Zenith exists to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams and make them come true – against all odds. The Chronomaster A385 is available at Zenith Boutiques and online shop, as well as at authorized retailers around the world. With its historically correct proportions, striking dial and unwavering El Primero performance, the Chronomaster Revival A385 is a welcome addition to the Chronomaster lineup by those who appreciate the timeless look and feel of this exceptional chronograph. The second option is a light brown calf leather strap that will develop a unique patina with wear and time. Keeping with the retro theme, the Chronomaster Revival A385 is available in two options that could have come straight from 1969: The first is the steel “ladder” bracelet, a modern remake of the Gay Frères bracelets that became emblematic of the early El Primero watches. For this Chronomaster Revival piece, Zenith sought to recreate the same warm tones and gradient effect, almost indistinguishable from the original with its red chronograph central second hand and silvery-white chronograph counters. This is horological history embodied.What made the A385 truly stand was its smoked brown gradient dial with a vignette effect that blackens towards the edges and provides a striking sense of visual depth, as if the dial was domed. Also available on a brown leather strap, the A385 is an almost perfect reproduction of the 1969 model. Why mess with perfection? Radial brushing on the case gives the A385 a brilliant look and blends effortlessly with the ladder steel bracelet with its hollowed links that provide a deceptively airy feel on the wrist. Prominent pushers stick out to control the El Primero movement – nearly unchanged in 52 years. Whereas the A384’s panda dial bridges the gap between vintage and modern, the A385’s warm, gradient brown dial and white subdials combine for an unmistakably traditional appearance. With its uncommon 37mm case size and tonneau shape, the Zenith A385 matches its recently reissued cousin, the A384. Viewed now, few watches look as “sixties” as the El Primero and today’s reissue – the Zenith El Primero A385 – adheres to many of the design principles that made the original so iconic. Engineering mastery aside, the El Primero was also a touchstone of the times.
The El Primero movement from Zenith was arguably the most technically innovative of the bunch thanks to its column-wheel architecture and incredible 36,000 oscillations/hr operating frequency. Generating spring tension via the motion of a rotor spun by the wrist’s natural movement, automatics were as much a leap forward from hand-wound mechanical movements as watches were from clocks or – for that matter – clocks from sundials. It was in that year that not one, but three watch companies – Zenith, Seiko, and a consortium of Heuer/Breitling/Hamilton/Dépraz – introduced the world’s first automatic movements. Turning the clock back to 1969 reveals the heart of modern watch making.
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