To mark the 50th anniversary of its iconic El Primero movement, in January 2019 Zenith introduced a superb and rare set of three watches (with a 4th to be presented), representing the past, present, and future of this calibre. The steel version of the Zenith El Primero A386 revival, found in the 50th-anniversary set. Read our in-depth article about the El Primero here. The movement would soon become the backbone of the brand’s collections and is now used in an array of watches. Thus, during the early 1980s, Zenith was able to resume the production of El Primero without having to redevelop tooling. Fortunately, the technology was saved from extinction thanks to an act of disobedience when Charles Vermot decided to safeguard the tools necessary for the manufacture of El Primero. The story was abruptly interrupted when Zenith changed hands and the owner decided to cease production of mechanical movements. It was also equipped with a column wheel and a horizontal clutch. This 5Hz or 36,000 vibrations per hour frequency was a relevant choice for a chronograph that intended to measure elapsed times with maximum precision. It was one of the very few movements of its era to beat at a high-frequency. Technically speaking, the 1969 El Primero was an advanced calibre. Zenith was, therefore, the first manufacturer to publicly launch its own automatic chronograph. On January 10th 1969, Zenith hosted a press conference in Le Locle and announced the birth of the El Primero automatic calibre.

Part of a trilogy of automatic chronograph calibres that hit the market in 1969, it is the only one that is still produced to date. The El Primero is extremely important for Zenith, a pillar of the brand’s identity. Aware of the buzz surrounding this piece, Zenith comes to Baselworld 2019 with three new (very) limited editions of the El Primero A386 Revival… in three different gold cases.

For the occasion, Zenith offered a very limited set of three watches, which included an ultra-faithful steel re-edition of the first watch to be equipped with this movement, the El Primero A386. The El Primero (as indicated by its name) was the first automatic chronograph to be unveiled, back in 1969.

For once, the celebration was more about the importance of the movement than the watches. Zenith kicked off 2019 in a superb manner celebrating the 50th anniversary of its iconic chronograph movement, the El Primero.

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