By Kien Lee
ZENITH presents an exciting addition to its Chronomaster Original line, the modern iteration of the iconic A386 model from 1969, with a black tricolour dial for the first time.
In the new timepiece, one of the most distinctively El Primero design elements is inverted, with the traditionally creamy-white dial bearing three counters in shades of grey and blue is now rendered black for a more dramatic look.
Similar to the Chronomaster Sport line, which features both white and black tricolour dials, the Chronomaster Original line now has a pair offering of a historical white tricolour dial, alongside and a bolder, more modern black tricolour dial.
By making the base black, the other elements also had to be inverted form white to black and vice-versa, including the date wheel in the trapezoid window at 04:30, as well as the 1/10th of a second and 10-second chronograph scales.
The 1/10th of a second chronograph has been seamlessly integrated into the design - a central red chronograph second hand completes one rotation of the dial in 10 seconds. The chronograph hand steadily advances every 1/10th of a second, allowing for intuitive fractional time measurement.
All this is possible with the latest version of the El Primero calibre, the El Primero 3600, running at a high frequency of 5 Hz (36’000 VpH), providing the movement with a true 1/10th of second indication. In addition, refinements to it has extended its power reserve to 60 hours.
Sharing the same overall silhouette and proportions as its historical predecessor from 1969, the Chronomaster Original is crafted in a 38mm round bezel-less steel case with a raised and domed crystal. The pump-style chronograph pushers, the faceted lugs and the mix of radial brushed and polished surfaces throughout are indistinguishable between the past and present models. The steel bracelet has also been redesigned, replacing the open “ladder” design of 1969 with solid links.
The Chronomaster Original with black tricolour dial join's ZENITH's permanent collection, available at ZENITH boutiques and authorized retailers around the world.
