It’s the ultimate question: Which watch should I take with me when traveling? To see how the Zenith Chronomaster Sport held up, we took it to New Zealand on an adventure to answer this question!

One of the things that goes through my mind when looking at a potential watch purchase is, is it good for travel? Now I’m not talking about watches with GMT functions or watches that are specifically designed to track multiple time zones like a Worldtimer etc. These are great, but not essential. I’ve traveled lots without a specific watch like a GMT. What I’m more interested in is this: Is the watch versatile enough to wear in different climates with different clothing? Can I wear it day and night should I take it as my only piece? Will I enjoy wearing it out and about, exploring new places and seeing new sights, and the last one that goes through my mind (a side effect of doing what I do) how will this piece photograph and will it look good on Instagram? Ok, the last one is a little more specific to me, but you get my gist!

Now I’m a bit of a sucker for a green dial. I use to gravitate towards blue, but these days, I’m liking watches with more colour, or something that isn’t your standard blue or black. Don’t get me wrong, both of these colours are great, but if you have a few watches that are blue or black, then you kind of want to venture out of this box a little. With this in mind, I’ve managed to get my hands on the Zenith Chronomaster Sport Green that was released this year at LVMH Watch Week 2024 and to answer the above question, we took it to New Zealand, in and around the Queenstown area to see how the Zenith faired as a daily to travel with!

RELATED READING: Zenith Goes Green With The New Chronomaster Sport

A green Zenith Chronomaster Sport may not be most people’s average watch choice when heading off on a trip, but this was the whole point of this exercise – could it be? My short answer is yes, most definitely. Why? I revert to my aforementioned point – because it is not the first choice for most people. Ok, those are the short answers and this would be a very short and boring article if I stopped there. So let me elaborate if you will indulge me…

I’ve traveled quite a bit over the last decade or so. Normally you would find me traveling with several watches in my collection, and in most cases, I would be reaching and placing into my travel case a few pieces. My trusty Panerai 312 is always in the case, but then I just look for something that is robust, water resistant, and easy to wear with whatever the day brings – this normally means a diver of some sort, or a few depending on the length of the trip. For me, dive watches are that perfect blend of style and function so they are an easy choice, and normally, classic black. Hey, it goes with everything! But…my tastes are changing a little, and for this trip, I wanted something with a little more colour and fun, just to break it up and obviously, to see if I could change my mindset and habit. Enter the Zenith Chronomaster Sport!

The Zenith Chronomaster was a hit for the brand when released back in 2021. Even though some compared it directly to the Rolex Daytona, once you get past the surface-level evaluation that it is a chronograph with three subdials and tachymeter, you see that it most definitely is not. This and the fact that Zentih used to supply the El Primero to Rolex for the Daytona perhaps gives it more historical significance to be a sports chronograph than its competitor. But that’s another topic for another day. And now with new colour variants and materials, the Zenith is most definitely setting itself apart, which in my eyes, is a good thing for both Zenith and collectors alike.

Speaking of colour, look at that green! Green dials and colours can be a little hit-and-miss. Too dark and subtle and it looks close to black in certain light. Too light or the wrong tone and the watch loses its appeal – sort of hits you in your face. But in between, striking a happy medium and you are on to a winner. This is where I feel Zenith has hit the mark here. And now we are in winter, you don’t want a “Summer Watch” but some colour is very welcomed with those shorter and cooler days. In New Zealand, even more so as the sunrise is after 8 am, and sunset is around 5 pm.

Late afternoon as the sun sets over Moke Lake. Whilst not planned, the green dial of the Chronomaster Sport echoes the green moss on the fence post and surrounding hills.

When holidaying, adventuring or just traveling abroad for whatever reason, a steel sports piece is always welcomed. The ease of slipping it on in the morning and not having to worry too much about it means they are an easy choice. Plus the water resistance means you’re covered for anything life throws at you. The other plus is with a bracelet like on the Chronomaster Sport, the watch wears comfortable all day. I mentioned in my write-up on the release of this piece that the bracelet isn’t as solid due to it having hollow links, but this is offset by making it lighter and easier to wear. And unless you’re doing something dangerous or hardcore, you’re not going to damage them anyway, so it’s a mute point.

Whilst over in Queenstown, I had the chance to explore the town a lot too, something I always like to do. It is a good way to immerse yourself in a place, just go about your day and do as the locals do in between the sightseeing and tourist activities. Queenstown is steeped in history and is a wonderful mix of great little restaurants and bars, high fashion and of course, amazing scenery that acts as the backdrop to the town.

Above, the area around the waterfront with the Boardwalk and surrounding cafés and restaurants. Below the iconic TSS Earnslaw, a beautiful steamer that’s been in operation since 1912 and runs tours across the lake to Walter Peak High Country.

I had a chance to stop into Partridges, which is one of New Zealand’s leading watch and jewelry specialists. Whilst they don’t unfortunately stock Zenith, talking to the staff there was a joy, and obviously, they had to check out the Chronomaster Sport too – they don’t get a chance to see these all that much in the wild and the green was an absolute hit with the staff there.

Asking about the watch scene in Queenstown and the state of the market, it seems that Queenstown is bucking the down-trend a little, thanks to tourism and also the fact that they are one of the only specialist dealers outside of Christchurch and service the southern part of the South Island. It was also nice to get out of the cold for a little bit, and take off the puffer jacket, beanie, gloves, and talk watches.

Now, if you’re over in NZ for winter, especially Queenstown, then there is plenty of adventure and sightseeing activities to do whilst there. These are perfect to test the Zenith on the wrist getting out and about, and I’m pleased to say that I never found myself getting sick of looking at it on the wrist. One such place I decided to venture with a hire car is Deer Park Heights, which is around the other side of Lake Wakatipu and near Frankton. It’s a beautiful drive up the hills, albeit a winding and twisting drive. But the views from the top are remarkable (and of The Remarkables!)

