In fact, in 2019, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the El Primero, the brand released various “Revival” editions based on the A386, such as a rare steel model, a trilogy of gold watches and a manufacture edition with a tri-blue dial. It isn’t the first time that Zenith pays tribute to this watch. In fact, visually speaking, it is even closer to the original model than the previous 38mm Chronomaster was. This new 2021 Zenith Chronomaster Original pays tribute to the A386. But it was only for a few months since Zenith’s classic chronograph, now dubbed Chronomaster Original, is here to fill the gap. Earlier this year, however, Zenith discontinued this model, leaving space only for the Chronomaster Sport and its more modern approach to the El Primero concept. For years, the brand had a watch in its portfolio that could be regarded as a tribute to this vintage model, the classic 38mm Chronomaster with silver dial, tri-colour counters, bezel-less case and Calibre El Primero 400, the closest you could get to the original 1969 movement. This specific watch, the A386, is not only highly collectable and sought-after, but it has also been a source of profound inspiration for Zenith over the years. This trilogy comprises the A384, a tonneau-shaped panda-dial model, the A385, featuring the same case but with an original gradient brown dial (possibly the first of its kind) and the A386, the most classic of the three models, with a round case but also the watch that first showed the signature tri-colour sub-counters, something that has become a hallmark of Zenith. It is the most iconic model in the trilogy introduced in 1969, the three watches created by Zenith to feature its newly developed and innovative movement, the El Primero calibre, regarded as one of the earliest automatic chronograph movements. The name “A386” will certainly resonate in the mind of vintage watch lovers as one of the most emblematic models ever to be produced by the Le Locle-based manufacture.
Here is the Zenith Chronomaster Original, the revamped 38mm El Primero and the successor to the A386 watch. Indeed, the classic 38mm, bezel-less Chronomaster is back, with more modern mechanics and a powerful vintage-inspired design. But this slightly larger and more modern take on the El Primero wasn’t meant to be a replacement.
This very watch was, however, discontinued when the attractive Chronomaster Sport was introduced earlier this year. For long, the name Chronomaster has been associated at Zenith with an El Primero-powered (what else…) classic chronograph, without an external bezel, often with tri-colour sub-dials and available either in 42mm or in an even more desirable, historically relevant 38mm diameter, inspired by the legendary A386 model of 1969.
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