As avid students of wristwatch history are aware, Zenith launched its legendary El Primero chronograph movement in 1969, which of course counts as perhaps the most significant anniversary in the wristwatch universe this year. We’ve been wondering for many months how Zenith would mark this horological milestone, and the answer (or perhaps, the first part of the answer; Baselworld 2019 is still on the horizon) was revealed in Geneva in January, with the unveiling of a new set of three limited-edition models in a special carrying case that embody the past, present, and future of the El Primero.
The Zenith El Primero 50th Anniversary set is limited to 50 pieces.
The Past: The first of the anniversary trio is a faithful re-creation of the original El Primero watch from that seminal year of 1969 ? representing, believe it or not, the first time Zenith has offered a modern timepiece that hews so closely to its record-breaking ancestor. (El Primero, of course, means “The First” in Spanish, and the movement in that watch was “The First” to offer a high balance frequency of 36,000 vph, meaning times could be measured to the nearest 1/10 second, and “The First” with both an integrated column-wheel construction and a then-unprecedented 50-hour power reserve. It was also, of course, one of the very first self-winding chronograph movements in a wristwatch, sharing that distinction with a handful of other pioneering watchmakers; for more details, ...