The term “El Primero” is Spanish for “the first.” Zenith’s El Primero caliber is considered the world’s first production-ready automatic chronograph movement. The balance wheel of the high-frequency, Swiss-made caliber oscillates at 36,000 vph, allowing time to be measured to the nearest 1/10th of a second. In select top models, such as the Defy series, the movement can achieve a precision of 1/100th of a second with a frequency of 360,000 vph. Zenith timepieces with the El Primero caliber are technical masterpieces for lovers of sophisticated movement technology. In this article, we’re presenting five interesting facts about the El Primero that you should know before buying.
1. The First High-Frequency Automatic Chronograph Caliber
In the late 1960s, chronographs were only available with manual calibers. The international watch industry sought to change this by introducing automatic winding mechanisms. At the time, there was serious competition to see who would be the first to debut such a caliber. The Japanese watch giant Seiko and the Chronomatic group went head-to-head with Zenith. The Chronomatic group was a merger between Breitling, Heuer, Hamilton-Büren, and Dubois-Dépraz. At the time, they specialized in the production of chronograph modules. However, while Zenith‘s challengers were experimenting with balance frequencies of 19,800 or 21,600 vph, which were more common at the time, Zenith opted for the higher frequency of 36,000 vph, which remains standard for the movement today. The first wristwatch with an El Primero was introduced in spring 1969 and bore the reference A384. The caliber 3019PHC set the pace in the watch. Over the past decades, Zenith has continuously developed the El Primero without changing its basic architecture. The main visual features are a dial with a subdial arrangement at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock and a date function, which in the vast majority of cases is positioned at 4:30. In some later versions, however, the date is placed at the 6 o’clock position for aesthetic reasons.
Important Generations & Caliber
The list of El Primero calibers presented since 1969 is long and could fill an entire book. Here are some of the more important variants in chronological order:
- 1st Generation (1969-1975): The very first El Primero bears the designation 3019PHC. Zenith used this caliber in the A386, A385, and A384 references, among others.
- 2nd Generation: In the 1980s and 1990s, Zenith reissued the movement under the name El Primero Caliber 400, based on the predecessor 3019PHC. The Caliber 400 is also used – with a few updates – in the Rolex Daytona ref. 16520. With the El Primero 400B, the date moved from the rather unpopular 4:30 position to 6 o’clock.
- 3rd Generation: Zenith gave the El Primero a host of technical innovations during the third generation. The El Primero 4001 presented in 2002, for example, was equipped with a flyback function, an annual calendar, and a moon phase display. Ten years later, in 2012, the El Primero 4010 appeared, featuring a large date. The calibers 4062 and 4063 were followed by variants of the caliber with an open balance wheel. In 2014, Zenith introduced the El Primero 4039, a version of the caliber with a silicone hairspring and retrograde power reserve indicator.
- 4th Generation: The El Primero 9004 was released in 2017. This movement can stop to the nearest 1/100th of a second. As usual, the caliber uses a balance wheel with a frequency of 36,000 vph (5 Hz) for the standard time display. The chronograph mechanism, on the other hand, works independently with its own oscillation and escapement systems, which achieve an exceptionally high frequency of 360,000 vph (50 Hz). This enables timing to the nearest hundredth of a second.
- 5th Generation: In 2019, the El Primero 3600 debuted with a central stop-seconds hand that the wearer can use to measure 1/10th of a second. Zenith also increased the power reserve from 50 to 60 hours.
3. Popular Zenith Models With the El Primero
Zenith’s most popular timepieces equipped with an El Primero caliber come from different eras and range from vintage and neo-vintage to modern. Vintage enthusiasts focus on the very early references of the watch and movement. This is where the legendary Zenith A386 with the caliber 3019PHC shines. Zenith produced this model between 1969 and around 1972, and it is characterized by its tri-color subdials. References 384 and 385, which differ from the A386 mainly due to their tonneau-shaped cases, are also popular.
If you like the design of the A386, but are looking for a modern chronograph suitable for everyday use, you can opt for the Revival (ref. 03.A384.400/21) with the El Primero 3600. Watches in the Chronomaster Original collection also rely on the caliber 3600. The Chronomaster Sport series is also popular. There are likewise models with the El Primero 3600 that bear a certain resemblance to modern versions of the Rolex Daytona. The Zenith Defy collection includes popular models powered by the El Primero 9004. Zenith equips the titanium Defy 21 ref. 95.9000.9004/78.R582, for example, with this movement. Zenith also offers this model in a ceramic case under the reference number 49.9000.9004/78.R582. The dial is elaborately skeletonized on both versions.
4. The El Primero in Pop Culture
El Primero watches play a role in pop culture and have appeared on the wrists of celebrities in targeted advertising collaborations. One well-known example is Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian base jumper and extreme athlete. In 2012, the now 56-year-old wore a Zenith El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th on his wrist as he ascended into the stratosphere in a pressurized capsule using a helium balloon, before parachuting down. Baumgartner and the El Primero landed safely back on Earth. In the Netflix series Lupin, actor Omar Sy, playing the role of Assane Diop, wears a Chronomaster Revival A384 Lupin the Third – Final Edition on his wrist. The watch with the reference number 95.L384.400/50.M384 is limited to just 250 pieces and was initially available exclusively in Zenith boutiques.
British DJ Carl Cox is also the proud owner of a Zenith El Primero. The watchmaker dedicated the El Primero Defy Carl Cox model (ref. 10.9001.9004/99.R941) to him. The case of the watch, which is limited to just 200 pieces, is made of carbon fiber. Last but not least, the Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 plays an important role in the history of the El Primero. The Geneva-based luxury watch manufacturer did not develop its own in-house movement for one of its most famous models for a long time, and thus, an El Primero 400 powered the chronograph between 1988 and 2000. The movement was revised by Rolex and bears the caliber designation 4030.
5. Price Performance
When it comes to price development and value retention, the Zenith El Primero cannot keep up with comparable models from brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, or Audemars Piguet. However, if you opt for a model from the El Primero range, you can’t go too far wrong. According to Chrono24 data, almost all of the watches mentioned here have appreciated by at least 5% over the past three to five years. Exceptions are the Chronomaster Revival A384 Lupin the Third and the Stratos Flyback Striking 10th. While the former watch fell by around 50%, the latter rose by 30%.
