Zenith celebrated an important milestone last year when the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph movement, the El Primero calibre, turned fifty. Following the introduction of the calibre in 1969, a trilogy of watches was released bearing the winning chronograph movement. One of these was the famous reference A384. With its tonneau-shaped case and panda dial, […]
Zenith dresses its hyper-high-frequency Defy 21 chronograph in sharp black & white attire. Available from today, the latest model to join the Defy 21 family can only be bought in Zenith boutiques and through its online retail platform. Zenith’s answer to the El Primero chronograph for the 21st century, the Defy 21 offers breakneck speed […]
London-based Bamford Watch Department, officially authorized to customize watches from brands like Tag Heuer, Zenith and Bvlgari, and Swedish industrial jewellery designer Black Badger have again teamed up for a futuristic Zenith El Primero limited edition. Following up on their limited TAG Heuer Carrera with a coffee dial (also together with Badgerworks), the focus has now shifted to the case. Both the design and materials are as unusual as it gets, using a blend of metals, acid and combined design prowess to create the Bamford Watch Department X Black Badger Zenith El Primero Superconductor.
No one can overlook the importance of the El Primero – both the movement and the watch – when it comes to chronographs. In 1969, the El Primero was one of the first automatic chronographs to be launched. And, in addition to that, the watch fitted with it, the Zenith A386, was very good looking. […]
Beyond the classical black and silver, colours are trendier than ever in watchmaking. Blue, salmon or even green have been widely used by watch brands to dynamise their timepieces. One colour remains, however, rarely applied to horology: violet. Being the visible colour with the highest frequency (according to the concept of perceivable light), violet proved […]
At first, you might think that this new watch is a vintage re-edition of the iconic 1969 El Primero A386 – which it is, and that’s already quite something, as this one is stainless steel. But this watch is actually much more. First of all, it will be the final version of the A386 available […]
Black has a weird attraction. Black is timeless and classic. Black can be discreet or bold. And the watchmaking industry knows it as blacked-out watches are highly popular and widely available today, but not all models wear black as well as others. Today, we’ve listed some of the best recently launched black watches, versatile pieces […]
The chronograph, one of our favourite features and one of the most complex types of movement around, continues to be one of the most popular and practical complications. Chronographs can be started, stopped and reset to measure short (or longer) intervals of time. Over the years, these were adapted and rethought into specialized tools. Being […]
Part of the first automatic chronograph calibres to hit the market back in 1969, the Zenith El Primero is still regarded as one of the best and most accurate chronograph movements ever created. Back then, a trilogy of El Primero-powered watches was launched: the A384, A385 and A386. In the frame of the celebration of […]
The Elite Classic represents Zenith’s vision of the elegant dress watch. Being the less famous sibling of the El Primero movement, it was long overlooked. But earlier this year, the brand from Le Locle revealed its completely revamped take on the Elite. It was received with praise. As I happen to own the previous generation […]