ZENITH CHRONOMASTER SPORT

22nd January 2021

The new era of the Zenith Chronomaster has just begun. The Chronomaster line has been one of the most emblematic chronograph collections of the 21st century; steeped in Zenith’s tradition of making exceptional, standard-setting automatic chronographs. Now, the all-new Chronomaster Sport launches an entirely redesigned aesthetic accompanied by an evolution of the coveted El Primero calibre.

Pushing the boundaries of high-frequency precision, the Chronomaster Sport is the culmination in Zenith’s unequalled legacy of automatic chronographs. While the legendary El Primero A386 serves as the foundation for the Chonomaster Sport, design elements from other notable Zenith chronographs have been reinterpreted, including the pre-El Primero A277 with its black bezel and dot markers, the El Primero Rainbow with its polished bezel engraved with a tachymetric scale, the polished and satin-brushed bracelet of the El Primero De Luca. These are just some of the details that have been drawn from Zenith’s illustrious heritage of chronographs through the decades.

A legend is born again: Zenith is bringing back one of the earliest and most emblematic El Primero-equipped chronographs from the earliest days of the revolutionary calibre in the form of a Chronomaster Revival model.

1969 was certainly a year to remember for Zenith and would go down in the annals of watchmaking history as the year that forever changed the chronograph. It was the year that the Zenith El Primero, the world’s first automatic high-frequency chronograph, was unveiled to the world. It made its debut in three distinct stainless steel models. Among them was the A385, a tonneau-shaped steel chronograph with an eye-catching brown gradient dial, which was the first “smoked” dial ever to be made in the watch industry and for Zenith.

After over 50 years, the time has come for the A385 to make its return in the form of a Chronomaster Revival model. What made the A385 truly stand was its smoked brown gradient dial with a vignette effect that blackens towards the edges and provides a striking sense of visual depth, as if the dial was domed. For this Chronomaster Revival piece, Zenith sought to recreate the same warm tones and gradient effect, almost indistinguishable from the original with its red chronograph central second hand and silvery-white chronograph counters.

Keeping with the retro theme, the Chronomaster Revival A385 is available in two options that could have come straight from 1969: The first is the steel “ladder” bracelet, a modern remake of the Gay Frères bracelets that became emblematic of the early El Primero watches. The second option is a light brown calf leather strap that will develop a unique patina with wear and time.

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