Fifty years of El Primero

1969… Man’s first steps on the moon pushed the limits of space exploration ; the El Primero calibre pushed the limits of time measurement ! This first ultrathin, high-frequency integrated automatic chronograph caliber, presented by Zenith, revolutionized precision by offering tenth-of-a-second measurement. In the 1970s, the takeover of the company by the American company Zenith Radio Corporation and the quartz crisis could well have led to its loss, but the watchmaker Charles Vermot changed its destiny by hiding in an attic the presses and tools required to manufacture it. Thanks to him, production of this caliber resumed in 1984. In the 1990s, Chronomaster models incorporated the flyback function, then the first high-frequency tourbillon, before the world of precision experienced another revolution in 2017 with the Defy El Primero 21, capable of displaying and measuring time to one hundredth of a second ! To celebrate this half-century and continue its recent rejuvenation, Zenith is launching a 50-piece limited-edition anniversary set comprising three watches : El Primero A386 Revival (a faithful reissue of the 1969 El Primero chronograph), Chronomaster 2 El Primero and Defy El Primero 21. This distillation of history, retracing the technical and aesthetic evolution of El Primero, includes a free space intended to host the next challenge… one thousandth of a second ? Fifty years of El Primero