The dial has a quite unconventional brown gradient finishing, paired with white sub-dials. The vintage proportions, at 37mm across and 12.6mm in height. The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385 has a distinctly shaped barrel – or tonneau-shaped case – something quite popular back in the day and perfectly fitting for a revival watch. But, for now, we’ll take the brand’s word for it. A dial that Zenith claims was the first of its kind, by the way, although this is something we’ve not managed to verify. The Chronomaster Revival A385 is a very close reissue of the original A385, as we’ve explained in our in-depth review, complete with a funky, smoky brown dial. The A385 reference was part of the trilogy of watches launched in 1969, with the A386 being the most classically styled one and obviously the most famous one of the three. One of the funkiest ones to date is the Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385. Quick Facts – 41mm diameter x 13.6mm height – stainless steel case (gold also available), brushed and polished – ceramic bezel – sapphire crystal on both sides – white or black dial with tri-colour overlapping sub-dials in blue, grey and silver –El Primero 3600, in-house – automatic, integrated high-frequency chronograph – column wheel and horizontal coupling – 35 jewels – 5Hz frequency – 60h power reserve – stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap – CHF 9,400 (rubber strap), CHF 9,900 (steel bracelet), CHF 19,900 (rose gold, leather strap) The Vintage One – Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385Īfter all those years of loyal service, the El Primero calibre lets Zenith honour it with a “throwback” watch, a fitting celebration of key models from the past.
The rose gold Chronomaster Sport has a sticker price of about double that. However handsome it may be, we would still go for the steel and white dial Chronomaster Sport as it comes closest to the spirit of the original El Primero A386 out of all available Chronomaster Sport models… The Zenith Chronomaster Sport is part of the permanent collection of Zenith and retails for CHF 9,400 on a rubber strap and CHF 9,900 on a steel bracelet. The dial can either be black or white, which is the best-looking one according to us.Ī couple of months after the initial launch of the Chronomaster Sport, Zenith introduced a more luxurious gold model. The manufacture calibre is packed in a modern, stainless steel case with a 41mm diameter, topped with a ceramic bezel in black.
When activated, the central chronograph seconds hand whizzes over the dial once every ten seconds, thanks to the movement’s 5Hz frequency, making full use of its 1/10th of a second capacities. The El Primero 3600 uses fewer components and modern materials for greater efficiency.
The Zenith Chronomaster Sport, like others in the collection, makes full use of the updated El Primero 3600 calibre, which was presented in 2019. While it maintains the overall look and feel of an early El Primero, with a very legible dial and signature overlapping chronograph and small seconds sub-dials in blue, grey, and silver, it adds some very sporty elements into the mix. The Zenith Chronomaster Sport is quite literally the most all-terrain of all the El Primero powered watches Zenith currently has on offer. Kicking off this Buying Guide is perhaps one of the best sports chronographs on today’s market. The All-rounder – Zenith Chronomaster Sport We’ve selected six watches introduced by Zenith this year that perfectly showcase the versatility of the El Primero. In 2021, the brand revamped almost entirely its collection, presenting multiple watches all paying tribute, in their own way, to the legend that is this calibre. And of course, a rarity then and now, it runs at a higher frequency for greater precision (36,000vph or 5Hz). The compact construction of Zenith’s El Primero uses a column wheel for a smoother operation of the chronograph, and a horizontal clutch to connect the timekeeping gear with the chronograph complication. That is until the year 1969, when not one but three movements were introduced to change the landscape of mechanical chronographs. The Zenith El Primero 1969 trilogy, with the A384, A385 and A386 watchesĪlthough chronograph wristwatches had been around for decades before the El Primero took to the stage, they have always relied on hand-wound movements. All the more reason to celebrate this legendary movement through six watches Zenith introduced in 2021, using the El Primero platform.
Zenith has logically embraced this calibre and uses it for a wide array of chronograph watches, ranging from true-to-the-original styles to more edgy and contemporary interpretations. The iconic powerhouse chronograph has stood the test of time, literally, and is more alive than ever. A name that is forever cemented in horological history for being the very first automatic chronograph movement to be presented to the public, all the way back in January 1969.