Zenith Ladies' Vintage Cushion-Case Dress Watch — c.1970s Swiss Manual Wind, Gold-Plated, Sold Naked

Zenith Ladies' Vintage Cushion-Case Dress Watch — c.1970s Swiss Manual Wind, Gold-Plated, Sold Naked

Here at Bezel & Hide, we believe a great watch speaks for itself. This petite Zenith cocktail watch is a genuine piece of 1970s Swiss horology — a cushion-cased dress watch that balances the era’s love of bold geometry with the refinement you’d expect from one of Switzerland’s most storied manufactures. The dial is a masterclass in two-tone design: a silver sunburst centre framed by a distinctive dark chapter ring with a white-to-yellow gradient minute track, signed with Zenith’s iconic four-point star. Wound by hand, original gold-tone signed crown, and wearing beautifully on a brown textured leather strap. It’s offered at an honest market price for this model. This is a naked sale — no box, no papers — but the brown leather strap with gold-tone faceted pin buckle is fitted and included.

About the Zenith

Zenith was founded in 1865 in Le Locle, Switzerland, and is one of only a handful of watchmakers to manufacture their movements entirely in-house — a tradition that stretches back over 160 years. The brand is perhaps best known today for the El Primero automatic chronograph movement, but throughout the 1960s and 1970s Zenith produced a wide range of elegant dress watches for both men and women — each carrying the hallmarks of genuine Swiss manufacture: hand-finished movements, signed crowns, and dials of real craft and character. This example, estimated to date from approximately 1970–1978 based on the cushion-case geometry, dial transition styling, and font typography of the era, carries case serial number 088O44 E to the snap-on stainless steel case back.

Design & Dial

The dial is immediately striking — a silver sunburst centre with applied gold-tone block hour markers transitions into a distinctive dark chapter ring carrying a white-to-yellow gradient minute track. The effect is depth and elegance in a very small package. The dial is signed with the Zenith four-point star logo and “ZENITH” text below 12 o’clock, with “T SWISS MADE T” at the bottom — authentic period typography. The hands are slim gold-tone batons for both hour and minute. The crystal is a domed acrylic/plastic — period-correct and easily polished if desired. The case is gold-plated / gold-capped in the characteristic warm yellow-gold tone of the era, with a stainless steel snap-on case back secured with four corner screws. The case shape is a cushion / tonneau form — compact and delicate at 25.0mm wide (excluding crown) and 28.9mm lug-to-lug, as confirmed by caliper, and approximately 11.9mm thick. The original signed winding crown features the Zenith star logo — a lovely detail on a watch of this size. The brown textured leather strap is a quick-release hitch model fitted with a gold-tone faceted pin buckle, suited to a smaller wrist.

Movement

Powered by a Zenith Swiss mechanical hand-winding (manual) movement — wound daily via the crown. The watch is running and keeping time to approximately +/- 90 seconds per day, which is entirely normal and expected for a vintage manual-wind movement of this age that has not been recently serviced. For a collector or enthusiast, a service would bring the movement back to tighter tolerances; for everyday wear at this price point, the current performance is honest and functional. Country of Origin: Switzerland — Swiss Made.

Condition

This Zenith ladies’ dress watch presents in Good pre-owned condition for its age. The movement runs and keeps time. After approximately five decades of age, marks, light scratches, and wear may be present on all surfaces — this is inherent to vintage pieces and is part of their character. The gold-plated case shows gentle wear consistent with honest use over decades. The dial remains clean and legible. The acrylic crystal has the minor surface marks typical of its age. We strongly encourage buyers to inspect every photograph carefully before purchasing — the images tell the full story of this watch’s condition.

Please study every photograph carefully before purchasing. We encourage all buyers to inspect the images thoroughly and feel free to reach out with any questions — we’re happy to provide additional photos or details on request.

What’s Included

• ✅ Zenith ladies’ vintage cushion-case dress watch
• ✅ Brown textured leather quick-release strap with gold-tone faceted pin buckle (fitted)
• ❌ Original box
• ❌ Papers / documentation

Why Buy from Bezel & Hide?

At Bezel & Hide, we curate pre-loved timepieces that offer genuine value — watches that have been owned, worn, and loved, offered to you without the retail markup. Every listing is photographed in-house so you can see exactly what you’re getting. We price honestly, describe accurately, and ship securely. This Zenith is a rare thing — a genuine vintage Swiss dress watch from one of horology’s great houses, at a price that reflects the pre-owned market rather than a collector’s premium. If you love understated 1970s elegance and real Swiss craftsmanship, this is well worth your attention.