ZENITH Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Revolución

HOLDING A COURSE TOWARDS EXCEPTIONAL TERRITORIES…
Three great revolutionary figures, three great watch discoveries

Zenith continues to hold its course towards exceptional territories by enriching the Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane line with three timepieces in tribute to three emblematic South American revolutionary figures: Simón Bolívar, Ernesto “Che” Guevara and Emiliano Zapata. These three revolutionaries echo the three major horological discoveries with which these models are equipped: gravity control (patented system); fusée-chain transmission; and an unparalleled cadence of 36,000 vibrations an hour. Available in an exceptional three-piece limited edition, the models are are sumptuously decorated using artistic crafts rarely seen in Fine Watchmaking: enamelling, micro-engraving and micro-painting. They bear eloquent testimony to the fact that the Manufacture well and truly masters the ancestral skills that have been adorning its creations for nearly 150 years.

This approach is admirably showcased in the exceptional three-piece edition grouped together in a set and called the Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Revolución. Collectors and fans of rare pieces will appreciate the amazing work of the craftsmen who have taken on the challenge of adorning the movement with custom-made decorations, sometimes going to the very limits of what is deemed possible, and never compromising either precision or reliability. A new demonstration of Zenith’s creative daring and its ability to make completely new movements even more beautiful than they are already with decorations crafted by true artists.

Above him is his sword, and to the right of the counterweight are his pistols. In the background is the man riding a white horse that one can see is prancing. Finely carved and painted by hand, these details are achieved with the utmost delicacy and under a microscope. On the back of the second model is the portrait of Ernesto Guevara, known as the “Che”, wearing his famous beret. This Argentinian, who was the man behind the Cuban revolution, is standing proudly above the counterweight of the gyroscopic module, while, on both sides, his followers are depicted brandishing their guns. The characters are in gold and carved by hand, while the details of the Cuban flag, on the left, and the ocean with the island of Cuba, in the top right hand corner, are painted under a microscope. The back of the third model catches the eye with its reference to Mexican art, with bright colours surrounding an openworked portrayal of a rider and his horse astride the gyroscopic module. On the bottom right, a cactus sits opposite the portrait of the revolutionary. Here too, this exceptional work on the tiniest details was done under a microscope. Completely hand-finished by skilled craftsmen, these extraordinarily delicate adornments transform the three Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Revolución into authentic collector’s items.

It was during this year that he was awarded the honorary title of Libertador, which today remains associated with his name. Sent on a mission to London, Bolívar managed to persuade the English to put pressure on the Spanish in favour of Venezuelan interests. In 1815, he went into exile in Jamaica to think about the future of the Americas and the fate of various countries such as Venezuela, Mexico and Argentina. It was thus from there that he wrote his “Letter from Jamaica” in which one can see the influence of the Enlightenment and its great thinkers such as Montesquieu, his favourite author.

Back in Venezuela, from 1819 onwards, he contributed to the creation of Grand Colombia, a name he chose in tribute to Christopher Columbus, and of which he became the first President in 1821. The country created that year was subsequently divided into three countries in 1830: Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Simón Bolívar remains an emblematic figure in the emancipation of Spain’s South American colonies. Aside from Bolivia, a city in Venezuela is also named after him – Ciudad Bolívar – as well as a Colombian department.

To give his ideas some substance, he joined a Cuban revolutionary group led by a certain Fidel Castro and engaged in guerilla warfare for two years. The group overthrew dictator, Fulgencio Batista, in 1959 and took over power. Guevara held several positions in the new government, contributing among other things to Cuba’s transition to a Marxist type economy and to a rapprochement with the Eastern bloc, yet failing to industrialise the country. After having written several theoretical works on the revolution and guerrillas, and denouncing the exploitation of the third world by both sides in the Cold War, he disappeared from political life and left Cuba in an attempt to export his ideas and extend the revolution. He thus went to the Congo but received a lukewarm response, and then to Bolivia where he was captured and summarily executed by the Bolivian army, which was trained and guided by the CIA.

After his death, Che Guevara became an icon for revolutionary movements all over the world. A Cuban photographer, Alberto Korda, took his picture on the fly during a meeting held by Fidel Castro. This portrait is one of the most famous in the world, although the photographer never received a cent in royalties.

A landowner himself, Zapata adopted a style of dress akin to the hacendados, but would always be on the villagers’ side. Loved and respected by the inhabitants of his hometown, Zapata became the protector of their interests by taking the lead of a defence committee. He became involved in their fight against the powerful. From 1910, groups of guerilleros were created in which Zapata played an important role. The Mexican revolution of which they were the instigators officially started on November 20^th of that year and ended with the capitulation and subsequent exile of President Porfirio Díaz on May 27^th 1911. On November 25^th, Zapata published the Plan of Ayala, a liberation program which included reforms. Its slogan “Reform, freedom, justice and law” was taken up by his followers and used on coins and bank notes that they began to issue.

In April 1919, Colonel Guajardo tricked Zapata into an ambush. To win his confidence, he organised an attack on his own men and went as far as killing more than 50 of them, thus instilling belief in his credibility, and promising Zapata men and weapons. Zapata fell into the trap – and armed men awaited him at the agreed meeting place and shot him at point blank range. Despite this betrayal, Emiliano Zapata still remains the architect of Mexico’s liberation, although his name has been repeatedly misused by all the presidents and politicians who followed him.