![]() Unlike the Chrono-Matic/Calibre 11, which was a mix of an existing 3-hand movement and a chronograph plate, Zenith’s movement was designed from scratch. Watchmakers embarked on a genuine race to develop the first self-winding chronograph.Īmong them was Seiko with the calibre 6139, a consortium uniting Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton-Buren and chronograph specialist Dubois-Depraz with the Chrono-Matic/Calibre 11 and finally, there was Zenith with the El Primero movement – which appears to have been the first to be unveiled to the public during a press conference in January 1969. During the mid-1960s the time was ripe for the chronograph to modernise itself with the practicality and comfort of automatic winding. The Zenith El Primero, a movement first and foremostįifty years ago, in 1969, three brands/joint ventures revolutionised the watchmaking industry by launching – almost simultaneously – the first automatic chronograph movements. Today, another of the inaugural 1969 El Primero watches will be reissued, the reference A384 – and its availability is bound to please aficionados. To celebrate the half-century of this iconic movement, Zenith has already released several great pieces, all based on the reference A386 – in steel as part of a special revival box, or in gold with 3 limited edition watches. 1969 marked the introduction of the Zenith El Primero, part of the first automatic chronographs launched on the market. ![]() ![]() This year, as you’ve probably noticed, is the 50th anniversary of two important milestones for the watchmaking industry: the Moon Landing and the launch of the first automatic chronographs.
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