Now, did I use the chronograph to see how long it would take to navigate up the mountains? I’d be lying if I said no. I have a chronograph on my wrist, why wouldn’t I?! For the record, 10 minutes, 37 seconds, and 4/10th of a second to be exact, if you don’t count the stops along the way to continually marvel at the sights and look at the deer.

Now I will mention that I did venture up Coronet Peak to the ski fields, but being the responsible watch owner I am, I used my better judgment and didn’t take the Zenith up there should something unexpected happen. Queenstown hasn’t had a lot of snow of late, and the ski fields are using a lot of the man-made snow (essentially loads of shredded ice) to fill them out, so the conditions up there are more ice than soft powder. As a result, the ground was quite hard and I wasn’t going to risk falling on my left wrist with the Zenith on. I’d be less than popular let’s just say with Zenith’s Brand Manager (You’re welcome Fiona!) But it was great to get some shots up there nonetheless which I’m happy to share.

Above, the view heading up Coronet Peak, and you can see that the snow is a little patchy in places, and in the second image you can see the damn where the snow is made. Below, the view from the top of Coronet Peak looking out across the valley.

There are plenty of places in and around Queenstown to visit, and not all of it is adventure activities either. If you head out of town a little, past Arrowtown, there is a great food and wine precinct called Ayrburn – essentially a restaurant, cellar door, function venue, and loads of areas to sit and enjoy good food and wine. It seemed like a must-do to me, so with the Zenith on my wrist, I jumped in the car and drove out to Aryburn, which funnily enough was gearing up for Christmas in July!

Aryburn just prior to Christmas In July. It was a shame it wasn’t snowing as it would then have been a white Christmas!

I settled down for a drink and some food in the weirdly named “Manure Room”. Sounding like storage for fresh fertiliser, it’s actually a cool wine and tapas bar. Inside it’s a cosy bar, and outside, the wood fire and heaters keep you warm as you soak in the atmosphere.

The Manure Room – inside it’s cozy, warm and you have a choice of basically whatever you want to drink. A great place to while away the afternoon should you choose to.

Here I take the time to relax and take some pictures of the Zenith while I wait for my food and Shiraz in the outdoor area. At the same time, it has given me a little time to think about how the Zenith has kept me company over the last few days, and the fact that it hasn’t missed a beat and nor should it. The El Primero 3600 Calibre beating away at 36,600 VpH or 5Hz keeps great time. The high-beat movement helps to ensure a greater level of accuracy over those watches that have a lower beat rate. When traveling, accuracy and reliability are essential, and the Zenith has this in spades. You also get a 60 hour power reserve, so a full 2.5 days should you want to rest it for a day or so depending on what you are doing.

The eloquently named Manure Room and the Zenith Chonomaster Sport adding come colour to the overcast and cold day. Below, an open fire and a drink are always welcomed!

There is also an abundance of coffee shops and cafés in and around Queenstown. These are perfect for sitting down, taking off a few layers and relaxing with a coffee, catching up on the happenings around the world. One of my daily routines was to wander up to The Bathhouse for a morning coffee and breakfast.

It’s a great spot right on the lake, and somewhere you can sit and watch the world go by and ponder the meaning of life, or maybe your next watch purchase which is probably much more likely! And really, when you have a view like the one below, why wouldn’t you just sit and admire this for hours on end? I know I could, and with a great watch on my wrist, I’m one happy traveler!

As I sit, sipping my coffee, and as my time over in Queenstown is coming to an end, I find myself pondering my original question about travel and choosing the right watch to accompany you, does the Zenith Chronomaster Sport Green tick all those other boxes?

Is the watch versatile enough to wear in different climates with different clothing? I think it is. These days (and this is based on personal preference) I’m loving watches that have some colour about them. And when on a trip like this, the Zenith works well in a cold climate, and I can only imagine it would be right at home on my wrist in a tropical location as well. Can I wear it day and night should I take it as my only piece? Again, the answer is yes. This is a piece I wore day and night, and works well for both. Whilst I’d love a little more lume on the dial and hands for nighttime, the Zenith was able to go from one to the other and I didn’t have any issues with it being my only watch on for the entire day. Will I enjoy wearing it out and about, exploring new places, and seeing new sights? Most definitely. In fact it was a good change to see that green dial and bezel on my wrist, and being in various locations doing different activities, it was a joy to wear and look down at it. And last but not least, how will this piece photograph and will it look good on Instagram? I took the photo’s so I may be a little biased here, so you tell me, does it?

Working through that above checklist, for me, the Zenith Chronomaster Sport is a piece you can put on before you head out the door on your next trip, and not worry about taking it off until you get back. Yes, the white or black dials may be the safer option, but I can tell you I’m amazed at the number of people who have commented on the green and how good it looks on the wrist. This tells me that many people appreciate colour when it comes to watches and whilst how a watch looks is totally subjective, the Zenith Chronomaster Sport Green seems to be a hit.

Reference: 03.3119.3600/56.M3100

Specification:

Case: 41mm, 47mm lug-lug, and 13mm thick
Case Material: Brushed and Polished Steel with green ceramic bezel
Dial: Green-toned sunray-patterned with tri-coloured sub dials
Crystal: Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Water resistance: 100 meters
Movement: El Primero 3600 high-frequency automatic movement. Beating at 36’000 VpH / 5Hz with 1/10th second chronograph function
Power reserve: 60 hours
Bracelet: Stainless Steel Bracelet with brushed outer and polished inner links and folding clasp