MUBA (the Schweizer Mustermesse Basel, a Swiss trade fair) was created in 1917 at the initiative of the Basle government. Zenith had its first booth in the watch and jewellery section in 1922. From 1927 on, after a one-year absence, the brand with the guiding star was to attend what was later called the Basel Fair, then Baselworld, every year without interruption. It is in Basle, the world showcase for all its new products, that Zenith was to make its mark on Fine Watchmaking history when it launched its legendary El Primero chronograph movement in 1969.

To celebrate its 90th appearance at the event, this year Zenith has a new booth that reflects the brand’s reasserted values.

An impression of authenticity emanates from the very colour of the stone used – a creamy white shade – in combination with the highly elegant colours of wenge wood, tinted glass, and leather. The 100% Swiss booth was designed by the Geneva architectural firm Brandstorm and built by Messerli in Zurich.

The lighting and furnishings were custom-made for Zenith. All of which means that the brand’s new booth is in keeping with the company’s longstanding approach to defining its identity. Reflecting the “new generation” codes of its stores, Zenith has opted for a contemporary interpretation of the Manufacture’s façade, the Le Locle facility that dates back to 1865 and still houses the workshops.

Other details speak to another value: at the booth’s entrance, a line drawing of the El Primero movement recalls and emphasises the Manufacture’s creative daring.

To the left, Felix Baumgartner’s extraordinary feat is shown in a loop on a giant screen. Historic watches and new models are on display in a 23-metre showcase. To the right, visitors can experience the record 2,333 prizes Zenith has won since its founding. They could have been simply mounted on a wall, but the company has created a dynamic, tactile experience by making it possible to “flip through” them like an open book. Finally, contrasting with the light stone, tinted glass hints at the stand’s inner life. For visitors, the impression of pleasure and discovery is omnipresent.

With its new booth, Zenith continues its tradition of hospitality by welcoming its customers and the media in a warm, unobtrusive three-level space of 760 m².

A space that, for a moment, offers a small refuge where one can escape the constraints of the Fair, a “haven of freedom” where one discovers, intact, an unchangingly enterprising spirit that is still vibrantly alive after nearly 150 years.