Further to this, the watch also features a red paddle chronograph hand, displayed on many Zenith El Primero examples of the era, whilst the dial is surrounded by a silver tachymeter scale. The tritium lume on the matchstick handset and index hour markers have aged to a creamy yellow patina. Similarly to the case, the silver dial with black sub-registers is in excellent condition, has applied, faceted gold index markers for the hours. The unique reference number is visible on the screw-down case-back. ![]() Both the case and the straight-line lugs are sharp and thick, and the bezel beautifully grained with sunburst patterning. The round, yellow gold case measures 38 mm in diameter (48 mm from lug to lug) and has large chronograph pushers and the original, signed, fluted crown, each retaining their definition. However this rare G381 has been remarkably well preserved. Vintage sports watches typically have tell-tale signs of being over-worn. Whilst the aesthetics are undeniably attractive, it is the condition that stands out. This stunning example of the Zenith El Primero Ref. One of the most widely respected Rolex Daytona references, the 16500, used the base calibre 400 in its re-designed flagship sports watch in 1988. In 1985, Zenith resurrected the “El Primero” line, reissuing the calibre 3019PHC (as the calibre 40.0), and it is still in production today under the designation “calibre 400”. at 19,800 A/h of its ‘Calibre 11’ competitors, the 5hz beat rate allows measurement up to 1/10th of a second, in comparison to up to just one-fifth of a second (at a rate of 2.5hz) of its contemporaries. Other than being the first fully-integrated automatic chronograph, the movement was also a pioneer of high-frequency. It certainly had a huge impact on horological development. The debate that may never truly be extinguished, but the “El Primero” movement will forever keep its claim as a first. The name “El Primero” by no coincidence translates to “the first”. Zenith proudly claims the “El Primero” to be the first-ever automatic chronograph, emphasizing its full integration and completeness - with a column-wheel and central rotor on ball bearings - as opposed to a being a modular addition. Rivals entered global production in August of 1969, while Zenith made the 3019 PHC publicly available in October the same year. Having begun research and development as early as 1962, it debuted a working prototype at a pre-emptive press conference in Switzerland in early 1969. Much of the argument has subsided in recent years, thanks to almost a decade’s tireless documentation by the original sports-chronograph collectors, such as Jeff Stein, founder of On The Dash, and author of Project 99 - The Race to Develop the World's First Automatic Chronograph.Īccording to the latter, Zenith was the first to announce the innovation. ![]() But this year, Zenith offers something that will certainly fulfil your need for vintage-reproduced watches.There has been a continuing and passionate debate about which manufacturer developed world’s first self-winding chronograph, amongst the consortium of Heuer, Buren-Hamilton, Breitling, Dubois-Depraz and Seiko. What’s problematic today is that this colour combination linked to the historical A386 case is no longer accessible in the permanent collection – it was only released in four batches of 50 watches in steel, yellow, pink or white gold, in 2019. One of the signature elements of the original A386 was its tri-colour dial, with different shades of grey and blue to differentiate the indications. This includes a compact 38mm case with beautifully shaped surfaces, a dial that faithfully replicates the original with a tri-compax layout and overlapping counters, painted hands, coloured accents and a no-nonsense style that perfectly befits the collection. The Chronomaster Revival is a very attractive watch and is an almost one-to-one reproduction of the original El Primero launched in 1969. But for 2020, you still have a chance to enjoy the classic iconic look of the A386 in steel with a very special dial thanks to the Zenith Chronomaster Revival A386 Manufacture Edition, which is the topic of our video review of the day. ![]() Last year, the brand celebrated the 50th anniversary of the El Primero with a series of highly limited models, all of which are now sold-out. And, in addition to that, the watch fitted with it, the Zenith A386, was very good looking. In 1969, the El Primero was one of the first automatic chronographs to be launched. No one can overlook the importance of the El Primero – both the movement and the watch – when it comes to chronographs.
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