FANTASTIC TIME MACHINE
The manufacture based in le Locle breathes new life into one of its first automatic chronographs with this timepiece which has become a benchmark through its engineering and its innovative adornments.
Before floral designs and psychedelic colors exploded in the 1970s, hues which were much more in tune with nature reigned supreme in society around the end of the previous decade. Greens, browns and yellows would feature prominently on every creation, sporty and elegant alike. Zenith whisks us back to this inspirational period with its Chronomaster Revival A385. This edition, much more than a simple reinterpretation of the 1969 watch which hosted the mythical El Primero caliber, actually reproduces the original model’s adornments, except for the sapphire crystal, in the most meticulous way. The shapes and details, such as the tachymetric scale which encircles the minute tracker, stand proudly present. In addition to the feat of engineering this watch pulled off back in the day, it also stood out by proposing the first-ever dial in watchmaking to be decorated with a gradient effect. And, this is exactly what we have here. Beige Super-LumiNova®, perfectly matching the watch’s brown nuances, covers the hour and minute hands as well as the indexes.
Time data continues to be driven by the El Primero 400 caliber hosted in the 37 mm-diameter tonneau-shaped steel case. It drives time measurement ever-so accurately, performed with the help of piston-style pushers and which can be read via the centrally-positioned direct-drive and the two totalizers set at 6 o’clock and 3 o’clock. A small seconds at 9 o’clock and a date at 4:40 complete this data.
The Chronomaster Revival A385 is accompanied by two bracelets. One, a strap, is fashioned in light brown calfskin. The other is a re-edition of the “Gay frères” model, crafted in metal and attached by a double folding clasp.
Price: CHF7,900 (leather) – CHF8,400 (steel) zenith.com
By Dan Diaconu