When it comes to anniversaries, turning half a century is a big deal. It’s therefore no surprise to see Zenith dedicate 2019 to celebrating 50 years of its El Primero caliber, which has been a gold standard of chronometric timekeeping in the industry since its introduction in 1969. And there is no better way to celebrate a legendary movement than by re-creating a faithful adaptation of the first watch to ever house the El Primero movement : the A384. Marking the last piece to join Zenith’s El Primero 50th Anniversary Revival series, the A384 Revival remains aesthetically faithful to the original A384 watch : the compact, angled tonneau-shaped steel case, the vintage-style pushers and crown ; the lacquered white dials with black counters creating a panda-type layout. Back in the 70s, the A384’s design was considered futuristic, and while today the A384 Revival is technically “vintage”, this historical recreation of the 1969 watch still holds a certain contemporary appeal. So accurate is this Revival model that the only updates this piece features are the domed sapphire-crystal instead of acrylic glass, a transparent sapphire crystal caseback, and the fact that it houses the El Primero 400 Automatic caliber (ostensibly a fine-tuned grandchild of the original El Primero movement). Everything else remains true to the original 1969 model – a true celebration of an important milestone for Zenith.

El Primero A384 Revival

CASE : stainless steel SIZE : 37mm MOVEMENT : El Primero 400 Automatic caliber, 5Hz frequency, 50-hour power reserve FUNCTIONS : Hours, minutes, small seconds, 12-hour counter, 30-minute counter, tachymeter scale, date DIAL : white-lacquered dial with black counters with rhodium-plated hour markers coated in Super-LumiNova STRAP : black alligator strap or ladder bracelet