NEW GENERATION

A limited series of Chronomaster chronographs inaugurates the automatic El Primero caliber which has been totally redesigned by the Locle watchmakers to celebrate its jubilee.

50 years old and still at the cutting edge of performance. The El Primero caliber first issued back in 1969 pursues its route in chronometry. But that’s no reason for Zenith to rest on its laurels. Quite the contrary actually! Given that the firm has unveiled a state-of-the-art enhanced version known as El Primero 3600. This automatic movement which is still set at 36,000 vibrations an hour hosts an integrated construction with a lateral clutch, column wheel and ball bearing-mounted central rotor. Its development was optimized using a performance algorithm. And, the result? The power reserve is extended and now offers a minimum of 60 hours. The caliber now features a stop-seconds device for setting time precisely.

To celebrate this event, two 250-piece limited chronograph series have been produced. Both are complemented by an alligator strap in the same shade as the bezel, set off with a folding clasp.

Price: CHF9,900 zenith.com

By Dan Diaconu