This specific watch, the A386, is not only highly collectable and sought-after, but it has also been a source of profound inspiration for Zenith over the years. Zenith El Primero A386, with classic tri-colour dial – Photo by Hodinkee Shop This trilogy comprises the A384, a tonneau-shaped panda-dial model, the A385, featuring the same case but with an original gradient brown dial (possibly the first of its kind) and the A386, the most classic of the three models, with a round case but also the watch that first showed the signature tri-colour sub-counters, something that has become a hallmark of Zenith. If the Chronomaster Sport is a modern and sporty watch that is often discribe as the best possible alternative to the Daytona, the Zenith Chronomaster Original is the closest you can get to the watch that started it all at Zenith in the late 1960s, a watch that was part of a trilogy equipped with the El Primero automatic chronograph movement, and the most famous of all three, the reference A386. The latter is the base for a new, online-exclusive edition that pays tribute to another emblematic feature, the tri-colour dial, with the Zenith Chronomaster Original E-commerce – which we’ll show in this hands-on article and that will be explained in a video with the brand’s product development and heritage director, Romain Marietta. And this year, Zenith has been working hard in keeping this spirit alive, focusing all its resources on the Chronomaster collection first by launching the Chronomaster Sport, a sporty and contemporary chronograph then by releasing the Chronomaster Original, a watch that reinterprets the iconic A386 steel El Primero reference from 1969, with faithful design and upgraded mechanics. Let's not forget that its display makes it special in the segment of manufacture chronographs and that when the pusher is engaged, a kind of magic operates.Zenith and the chronograph complication is a long-lasting love story, the epitome of this connection dating back to 1969, when the Le Locle-based brand released one of the earliest automatic chronographs, the emblematic El Primero calibre. In any case, they are excellent watches animated by a new generation El Primero caliber, reliable, precise and performing. It depends on what you are looking for but it is clear that the Chronomaster Sport renews the genre more than the Chronomaster Original which, as its name indicates, remains very faithful to the 1969 watch. Its water resistance is 100 metres whereas it is only 50 metres with the Chronomaster Original. On the other hand, the Chronomaster Sport is bigger, more dynamic and its black ceramic bezel gives it a more contemporary and casual look. I personally have a slight preference for the Chronomaster Original whose elegance and more traditional aesthetics suit me well. The question is to know which is the most relevant watch to take advantage of the performances of the El Prime 3600 calibre. There is a price difference of 900 euros compared to the Chronomaster Sport. The price is thus in the usual range practiced by Zenith and close to the Revival models. Remember that the chronograph second hand makes one complete revolution in 10 seconds, not 60: It is important to refer to the correct scales and not to use the scale between the indexes for the chronograph function. However, it is important not to lose the reflex of observing the other second hand of the chronograph to determine the exact measured time. A high frequency calibre without an adapted display is a bit vain and this 10 second scale is very practical. In any case, the performances of the movement are there with a power reserve of 60 hours for a frequency of 5hz and especially this capacity to make a turn of the dial in 10 seconds which considerably improves the reading precision. I would have liked, for example, to see a slight contrast between the winding mass and the rest of the movement. Its finishing is correct and neat but as often with Zenith, it is more the architecture of the movement that is pleasant to observe than the decorative finishing as such. I think it has a nice depth effect, it offers a very technical and complex rendering and the fact that it is more airy and open reinforces its perceived quality. I really like the presentation of this movement. The El Primero 3600 calibre is visible through the transparent back.
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