The Zenith Of Adventure
< ZENITH >
Though he set out solo in a balloon to the North Pole, Physician-explorer Jean-Louis Etienne had the company of Zenith El Primero Striking 10th chronograph. Hiren Kumar Bose
As the giant Rozière hybrid balloon took to the air in the early hours of April 5, 2010, rising from Spitsbergen, Norway, people who had gathered to see off Dr Jean-Louis Etienne on his solitary overflight to North Pole, cheered loudly.
Dressed in a red parka with a hood, Dr Etienne acknowledged the cheer, waving at the crowd, as the Zenith El Primero Striking 10TH chronograph on his wrist caught the morning sun. Before taking off for the flight, 63-year-old Etienne said, “In embarking on this daring adventure, worthy of the novels of Jules Verne, I want to draw the world’s attention to: the shrinking of the Polar sea ice and its impact on the lifestyle of the native peoples of the North; the state of Arctic biodiversity; and the planet-wide climatic chaos that will ensue if the Polar ice disappears. The sea ice is the best indicator we have of the effectiveness of the measures that man must take to curb global warming.” The Rozière balloon which Etienne took, incorporated a bag of helium that could be expanded by hot air generated by a small burner. This type of balloon uses very little energy. In theory it can reach an altitude of around 11,000 metres (36,000ft), but in this case, an unpressurised cabin limits the cruising altitude. Etienne, nevertheless, took onboard an extra oxygen supply for short high-altitude ascents.
Covering over 3,130 kms (1,945 miles), from Norway to the tundra of eastern Siberia, the balloon voyage, called Generali Arctic Observer, landed after five days, on April 10, around 08:00 Swiss time.
Etienne’s exploit will provide measurements of the Earth’s magnetic field and the amount of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) in an area free from emissions. Etienne took two types of continuous measurements: the level of CO2 in the atmosphere (for the CEACNRS Department of Climate & Environmental Sciences) and the Earth’s magnetic field (for the Institute of Global Physics- LETI-CEA.)
The first undisputed attainment of the North Pole was by Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile, who flew over it onboard the dirigible, Norge, on May 12, 1926. Amundsen, who had earlier become the first to reach the South Pole, was thus the first person to have crossed the entire face of the Earth. On both expeditions, Amundsen wore a watch provided by the Swiss manufacturers, Zenith.
Recalling how Zenith got involved in Etienne’s flight, Jean-Frédéric Dufour, CEO Zenith, says, “When I heard that Jean-Louis Etienne was planning this expedition, I said to myself: “This is made for Zenith. We must return to the pole. The Earth is big enough for the other bands, but the poles belong to Zenith. I just happened to read an article about Jean-Louis Etienne’s preparations for the expedition. Then it came to me like a flash. The values of this extraordinary man, his scientific reputation and his remarkable track-record as an explorer, medical doctor or scientist – all these attributes connected Jean-Louis Etienne with our brand.”
Dufor got in touch with Etienne and persuaded him to link his name with Zenith. “I didn’t know it then, but lots of other Swiss watchmakers had tried before me, obviously without success. Our partnership deal was struck in 24 hours,” he informs. “Generali Insurance company was the main sponsor for this expedition.” For the five-day long flight, Etienne wore Zenith El Primero Striking 10 TH Chronograph, which represents the technical values that won Zenith its reputation. The El Primero calibre was the first production movement with a balance frequency of 10 semi-oscillations a second. Its advanced design measures time to the highest precision by mechanical means. While most other mechanical movements reach a frequency of eight vibrations a second, this model indicates the tenths of a second at the exact frequency of its remarkable movement.
