But this one, unlike the A385 Blake reviewed awhile back that uses the same case design (I know, confusing), is crafted from micro blasted titanium and is not coated in any way. Based on a virtually unseen prototype that Zenith built in the 70s, the Shadow uses the truly excellent A384 case as its starting point. This is a watch that’s been on my radar for quite some time, and while I’ve had the chance to try it on at watch meetups, getting the chance to live with it for an extended period of time is obviously an entirely different thing. As is often the case, I was pretty much wrong about everything. Let’s put a pin in that assumption, because we’ll return to it later. But in my deliberation about which watch to sell to fund the next thing, I distinctly remember thinking I’d unload the Defy because it was just too niche, and opportunities to wear a black cased watch on a rubber strap might not present themselves as often as I’d thought. I ultimately sold that watch not because it no longer worked for me (I have nothing but good things to say about it) but because financial realities dictate that I, unfortunately, can’t keep them all.
At the time I picked up that watch, I was looking for something unapologetically modern in its aesthetic, and the black ceramic case and skeletonized dial did the trick. Faithful readers may remember my review of another Zenith, the Defy Classic, back in 2020. The first time I plunked down serious money for a black watch, it didn’t stick. They always seemed more fun, and youthful.
But of course even in that early stage before I fully understood what it was that I was looking at, I was drawn to the sleekness of a black watch. They were different enough that it fascinated me to think about the thought process of someone who would choose a black coated watch over something more standard, and seemingly more versatile. Before I was in any way a watch enthusiast, my eye would dart to blacked out watches in the Macy’s jewelry cases, and I’d always notice them when I saw them being worn out in public. On a certain level I’ve always found black watches appealing.
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