PW Project Watch

Zenith El Primero has been a legend for all watch connoisseurs since its beginning. It was the first integrated automatic chronograph with mechanical machining and prestige finishes in history. Thanks to the high frequency that divides the second into ten equal parts and guarantees a running accuracy with a maximum deviation of +6/-4 seconds per day according to the COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) parameters, this gauge is very precise in measuring time. On my Chronomaster Original Reverse Panda I measured a daily deviation of +3 seconds.

Even today, more than 50 years later, enthusiasts recognise in the calibre El Primero and consequently in all equipped watches, a cornerstone of watchmaking.

In 1962 the project of the El Primero movement was created. Zenith’s goal was to make an iconic watch, the first wrist chronograph with an integrated automatic mechanism in history to celebrate the Maison’s centenary, which would be held in 1965. The project was so ambitious that they managed to complete it in 1969, 4 years after the set date.

The calibre 3019PHC was officially presented on January 10 of that year in Switzerland in Neuchatel and later, on March 8, 1969, at an international watchmaking exhibition in Madrid. On this occasion, being the first automatic movement with integrated chronograph was baptised El Primero.

Zenith’s century-old history, characterised by over 2,000 prizes in the competitions of the Astronomical Observers, enriches the value of owning an El Primero, it is no coincidence that several watch companies have used the calibre 3019PHC including Rolex for the Daytona model, but making the variation of 28,800 alternations, or the second is broken down into eight equal parts, instead of the original 36,000 that divides the second into two tenths.

The troubled history of Zenith, followed by several changes of management, creates a veil of mystery. Many documents were in fact destroyed in 1975 when Zenith was in the hands of the homonymous American company Zenith Radio. Had it not been for some workers, in particular Charles Vermot, the El Primero movement would have been lost.

In the years Zenith has proposed several versions of El Primero, in particular Espada, Defy, Port Royal, Rainbow, De Luca lines. The wide variety of models allows you to choose the watch that best meets the taste of the fan.

There is a debate about what the first automatic chronograph was; some argue that the Seiko 6139 was the first because it was marketed earlier than Zenith which made it available to the public only in October 69. 

Others claim that the first chronograph was the Chronomatic with the calibre 11 which debuted on March 3 of the same year and which was designed by the union of 4 Swiss companies (Breitling, Heuer, Dubois Depraz and Büren). Despite the validity of the project, the calibre 11 was nothing more than the coupling of 2 separate modules, that of a single time and that of a chronograph.

It can be said that despite the fact that Seiko and the consortium of the 4 Swiss companies have developed respectable automatic chronographs, the Zenith El Primero calibre, thanks to the high frequency technology and the quality of the finishes, was ahead of the others.

An El Primero movement is the result of 9 months of work by 33 master watchmakers, who carry out no less than 2,500 complex operations and the use of 18 types of metal for the classic version.

Today, Zenith’s flagship models are part of the Chronomaster line, in Original, Sport and Revival versions. In particular, Zenith, in recent years, through the Revival line, has re-proposed the most representative models of the past, thus allowing everyone to enjoy the design and charm of the first El Primero chronographs but with the solidity and innovation of new modern processing techniques. These reinterpretations are still icons desired by all enthusiasts, such as the A386 and A3817 models, to name a few.

Chronomaster models with 3600 calibre are more affordable for everyone because of their more affordable maintenance costs, they have list prices around € 10,000.

All these models are equipped with the latest Zenith calibre, the El Primero 3600 movement, which is nothing more than the evolution of the original calibre. El Primero 3600 oscillates at the extraordinary frequency of 5 Hz, with a reading accuracy of 1/10 of a second. For greater efficiency, the power reserve has been extended to 60 hours.

From the 1969 year of its inception to today the calibre 3019 PHC has undergone a technical innovation. Today, the El Primero collection is characterised by numerous highly complex models with various unpublished functions.

The animated chronographs of the calibre El Primero 21, a movement with extraordinary reading accuracy equal to 1/100 of a second, are an example of this. El Primero 21 is equipped with two regulating organs and two exhausts that oscillate at the frequency of 5 Hz (36,000 hz) for timekeeping and 50 Hz (360,000 hz) for the chronograph function.

El Primero 9020 and 8812 SK calibres are another demostration of high watchmaking.

El Primero 9020 is an automatic chronograph movement equipped with two tourbillons working at the incredible speed of 5 hz (36,000 hz) for the base movement (hours, minutes, seconds) and 50 hz (360,000 hz) for the chronographic part. The chronograph function with extraordinary accuracy of 1/100 of a second makes a full rotation in just 6 seconds, while the timekeeping makes a full turn every exact minute. The chronographic part has a power reserve of 60 hours and 50 hours for timekeeping.

El Primero 8812 SK is a hand-wound movement that oscillates at 5 Hz and features a 50-hour power reserve. Inspired by the gimbal system of the navy’s chronometers, this gauge is self-adjusted by the gyroscopic module ‘Gravity Control’ and designed to counteract the effects of gravity by keeping the regulating organ and balance in a horizontal position. This spherical system consisting of 139 tiny components has been entirely redesigned and optimised to be more efficient despite its small size.

What increases the charm of the El Primero watches is their rarity; it is not easy to find the first specimens, those of the late 60s, either because it has been almost 50 years, or because only a few pieces of each model were produced. In fact, Zenith has always produced small numbers of El Primero models. There are references from the 70s, of only 50 specimens, mostly gold references, but even steel models never exceeded 4,000 pieces. Zenith’s production is still limited to about 23,000 pieces per year. If compared to other watchmakers this number is definitely contained. If we consider that only part of the production is intended for chronographs, we can understand the exclusivity of the product and the excellent value for money.

Whoever owns an El Primero, is an enthusiast, who knows its value, and therefore is someone who, is not interested in depriving it. Without a doubt, Zenith with El Primero has won a place of importance in the world of watchmaking.