![]() First, it won the race to become the first fully integrated, high-frequency, automatic chronograph movement. The movement is iconic for a variety of reasons. “It is a watch that was a bit ahead of its time and features a fantastic galvanic blue dial with satin brushed finishings, while also combining two scales in the flange (tachymeter and pulsometer) and the “shark tooth” scale for the minuterie, which was an exceptional combination in the 1970s.” Marietta and Revolution’s Wei Koh wanted to stay true to the DNA of the first A3818. Another must-have was the beautiful blue color of the dial, a feature that prompted Manfred Rössler to select the timepiece for his popular book Zenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture since 1865 and earned the “Cover Girl” nickname for the model.Īlso present is the highly recognizable “shark tooth” stepped racking track, demarcated by uneven radial lines that highlight the El Primero movement’s accuracy and precision to 1/10th of a second. They kept the tonneau-esque shape which was designed for its comfort as it wrapped along and around the wrist. The designers wanted to embrace the elements of shape and color that are so iconic in the original A3818. ![]() Of the three movements that were released that year, only the El Primero was high-beat, offering significant added accuracy.The Airweght Cover Girl is the evolution of last year’s Chronomaster Revival A3818 “Cover Girl” collaboration between Zenith and Revolution, and the focus was on updated materials and true-to-the-original styling. But while the Calibre 11 found its way into a slew of watches, Zenith made their El Primero movements available to only a handful of other manufactures.Īnd for good reason. The advent of the automatic chronograph was a huge technological feat and it changed the face of the industry, opening the door for many companies to offer their own models. The El Primero was high-beat automatic chronograph movement that debuted in 1969, challenging Seiko's Reference 6139 and Project 99's Calibre 11 for the title of world's first automatic chronograph. But it also marshaled the growing body of watch enthusiasts, urging them to look back at the history of the movement and the pieces produced around the legendary movement. The piece was a success in it's own right and got a lot of attention in industry publications. But a few year ago, Zenith brought those words back into the fore with the release of their heritage piece, the El Primero Striking Tenth chronograph. Best of all, it comes fitted to a Gay Freres 'ladder' bracelet with correct (and virtually unobtanium) ZKM end links.įor many years, the words El Primero held little meaning outside of high-intensity watch enthusiast and collectors groups. This particular example is in untouched, unpolished condition with a lightly patinated dial featuring richly aged luminous indices and hands. Powered by the legendary Calibre 3019 El Primero automatic chronograph movement, this is one of the rarest and most desirable executions from the 1970s. The Reference A3818 features the same tonneau shaped case as popular the A384/A385 models (the former of which was just reissued for 2019), but is fitted with a brilliant sunburst blue dial with exotic chapter ring that positively jumps off the wrist. The Reference A3818 is known as the 'Cover Girl' simply because it was featured as the cover image of Manfred Rössler's brilliant book, Zenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865. The histories behind 'nicknamed' watches is sometimes pretty unusual and obscure.and other times, its pretty much right on the nose.
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