It was enthusiastically agreed that the timing was perfect to complete the black chronograph project that had begun almost 50 years ago. For the team, surely this couldn’t be a coincidence, but fate calling. There among the countless artefacts was a box and in it, the original prototype of the black chronograph that hadn’t been seen by anyone since the early 1970’s. As Zenith began celebrating the 50th anniversary of the seminal El Primero chronograph calibre, the team at the manufacture began to go through the secret walled-off attic where Charles Vermot had once hidden all the plans and parts necessary to produce the El Primero movement. Many watchmakers and longtime employees of Zenith had heard of and even seen one of the rare prototypes, even though official records about this piece are extremely scarce.įast-forward to 2019. Only a handful of this spectral prototype was made, but the model was never officially produced or commercialized. As the legend goes, in 1970, not long after Zenith debuted the groundbreaking El Primero calibre, the manufacture had produced a prototype of a manual-winding chronograph, housed in a blackened steel case – a rarity for the time. Its existence has eluded collectors and Zenith collaborators alike for decades. Now, Zenith has reinterpreted this prototype, refining it to suit modern tastes and equipping it with the iconic El Primero self-winding chronograph movement.Ī timepiece shrouded in mystery. Unusually, this watch housed a hand-wound chronograph movement within a blackened steel case. The Zenith Chronomaster Revival ‘Shadow’ is based on a prototype model of 1970. This now-legendary calibre disappeared from view during the so-called quartz crisis of the 1970s, but thankfully returned to prominence when the public rediscovered the charms of mechanical watches. In 1969 it released the El Primero, a self-winding chronograph movement. Zenith was founded in 1865 and operates from period buildings. The streets and buildings were designed to harness maximum natural light, an essential requirement for watchmakers. Indeed, Le Locle and the nearby town of La Chaux-de-Fonds are UNESCO World Heritage Centres. The Zenith Manufacture is based in Le Locle, an area synonymous with watchmaking. At the heart of the watch is the iconic El Primero movement, a calibre much loved by purists. It's based on the original 1970 A384 Zenith Shadow.The Zenith Chronomaster Revival ‘Shadow’ reinterprets a prototype model of 1970, refining it to suit modern tastes. This Zenith Chronomaster Shadow El Primero Revival 97.T384.4061/21.C822 was introduced in 2020. It has a silicon escape wheel and lever, and the mechanism oscillates at a frequency of 36,000 vph (5 Hz). It's rhodium plated and it's constructed with 31 jewels, 282 components, blued screws, an anti-shock device, and a monometallic balance that's adjusted for temperature and 5 positions.
This Zenith Chronomaster Shadow El Primero Revival 97.T384.4061/21.C822 has a mechanical automatic self-winding Zenith El Primero caliber 4061 (base Zenith El Primero 400) column wheel chronograph movement.
#Zenith a384 shadow full
It's water resistant to 50 meters/165 feet, it has a 50-hour power reserve at full winding, and the 13mm thick case, dial, and movement are all signed.
There are three recessed two-tier grey subsidiary dials with luminous white Arabic numerals, markers, and indicator hands, including a constant running small seconds register at 9 o'clock, a 12-hour chronograph totalizer at 6 o'clock, and there is a 30-minute chronograph counter at the 3 o'clock position. It includes black fat baton hour and minute hands with luminous inserts and a luminous white center sweep second hand. The dial is black with applied faceted luminous rectangular hour markers around a grey perimeter 500 UPH tachymeter scale with luminous white Arabic numerals. The 37mm diameter barrel-shaped two-body solid case, curved faceted lugs, and curved flat bezel, are grey micro-blasted titanium.
#Zenith a384 shadow serial
It has a signed pull-out winding crown, round chronograph push buttons, and a screw down exhibition sapphire display crystal case back engraved with "EL PRIMERO – 50M – 97.T384.4061," and a serial number. It includes a "cordura effect" rubber strap with a matching titanium tang buckle and scratch resistant sapphire crystals (domed over the dial). This is a matte micro-blasted titanium Zenith Chronomaster Shadow El Primero Revival 97.T384.4061/21.C822.
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