My vintage dress watch: Zenith "crema catalana"
Hi there, family!
Little by little, I am presenting my watch collection to all of you. Today is the turn of my current dress watch, a vintage Zenith Stelina from 1956 (or around that), AKA Zenith "crema catalana" (we'll get to that at the end of the post).
A few months ago, when I started collecting watches, I wanted to have a dress watch. I would like to have a Cartier Santos or Tank, or a Glashütte Original PanomaticLunar, etc. As you can see, I haven't made up my mind yet. I don't dress up very often. In fact, I dress up rarely. So, I really don't need that kind of watch. I'll have one that I really like, but in a few years, when my collection becomes more... mature.
But I have a weeding in a few days, and I wanted to have something to dress up a little. I decided to go vintage and buy some old Omega, or that was my initial idea. I had some on my Chrono24's favourites' lists, ready to decide which one to buy, when this little beauty appeared on my screen:
It's a Zenith Stelina from 1956 (ish). It was half the price or more than any Omega I had chosen. The dial has evolved, and the patina created those speckles that really give the watch a unique personality that I liked a lot.
Inside the watch is the basic but reliable CAL 40, revised, cleaned, and time-balanced.
It came with a brown tapered strap that I cannot use because of my small wrist size. I was very happy with my ripstop strap bought from Bulang & Sons, so I bought a retro black pigskin leather watch strap from them. I think it looks amazing and dressy, and it pairs perfectly with this watch.
As a funny comment, there is a dessert here in Catalonia, Spain, called "crema catalana" (catalan cream).
The watch dial made me think about this dessert, and I renamed it from Zenith Stellina to Zenith "crema catalana".
What do you think about this watch? Do you like it?
I’m trying to enjoy some of my hobbies - photography and watches - and be a good father. I don’t know if I'm doing it well, but I'm not that useless; at least I can act as a bad example.
Gilt accents with a steel case adds warmth and color in such a subtle and tasteful way. Longer lugs add elegance that many modern watches lack. I'm really more intrigued by the rounded single cuff shirt to be honest.
Beautiful, even patina and great pics! 😎
Gilt accents with a steel case adds warmth and color in such a subtle and tasteful way. Longer lugs add elegance that many modern watches lack. I'm really more intrigued by the rounded single cuff shirt to be honest.
The cuff links? They’re from Vulgary. It was a present from my mother on my wedding day.
Beautiful, even patina and great pics! 😎
Thank you!☺
Solid find! Like it 🔥
Great read and didnt realise just how vintage the piece was its more than double my age haha! Brilliant link with the crema catalana can definitely see the similarities i wondered what it reminded me of and that bubbling sugar is definitely one or maybe the top of a cappuccino, thank you for sharing and cant wait to see more of your collection! 🔥
The cuff links? They’re from Vulgary. It was a present from my mother on my wedding day.
I meant the shirt cuff, which is not the bulky double or French cuff. Anyway, the watch is 36mm?
I meant the shirt cuff, which is not the bulky double or French cuff. Anyway, the watch is 36mm?
36,5cm.
I don’t know about shirt cuff, it's a normal white shirt I bought on Rushmore. The sleave button has a also the hole, so you can use the button or use cufflinks.
A definite WANT for me. Congratulations with this beautiful piece!
After you've had a course of innoculations against whatever is growing on the dial, it's a lovely thing.
Solid find! Like it 🔥
Thanks!
Great read and didnt realise just how vintage the piece was its more than double my age haha! Brilliant link with the crema catalana can definitely see the similarities i wondered what it reminded me of and that bubbling sugar is definitely one or maybe the top of a cappuccino, thank you for sharing and cant wait to see more of your collection! 🔥
Thank you very much. I appreciate your time reading my post!
A definite WANT for me. Congratulations with this beautiful piece!
Thank you. I was lucky!
After you've had a course of innoculations against whatever is growing on the dial, it's a lovely thing.
If it's something alive, I hope it stays inside the watch...
Thank you very much. I appreciate your time reading my post!
I already have dedicated posts about this one, the Seiko Alpinist, the Seiko Land GMT, the Brew Metric Retro, and the CW The Twelve.
Good looking vintage piece with a nice patina on the dial :: chef's kiss::
Very nice watch, amazing patina. You can wear it also casual. Vintage beats the current models in class, elegance, and understatement.
Good looking vintage piece with a nice patina on the dial :: chef's kiss::
☺☺ thanks
Very nice watch, amazing patina. You can wear it also casual. Vintage beats the current models in class, elegance, and understatement.
It looks too dressy for me to wear it casual. It’s so subjective…
The comparison with Crema Catalana was spot on. You have a beautiful patina on your Zenith. Patina is a double edged sword. I most cases I like it a lot. Yours is like what I refer to as a Ryan Gosling watch with the amber look. I know he have/had a vintage Rolex. My version is a Seamaster.
The comparison with Crema Catalana was spot on. You have a beautiful patina on your Zenith. Patina is a double edged sword. I most cases I like it a lot. Yours is like what I refer to as a Ryan Gosling watch with the amber look. I know he have/had a vintage Rolex. My version is a Seamaster.
That's similar as the type of omega I was searching for at the beginning. It looks great.
When I bought this vintage watch I was very new to watches, and I knew nothing about patina or similar.