that even in these modern times, most of the the populair watch brands still have a too conservative character for funky collaborations.

So here we have it, one of the earliest branded collaborations between a very populair horological brand (Zenith), and a historically interesting mechanical contractor (SAURER). That in combination with the overal condition of this exquisite wristwatch, makes this a very cool collectors’ watch.

For more information about SAURER, have a read here!

Additional note:
Every watch is sold with Benjamin Marcello Collection Extract. The Benjamin Marcello Collection Extract is an official document we add to your watch order. This certificate, or ‘extract’, states the details of the specific watch. Details as the serial number, materials used and production date are present on this document. In addition, your personal details are added to the Collection Extract, to ensure your watch belongs to you. Of course, all our watches are also delivered with an invoice and insured priority shipping.

In the case of any additional questions, contact us through phone, WhatsApp or e-mail!
T: +31 6 41 53 63 27
E: info@benjaminmarcello.nl