Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Zenith · Elite
Zenith Elite 38 mm Skeletonised Stainless
Reference 59608ST.95
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Zenith
- Collection
- Elite
- Model
- Zenith Elite 38 mm Skeletonised Stainless
- Reference number
- 59608ST.95
- Year / era
- 2010 · 2010s — modern production
- Complication
- Time only
- Movement
- In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Dial type
- Skeletonised
- Strap / bracelet
- Oyster bracelet
- Water resistance
- 300 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 38 mm
- Case thickness
- 11.3 mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Bezel
- Unidirectional ceramic 60-minute
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Skeletonised
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Printed minute track with applied batons
- Bracelet / strap
- Oyster bracelet
- Clasp / buckle
- Titanium deployant clasp
- Water resistance
- 300 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 45B — In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 5 days
- Number of jewels
- 37 jewels
- Complications
- Time only
- Functions
- Dive time, running seconds
- Watchmaker
- Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.
Production & market
- Production period
- 2010 – 2022
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.
Designer
In-house design studio
The reference was drawn by the manufacture's internal design office, where case, dial and movement architects work alongside the watchmakers rather than as an outside commission.
Historical significance
Zenith Elite 38 mm Skeletonised Stainless sits within Zenith's Elite line, introduced in 2010. It carries the house codes established since 1865 — stainless steel case, skeletonised dial and in-house automatic, superlative chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
The House
Zenith
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1865
- Founder
- Georges Favre-Jacot
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Luxury
- Major collections
- El Primero, Chronomaster, Defy, Pilot, Elite
- Signature technologies
- Proprietary case-hardening and polishing · In-house hairspring production · Certified chronometer regulation
- Famous movements
- In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer · In-house automatic, chronometer certified · In-house manual-winding · In-house automatic chronograph
- Notable watches
- Zenith El Primero 42 mm Slate Platinum (1954) · Zenith El Primero 42 mm Mother-of-pearl Ceramic (1965) · Zenith El Primero 41 mm Skeletonised Sapphire (1975) · Zenith El Primero 40 mm Silvered 18k (1995)
Brand history
Zenith has spent more than 161 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's El Primero, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Georges Favre-Jacot established Zenith in 1865, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Zenith calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1865
Georges Favre-Jacot founds Zenith in Switzerland.
1899
Zenith earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.
1969
The quartz era forces Zenith to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Zenith enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Zenith continues to produce El Primero, Chronomaster, Defy and other icons in limited numbers.