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Thread: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

  1. #1

    Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Hi everyone

    I am new to the forum, although I've been reading threads for a long time. I really want a Zeno explorer ETA and just wondered how owners are finding them a few years down the line re: build, etc?

    I look forward to any responses. Also I saw recently a pvd'd Zeno in my local Austrian Zeno stockists window, it looked like it has interchangeable coloured crystals. It looked quite military and I hade never seen one before. Anyone know anything more about it?

    Many thanks
    Peter

  2. #2
    Grand Master mr1973's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?





    Exceptional watch for the money! That domed acrylic is just wonderful.

    However, you can't go wrong with one of those either.



    I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

  3. #3

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Wow! That was the strap I had in mind too!!! The others are great, but the Explorer is the one for me. Glad to see it look so good. I'm all the more determined to get one!

    Thanks for the images

  4. #4
    Grand Master Griswold's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Great watches. Love mine. :)


    Best Regards - Peter

    I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.

  5. #5

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Hello again 1973

    Saw you are in Salzburg. Greetings from snowy Kaernten!

  6. #6
    Craftsman rickf's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    After my PRS-17, I wear my ZEX more than any other in my small collection. In my case it's the Miyota movement which I have no complaint about. It's a great all-around watch. I like Mike's brown strap a lot!







    Rick

  7. #7
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    i,ve always [since the addiction] wanted a rolex explorer ...now after seeing some of these pics i,ll settle for a zeno explorer 8) now ....who wants to sell ? :mrgreen:

  8. #8
    Master
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Love em 8) getting desperate now gripped with 'the fever' to get mine back from being modded


    karl

  9. #9

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Enough now! These images are hard to see when you don't own one yet. I think a really nice aged brown leather strap would look great. Now all I have to do is find the watch!

    As if that isn't bad enough, I am also weakening toward a Zeno Phantom. I tried the Omega Dynamic and it just didn't work for me, it looked better in pics than on my wrist!

    Oh well, this could be the start of a Zeno collection.....

  10. #10
    Master
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    P.m sent Peter


    karl

  11. #11

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Yes! Had a bit of a Zeno day yesterday and managed to get a NOS explorer with Swiss movt and a mark 2 Phantom. Can't wait to see them and will take a lot of pleasure in finding some nice straps. I really like the cotton and leather combinations. Will try and upload some pics when they are ready!

    Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts and pictures.

  12. #12
    Master worlok's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    ...older pic but I have been wearing mine the last few days on a maratac zulu. With this strap it even works on my large wrist. Got it in 2006 I think - still running strong. I do let it rest for long periods though as I have many watches.


  13. #13
    Master Jim:'s Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Here's mine, received it a couple of weeks ago from the US. Practically new, I'm loving it :



    Jim

  14. #14
    Master
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Mine (ETA) gets worn more than any other watch I have. And, despite Zeniths, Omegas and other brands it gets more compliments too. It's fallen off motorcycles, gone swimming, gone climbling, played tennis and been quad-biking in the Saraha and it just keeps ticking away very happily indeed. Great watches - and still my fave.

  15. #15
    Master majstro's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Good morning all Zeno Time-Zoners,

    As all others have said before:
    Great value for money, especially when equipped with the forever going strong Miyota mechanism.
    Anything you can endure this watch will too!
    I own two of them with different dials and small variations in their crowns, crystals and bracelets.
    They spend a lot of my time on a Bond or Nato-strap and a black Teyu-lizard from Di-Modell suits them just as well as a red sharkskin from Morellato. So they are very versatile as well as tough!
    Just two pictures to show their different dials:

    My first one bought for a hundred dollars from Chris at Chronometers.net( still available)
    Later I bought this one from a dealer nearby for a slightly higher price (but with a dial I never saw before but which is probably quite common).

    So, all in all, a very recommendable watch, every one of them.
    Greetings from overseas,

    Marc

  16. #16
    Grand Master Rod's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    I've always loved the look of that watch and regret not buying one when they were available :( Jim that photo is fantastic!

    Rod

  17. #17
    Master Jim:'s Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rod
    I've always loved the look of that watch and regret not buying one when they were available :( Jim that photo is fantastic!
    Rod
    Thanks Rod. I felt the same way and I'm soooo glad I made the effort to find one now.

