While the original didn’t have a display back, this concession to modernity isn’t a bad one since it is arguably this movement, rather than anything else, which defines Zenith. The El Primero 400 with its characteristic 36,000 beats per hour (or 5Hz) frequency is visible through the display back. That being said, the weight of the font for the logo is slightly heavier than the original, though it is hardly apparent unless you look really hard. Zenith also replicated the font for all the markings on the dial, from the tachymetre to the logo at six o’clock. Similarly, the hands and hour markers are replicas of the original, albeit in the same colour as the gold watch case. The dials are, naturally, the trademark Zenith “tricolour”, with the sub-dials in grey and blue, just as it was on the original A386. In fact, the historical accuracy extends to the point where the lugs meet the bezel it is flush as it was on the “Mark I” A386, whereas on the subsequent “Mark II” and later a small step separates the two. That holds true for the pump-style pushers and lugs, which share the exact same measurements as the original.

And it also has a domed sapphire crystal, replacing the acrylic on the original, which is a typical upgrade in today’s remakes.Īccording to Zenith, a reverse engineering process was used to execute the recreating, with each component scanned and modelled digitally so as to ensure strict adherence in dimensions. The watch case is a near exact copy of the original A386 case, with the same profile, details and 38mm diameter, except for the addition of an open case back and the Zenith star on the crown (instead of the older, four pointed Zenith logo that resembles the NATO emblem). Zenith kicked off the 50th anniversary of the seminal El Primero in January by rolling out a box set that pays tribute to the past, present and future of the chronograph movement.Īt Baselworld 2019 the commemorative editions continued with the El Primero A386 Revival, three remakes of the very first El Primero-equipped watch, in white, rose and yellow gold. Specifically the watches are remakes of the A386 “Mark I”, and faithful in such detail that will please fans of the original.

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