When the star of the Zenith collections is laid bare
The Le Locle brand has reworked the El Primero Lightweight for the iconic El Primero 36.000 VpH.
Barely 2 years have passed since Zenith unveiled a watch designed using ultra-light hi-tech materials in the first half of 2014: the limited edition El Primero Lightweight (25 available). Not only is it featherweight (25% lighter than the classic model) but the watch also has a stunning black checkerboard on the ceramicised carbon and aluminium case with an openwork dial reminiscent of stylised metal lace featuring El Primero’s signature counters.
The star-logo brand has given this fabulous piece an update, in terms of design and mechanism at least. Presenting the El Primero 36.000 VpH, a characterful and relatively affordable watch with a chronograph measuring 1/10th of a second.
The 45mm steel case houses a legendary movement that you can see through the sapphire crystal back: the self-winding El Primero 400B calibre. It fuels the power reserve that lasts over 50 hours as well as the time, chronograph and date functions.
The carefully carved dial is rimmed by a gunmetal chapter ring bearing the tachymeter scale. It features the three famous overlapping counters in different colours. The silvery small seconds lies at 9 and the petrol blue minute counter at 3 stands next to the anthracite hour counter at 6. The date display has openwork numerals on a red background at 6. Three hands appear in the centre of the contemporary metallic embroidery: luminescent rhodium-plated hours and minutes and the scarlet-coated chronograph seconds hand with an openwork star-shape counterweight.
Price: 7,100 CHF zenith.com
By Sharmila Bertin