The full name for this watch is the Chronomaster Revival El Primero A385. This watch was initially set to be released in 2020, but now it is finally released. It is the last of the three of the watches from Zenith’s El Primero revival series. In 2019, both the A384 and the A386 have already been released as part of the revival collection.
The El Primero line of watches was initially released in 1969, they were the first automatic chronograph movements ever to be released (this is a bit debated as to who was really first to release an automatic chronograph movement). It marked a very important year and time for Zenith, as it set them apart from the rest of the competition. It is also considered one of the most accurate chronograph movements that has ever been created and is the only original movement that is still being produced to this date. There have been a few improvements made to the movement since its inception, but it still does not take away the incredible accomplishment for this legendary movement by Zenith. The movement was first introduced by these three models shown below.
Now onto the A385 revival model. Released on the 6th of January 2021, Zenith finally completes the last of three models to be revived. It has the exact same specifications in terms of case size as well as shape. Out of three watches that are released as part of this collection this is easily my favourite due to that beautiful dial. The dial has a smoky brown gradient colour, with the colour fading out towards the edges while being brighter in the centre. The dial itself stays completely identical to the original even to the placement of the date window.
There only changes on this watch compared to the original is that the original plexiglass was changed to a sapphire crystal. It also has an exhibition back with sapphire crystal to see the movement of the watch. It has the El Primero Calibre 400 movement which is a great movement as it is also one of the closest movements to the original. It comes with a power reserve of 50 hours with a water resistance of 50 metres. The watch is available on both a leather strap and a stainless-steel bracelet. The leather strap version is available for $7,900 while the stainless-steel bracelet version is available for $8,400. According to the product sheet by Zenith, the leather strap is a light brown alligator strap with protective rubber lining. Out of the three watches part of this series, this one is my clear favourite and would love to see it in person one day.
The El Primero movement is what set the path for Zenith to be what they are today, and we will continue to see a lot of watches released by them with this movement. While some people might question why not make a new movement and replace the El Primero. The history and just how legendary this movement is, I am more than happy with them just upgrading and adding more components or mechanisms to this movement than a new movement to replace the El Primero.
The Watchlist 