Range Rover just unveiled a brand new model, the Velar, at the Geneva Motor Show, and its watch partner Zenith is ready to rip with a new timepiece to match. The Velar, inspired by the original Range Rover prototype from 1969 and positioned between the Evoque and Range Rover Sport, “brings a new dimension of modernity, elegance and a touch of glamour” to the famed SUV’s lineup, according to Land Rover’s Chief Design Officer Gerry McGovern.
El Primero Range Rover
Zenith’s new Chronomaster El Primero Velar Special Edition is a luxury watch that echoes the sentiment in an horological sense. It features a brushed grey dial with copper-toned details and a new black rubber strap coated with black-toned perforated calfskin matching the interior of the Velar and “inspired by ideas from both brands’ product design and engineering departments” and designed to “embrace the heritage and strong credentials” of the two legendary brands.
A Few Specifications
Both the El Primero and the Range Rover trace their beginnings to 1969 and have gone on to achieve icon status in their respective fields.The high-tech Velar houses engines ranging from a 180-hp 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four to a 380-hp supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, and will have a base price of about $50,000 when it hits showrooms this summer. Although the El Primero was a recently released at SIHH, is has been reworked for a special occasion. The 42mm Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar Special Edition (it needs a nickname) will be priced at $8,700 and its movement beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour.
Jean-Claude Biver on the Move
The move is the latest push in Zenith CEO Jean-Claude Biver’s campaign to truly move the brand into the luxury market, and he’s taken the opportunity for a little grandstanding. “Zenith is the ultimate reference for chronometry (precision timekeeping), having won 2,333 chronometer prizes,” he notes. “The authentic Manufacture is a major player in the Swiss watch industry. Zenith stands for Art, Tradition, Culture and above all, produces real and authentic ‘museum quality’ models at nonetheless affordable prices” – albeit creeping ever higher.
“It is essential that we preserve these qualities,” Biver continues, “as they all belong to the more than 150-year DNA of Zenith. We are here not just to run a company, but also to serve its brand history and DNA – just as Range Rover is doing. The main task and challenge we have in common is a determination to protect our tradition, but at the same time to find the right and harmonious way of connecting our tradition to the future, while showing extreme respect for our iconic products.” This dynamic duo with the release of the Range Rover’s Velar is sure to set the bar high.