The Watch: Zenith released the El Primero in 1969, an automatic chronograph with an integrated column wheel running at 36,000 vph, fast enough for the central seconds hand to resolve a tenth of a second. In the mid 1970s the company's American owners ordered the movement discontinued and the tooling destroyed. Charles Vermot, a watchmaker at the Le Locle factory, carried the presses and cams up to the attic and walled them in. They came back down in 1984, and the caliber has been in continuous production since.
This is the Chronomaster in 38mm 18k rose gold. The dial is silver sunray with the tri-color registers the movement has carried since 1969, anthracite and blue and grey, with a tachymeter scale printed on the flange. The indexes are applied, the hands are faceted and filled with Super-LumiNova, and the central chronograph seconds hand is counterweighted with the Zenith star.
Inside is the El Primero cal. 400 B, 278 components, 31 jewels, 36,000 vph, roughly 50 hours of reserve, with running seconds, a 30 minute counter, a 12 hour counter, and a date.
This example comes with its box on a fresh Zenith strap.
Condition: Very good, light marks consistent with normal wear. See photos.
Includes: Watch and box. Fresh Zenith strap.
