Zenith : Star Academy

Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane

Case : 18K pink gold, cambered sapphire crystal caseback Diameter : 45 mm Movement : mechanical hand-wound (50h power reserve), 939 parts (including 173 for the gyroscopic carriage and 585 for the chain), Fine Watchmaking finishes Functions : hour, minute, small seconds, power-reserve display, gravity control Dial : hand-guilloché gold Water resistance : 30 m Strap : alligator leather lined with rubber, 18K gold triple folding clasp Limited edition : 25

Manufacture Zenith’s famous star symbol shines more brightly than ever with a fusée-chain mechanism a constant-force energy supply. Combined with the patented gravity control system already featured in the previous Academy Christophe Colomb model, the new driving-force device endows the  movement with a degree of isochronism verging on perfection. The cone-shaped fusée compensates for the variations in the force of the barrel that generally occur when the movement’s energy level rises or falls. Transmission between the barrel and the fusée of the Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane is ensured by a highly complex 585-part, 18 cm-long chain visible on either side of the hands and featuring double and intermediate links alternating around cleverly designed rivets. The chain takes over 50 hours (corresponding to the power reserve) to wrap itself around the barrel and arm its mainspring. As for the famous self-regulating gyroscopic mechanism, it stands out in spectacular fashion beneath the domed part of the sapphire crystal at 6 o’clock, framed by the hand-guilloché small seconds and power-reserve subdials. On the back, a laser-engraved globe motif appears enthroned amid the superb finishing of this exceptional calibre.


Brice Lechevalier is editor-in-chief of GMT and Skippers, which he co-founded in 2000 and 2001 respectively. He has also been CEO of WorldTempus since it joined the GMT Publishing stable, of which he is director and joint shareholder. In 2012 he created the Geneva Watch Tour, and he has been an advisor to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève since 2011. Also closely involved in sailing, he has published the magazine of the Société Nautique de Genève since 2003, and was one of the founders of the SUI Sailing Awards in 2009 and the Concours d’Elégance for motor boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2015.

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