Nu-nostalgia never looked so good

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In a year when Richard Nixon became president of the United States, the Boeing 747 made its maiden flight, and Sesame Street debuted on television, equally epochal happenings were taking place in the world of watches.

In 1969, Zenith made watchmaking history when it premiered the world’s first integrated automatic chronograph movement. Today, the brand commemorates the momentous occasion with the decidedly retro-licious El Primero Chronomaster 1969.

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A lovely tribute piece, the watch flaunts an open window on the dial, providing a glimpse into the automatic El Primero Calibre 4061. Zenith’s pioneering El Primero in-house movements are, of course, legendary. Widely regarded by experts as among the world’s best series-produced movements, the El Primero’s key feature is its high-frequency rate of 36,000 vibrations per hour, which ensures optimum precision. This signature feature is also found on the new chronograph Calibre 4061.

Movement aside, the rest of the watch drips with pure 1960s nostalgia. Exuding throwback chic, the lugs’ curved profile, the oversized crown and pushers, and arrangement of the chronograph counters mimic those found on the original version.

Elsewhere, the multi-coloured sub-dials and red sweep-seconds hand might appear contemporary, but the design again, is a nod to early Zenith chronographs. The coloured sub-dials, which once defied convention at a time when monochromatic dials were the order of the day, ooze a sense of iconoclasm that continues to define all of Zenith’s creations.

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Case:
Stainless steel
Movement: Automatic El Primero 4061
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph
Power Reserve: 50 hours

www.zenith-watches.com