Thierry Nataf has been replaced as President/CEO/Chief Designer of Zenith, one of the brands owned by LVMH by Jean-Frédéric Dufour [ source ]. He helped transform a sleepy brand into something that became shorthand for gaudy excess and mediocre horology, though he did manage to not destroy it's lineage in the process at least. He was, if not liked, at least one of the most colorful brand leaders.
See some images and such after the cut
- Dubai event - Includes a emblematic picture of one of the Zero G watches, emblematic of ataf's designs (source for the cover image)
- Some recent Zenith designs
- Just an ugly Tourbillon
- Port Royal Tourbillon - When you need it big AND ugly, 40x57mm
- Zero G - Here's more on what $500k of horrible can become, though it's only $350k or so in steel, that other $150k gets you enough gold to seduce Auric Goldfinger
- And what is, to me, emblematic of his designs, eXtreme Defy Chronograph, (I probably forgot some words in that naming nightmare)
Interestingly many of their most recent designs are much more conservative and elegant, the Class Elite Moonphase(includes big date) from 2009, or the Class Automatic Elite from 2008.
For history, Zenith, founded in 1865, was bought by LVMH in 1999 for CHF 150-210 million and brought Nataf on as CEO in 2001. To compare Hublot, founded in 1980, was bought in 2008 by LVMH for CHF 380 to 500 million. Both Nataf and J. C. Biver, the unstoppable force of Hublot, took on the task of transforming sleepy names into modern brands...
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For history, Zenith, founded in 1865, was bought by LVMH in 1999 for CHF 150-210 million and brought Nataf on as CEO in 2001. To compare Hublot, founded in 1980, was bought in 2008 by LVMH for CHF 380 to 500 million. Both Nataf and J. C. Biver, the unstoppable force of Hublot, took on the task of transforming sleepy names into modern brands...
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