Personally, I would have preferred that Zenith maintain their regular Chronomaster bracelet, especially given the numerous likenesses better earned on the watch. The bracelet has polished centre links, and will also remind many of the Oyster bracelet, with its polished centre band on the deployant and raised Zenith star on the folding clasp. This contrasts nicely with the mirror polished chamfering and mirror polished case sides. Note the very slight concaving of this centre link that makes the light bend. The polishing work on the watch and bracelet is par excellence – and it continues to the case, where we have satin polishing to the top of the lugs, and to the centre link of the integrated bracelet. Whether it’s a high-polished slope of an index, or a flaked side of the Zenith star, there’s always some play happening with the light around you. No matter which angle you glance at it from, you will get a reflection back. On the wrist, the first thing you’ll notice is how well finished and how finely faceted this watch is. It’s amazing what a difference this move has made – my reaction at first look was, oh man, why didn’t I think of that! Bravo to the Zenith team for this masterstroke hiding in plain sight. It’s crafted from ceramic, which is rapidly becoming the material of choice for this buffeted part of the wristwatch, so chosen for its ability to resist scratches and take hard knocks without marking. However, returning to the aesthetics, the game changer for many is a much more humble and static component – the bezel. 10 seconds are marked on the bezel along with the text ‘1/10th of a second’, which is a distinctive feature that Zenith are claiming to be yet another first. The hero of the show of course is the chronograph hand that counts 10ths of a second – and 10 seconds in a full rotation of the dial. Any sticklers for subdial symmetry will be delighted by the running seconds and second counter at 3 and 9 sharing identical dial layouts, with the anthracite minute counter positioned perfectly between the two at 6.Ĭoloured subdials are a design code that have always differentiated the El Primero, and here – on the bone white dial, they create quite a visual treat, especially with the chronograph activated and three of the counters perceptibly moving. The second counter at three is a petrol shade of blue / grey, at the minute counter at 6 it’s anthracite and at 9 for the running seconds, it’s silver. Unless you’re describing a mardi gras panda, because the three applied dials at a closer look are not black, or white, but multi-coloured. If we start with aesthetics and the dial, firstly, this ain’t no panda – or reverse panda if we’re talking about the black dial. Of course at closer inspection, many differences emerge, both aesthetically and mechanically. In both its black and white dial variations, this new Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Sport looks at a glance very much like what is probably the most popular and coveted chronograph on the market and for all time, the Rolex Daytona reference 116500LN, which is by and large unattainable at its retail price. Because, if you’re a watch lover with more than a passing knowledge of popular current designs, it’s likely n the black ceramic bezel with etched scale on this model has drawn a likeness that is hard to ignore. Even 19 years after its release in 1969, the movement was so reliable, robust and well regarded that it made its way into the Rolex Daytona for a period of 12 years, from 1988 to 2000.Īnd this is where we start our tale, proper. The second is the El Primero’s fame as a movement alone. One, as a watch that deserves to be called iconic even amongst the most towering icons, and that holds various important claims in the pantheon of 20th Century watchmaking, including, but not limited to the first fully integrated, Swiss made, self-winding automatic chronograph, hence the name, El Primero. The Zenith El Primero is famous for two reasons. There’s some pretty nifty mechanical trickery going on with the new 10th of a second caliber, too, but we will get to this once the initial impression wears off, and is – in my opinion – thoroughly justified. And now, Zenith is taking that debt back with a black ceramic bezel twist that dawns a new era and a new name, in the Zenith Chronomaster Sport. This all happened when I was merely 12 years old, in 1988. A modified version of the El Primero movement powered the Daytona for 12 years, and marked the first automatic Daytona models. Ok, here’s a fact: The Rolex Daytona owes a debt to the Zenith El Primero.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |