BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
The year 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the iconic Zenith El Primero chronograph movement and the brand celebrated the occasion in style by releasing some amazing vintage re-issues of the A-384 and A-386 references. For 2020, the revival game still seems to be going strong at Zenith, as the brand has released yet another modern re-issue of the A-386 reference, the Zenith Chronomaster Revival A386 Manufacture edition. Presented in a stainless-steel body along with a tri-color arrangement showing off three different hues of blue, this watch brings to life a long-forgotten prototype recently found at Zenith’s manufacture.
Featuring an overlapping tri-register layout the face of the new Zenith Chronomaster looks quite familiar at a glance. But look a little closer and you will notice that the three registers have been presented in three different shades of blue to give the watch a distinctive identity amidst other Chronomasters out there. As per the brand, the inspiration behind this unusual color combination came from previously unknown vintage prototypes that were recently discovered in the brand’s attic. Colorway aside, the rest of the dial is quite similar to what we saw on last year’s A-386 revival re-editions. So, you still have a nice silvery-white base with applied lume filled rectangular hour markers, a printed minute track, a date window tucked away between 4 and 5, a tachymeter scale, a paddle style red chronograph seconds hand, and a blocky hour and minute hands.
Like the dial, the case on the Chronomaster remains faithful to its 1969 inspiration in almost every way. Crafted from stainless steel, the case still measures 38mm in diameter, which combined with the 13mm thickness should translate into a very wearable experience on a variety of wrists. While the dimensions remain unchanged, there a few modern touches as well. For instance, the domed crystal on the front is now sapphire instead of plexiglass found on the original. Furthermore, there is a sapphire glass on the back as well and the case is water-resistant to 50 meters.
Powering the watch is the famous Zenith El Primero Caliber 400. A high beat column wheel-based chronograph movement, the Calibre 400 operates at a frequency of 5 Hz that translates into a super smooth sweep of the seconds hand. The movement offers a respectable power reserve of around 50 hours when fully wound. It has been nicely decorated and can be seen in action through the exhibition case back.
The new Zenith Chronomaster Revival A386 Manufacture edition would come attached to blue alligator strap and would retail for CHF 8,900. Thankfully this watch is not a limited edition and given the current global crisis, the watch would initially be available to purchase only through the brand’s website.
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