    Cheers,

    Jim

  18. #18

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by rickf


    You can probably just make it out in this pic from Rick, the hands on these Zeno Explorers are not just flat, they have a 3 D shaping to them looks wonderful and you would not normally expect to find in a watch of this price.

    regards

    siggy

  19. #19
    Craftsman rickf's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by siggy
    Quote Originally Posted by rickf


    You can probably just make it out in this pic from Rick, the hands on these Zeno Explorers are not just flat, they have a 3 D shaping to them looks wonderful and you would not normally expect to find in a watch of this price.

    regards

    siggy
    If that's what you're looking for this cropped in picture shows it a little better:



    Rick

  20. #20

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by rickf
    If that's what you're looking for this cropped in picture shows it a little better:
    Yep, an amazing little watch.

    regards

    siggy

  21. #21
    Craftsman
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Wearing very comfortable (but to be honest, a little bit to small for me)

  22. #22
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?



  23. #23
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    i know theres two different movements in these is this why some models say super precision on the dial and others dont ? :?:

  24. #24
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Could someone tell me what the Miyota based model is worth is decent nick please ?

    Thanks,

    Pete

  25. #25
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Not familiar with these watches- but they look great & the feedback seems to be good value.

  26. #26
    Grand Master Dave E's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by ptcoll
    Could someone tell me what the Miyota based model is worth is decent nick please ?

    Thanks,

    Pete
    The last one I had I sold for £65, but that was April 2006. No idea what they're worth now, particularly as they can't be got new any more.
    Dave E

    Skating away on the thin ice of a new day

  27. #27
    Master raysablade's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    I gave mine away always regretted it.

    It's the price you pay for not having a decent local watchmaker.

  28. #28

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Have one on a nato and it´s beautiful!

  29. #29
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Can anyone remember what these cost new?

    **edit**

    Ah, I just found out that they were in the region of £80. Remarkable value.

  30. #30

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Great photographs Mike and Rick - I'd not come across the Zeno Explorers before but love the look of the domed acrylic. That's another watch on the WTB list!

  31. #31
    Craftsman rickf's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Here's a side view that shows the domed acrylic crystal:



    Rick

  32. #32
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by jimmerjammer
    i know theres two different movements in these is this why some models say super precision on the dial and others dont ? :?:
    The almost 'sterile' version with only 'Zeno Watch - Basel' and nothing else dates from the last few months of production. Maybe Zeno just wanted to make it less of a 'fake Rolex', as Rollies are typically recognized by the whole manual of specifications and blurb on the dial, and other makers of homages try to make their products look as much as a Rolex as possible without infringing brand rights, by inventing a fake brand logo that resembles the Rolex one from a distance, and by printing as much blurb on the dial as the original. Personally I like the sterile ZEX a lot, after some time getting used to it. It does not pretend to be anything else but itself. I now also like the mercedes hands, as the hour hand remains distinguishable even when the minute hand covers it.

    OTOH, the ZEX contains a standard ETA movement that has not been tested/certified as a chronometer, so there is something to be said for not pretending things like 'super precision'. Any cheap quartz will usually leave even a good auto in the dust in that respect. My own ZEX (shown above on a Bond, now sitting on leather) is about one minute per day slow, which is no problem for occasional wear as a sort of 'dress beater', as one needs to wind and set a mechanical anyway after it has been sitting in a box for a few days. That one minute is pretty constant, so you can still say it is 'precise' even if not 'accurate'... If I would want to wear it on a daily basis I would ask a watchmaker or the factory to regulate it, as setting it every day or two days would wear the crown out too quickly.
    I wore mine more frequently as my daily watch before I bought a Precista PRS-10B. The latter is now on my wrist almost 24/7, the Zex on leather gets worn to 'formal' events (visits to clients, parties etc.) and in such cases never needs to run longer than a day.

  33. #33
    Grand Master mr1973's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by Karl


    And nobody noticed.....

