REVOLUTION_International_Vol 54

Reading the Shark’s Tooth
The chronograph seconds display of the
A3818 and our revival model is stylized
A LITTLE HISTORY
The El Primero movement is an icon in itself and has been
in production for more than 50 years. Launched in 1969,
it is the result of seven years of hard work from the Zenith
watchmakers who set out to create the first fully integrated
automatic chronograph movement. The more convenient
option would have been to simply add a module to a base
movement, but Zenith’s plan was far more ambitious and
contained additional requirements, making the project
even more challenging. The main requirement, of course,
being the high-beating frequency of the caliber, allowing
the chronograph function to measure time accurate to
1/10th of a second.
It is always good to remember that the El Primero
movement almost disappeared at the end of the 1970s
when management at Zenith Radio Corporation, the
American parent company of the brand at the time,
lost faith in mechanical watches and decided to limit
its production to quartz timepieces only. This led to
the order to destroy or sell the metal of the presses and
tools associated with building mechanical movements.
One watchmaker, Charles Vermot, a specialist in
chronograph movement construction who had followed the
construction of the El Primero caliber since its first sketches,
rebelled against his management’s orders and took it upon
himself to secretly stash the tools, machinery, blueprints
and components inside the manufacture’s attic where they
sat hidden away until the Zenith watch company changed
ownership and decided to embark on a journey to relaunch
the production of the famous El Primero movement.
2019 wasn’t only about celebrating the golden jubilee
of Zenith’s almighty caliber, but it was also a period of
ascension for Zenith to become one of the most exciting,
relevant and energized watch brands in the industry.
Beginning with the reintroduction of the hallowed Ref.
A384, the watch that started it all back in 1969, this was
followed by a salvo of contemporary watchmaking’s
most enthralling special editions, including a timepiece
dubbed “The Edge of Space” made in collaboration with
George Bamford and Mr. Porter, a limited series of Ref.
A386 watches in precious metals, as well as an amazing
pièce unique Ref. A386 in platinum with a lapis lazuli dial
created in collaboration with Bacs & Russo, which raised
CHF200,000 for charity.
The Zenith
×Revolution
Chronomaster
Revival A3818
“Cover Girl” and the
book Zenith: Swiss
Watch Manufacture
Since 1865 are
both now available
on Revolution’s
e-shop, at shop.
revolution.watch.
80 THE MODERNIST