[Press Release] When can we hope to see an effective treatment for children affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a highly debilitating disease that affects one boy in 3,500? Under the patronage of Prince Albert II, the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy is organising an auction of exceptional watches. Proceeds will be entirely donated to medical teams involved in research on this disorder. The previous biannual operation raised three million euros for 90 researchers and clinicians in five different countries. For this latest edition, ZENITH has created two exclusive models featuring left-hand winding.

The “Only Watch” auction brings together the greatest watch brands. While keen competitors on the market, the members of this corporation are united here for a praiseworthy purpose: funding research aimed at jugulating a debilitating disease that affects 250,000 children. The collection of watches specially created for this occasion will travel the world and the spirit of healthy emulation stemming from this auction leads watch brands to display ever-greater boldness and creativity. For Only Watch 2011, the Manufacture ZENITH will introduce two exclusive models with left-hand winding. Why the inversion? Like Leonardo da Vinci, one in ten people are left-handed, and the proportion varies considerably between various countries, reaching as much as one-quarter of the population in some cases. It is for them that these two models are specifically designed.

The two timepieces belong to the Captain Chronograph pink gold and Pilot Chronograph lines. The former, featuring a gold case, is intended for week-day wear in a professional environment; while the latter, in steel and sporting a more casual appearance, is ideal for leisure time and weekend activities. Both models house the legendary El Primero calibre – the name that puts a sparkle in the eye of watch devotees the world over. The name that is universally cited – and with good reason: launched by ZENITH in 1969, this movement is quite simply the world’s most accurate series-produced mechanical calibre. Its secret lies in the cadence of its balance: 10 vibrations per second, whereas as others generally beat at 8 vibrations a second at best. This represents an edge that makes all the difference, since it takes El Primero firmly into the field of horological high frequency.

ZENITH, the Pioneer Spirit
From its earliest origins, the ZENITH brand has accompanied discoverers, explorers and scientists. In the past, the Manufacture even equipped Albert I, the great-great-grandfather of Monaco’s current head of state. Nicknamed “the scholar prince”, Albert I is considered one of the forefathers of ecology.