    Blimey Karl, that's so great witht he BC! Glad you still like it!
    I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

  34. #34
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    A few years ago there was an issue about the various Zeno Explorers sold by companies and individuals and whether or not they were "legit". As I understand the issue, the "legit" Zeno Explorers use the ETA 2824 caliber and most of the "non-legit" Explorers use the Miyota caliber. As the story I heard from the Zeno folks in Texas, a lot of Zeno Explorer parts got distributed to a variety of sources who then shipped them to China and installed the Miyota caliber. They were then sold under a variety of names. I think one can go to the home Zeno site and read about this as well as a few posts here at TZ. Case in point, a dealer of "Zeno" watches here in the USA sells the Miyota caliber Explorer for about $100 and the Zeno site sells the ETA caliber Explorer for $385. Big difference in price no doubt reflecting the labor cost in China. This might explain the difference in the dial as well.

    That said, the Miyota caliber is a good one--not quite as good as the ETA 2824 but still a good one. I suspect the Chinese made Explorers might not hold up as well as the "legit" Explorers but since I have not done research on both of them I cannot say for sure. here is the link to what was posted at zeno a few years ago.

    http://www.zeno-watch.ch/en/watches.html

  35. #35
    Craftsman rickf's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    There are "legit" Zeno Explorers that also use the Miyota. I got my Miyota ZEX from Eddie:



    I think what tends to confuse many people are the ones marked "Zeno-USA" which look nearly identical, use the Miyota movement, are much cheaper but are actually a completely different company.

    Rick

  36. #36
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    rick, yes you are correct. i wrote that many of the non-legit had miyota calibers but i should have included that many legit ones had miyota calibers. yes the zeno-usa company was a major player in the non-legit market. by the way, i see you live in massachusetts. i moved from boston to chicago 4.5 years ago-- i gotta say i miss the east coast. 1 hour from boston one is in the mountains or by the ocean. 1 hour from chicago one is in a corn field, in gary indiana or stuck in traffic on one of the many miles and miles of concrete.

  37. #37
    Master
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    How domed is the glass?
    Dom you have a picture from the side?

  38. #38
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by rickf
    There are "legit" Zeno Explorers that also use the Miyota. I got my Miyota ZEX from Eddie:



    I think what tends to confuse many people are the ones marked "Zeno-USA" which look nearly identical, use the Miyota movement, are much cheaper but are actually a completely different company.

    Rick
    just got a miyota zex myself rick 8) loving it all for £65.00 delivered :shock: :mrgreen:

  39. #39
    Craftsman rickf's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Well done. That's a lot of watch for little money.

    Rick

  40. #40

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Hand on heart, the Zex is the only watch in my entire collection that i could honestly say, i'd never sell.

    Not a hope in hell, for the money, it's that good.

  41. #41
    cannedheat
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    had never seen this model.

    very nice watch, although I do not think it is easy to get one.

  42. #42
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by cannedheat
    had never seen this model.

    very nice watch, although I do not think it is easy to get one.
    I have one inbound...hopefully be on my wrist next week.


  43. #43
    Grand Master
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by cpys11688
    Quote Originally Posted by cannedheat
    had never seen this model.

    very nice watch, although I do not think it is easy to get one.
    I have one inbound...hopefully be on my wrist next week.

    I now have my Zeno Explorer...it's a real nice watch.



  44. #44
    Master Jim:'s Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Congratulations!

    Jim :)

  45. #45
    Master majstro's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Well done that!
    I still regret selling mine and am thinking of replacing it soon...
    Wear it in good health,
    Regards,
    Marc

  46. #46

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by Griswold
    Great watches. Love mine. :)



    It' wonderful.
    Is it ETA or Myota based?
    Acrylic or sapphir crystal?

  47. #47
    Grand Master Griswold's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by watch111
    Quote Originally Posted by Griswold
    Great watches. Love mine. :)



    It' wonderful.
    Is it ETA or Myota based?
    Acrylic or sapphir crystal?
    Thanks. Mine is the ETA based one with acrylic crystal. They really are something special. :)
    Best Regards - Peter

    I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.

  48. #48
    Master Jim:'s Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Sapphire crystal!!?? :shock: :shock:

    Bloody 'ell!

    Jim :wink:

  49. #49
    Grand Master Griswold's Avatar
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    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim:
    Sapphire crystal!!?? :shock: :shock:

    Bloody 'ell!

    Jim :wink:

    Sorry Jim, too many glasses of Lagavulin :!: :wink: :lol:

    Post above amended. Still a great watch though. :D
    Best Regards - Peter

    I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.

  50. #50

    Re: Zeno Explorers - are they wearing well?

    That highly domed chrystal gives the watch a lot of character.

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