1965 Zenith de Luxe Respirator,30mm. square 18k gold case, automatic movement cal. 2542P.

Respirator comes from the French “respirateur”, reflecting the way this case is built: there is a large gasket between the glass and the case that “breathes”; as water pressure increases the case is compressed, increasing the water resistance.

Zenith is a luxury Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1865 by Georges Favre-Jacot at the age of 22. Zenith was purchased by LVMH in November 1999, becoming one of several brands in their watch and jewellery division.
Zenith has a long reputation for the quality and precision of their watches. It is one of the few Swiss watch manufacturers that still produces their own movements in-house, including the Zenith el Primero – one of the first automatic chronograph movements from 1969.