el primero

Chaumet Dandy Chronograph El Primero Watch

Aside from having an interesting and artistic dial, this special limited edition Chaumet Dandy contains a high-beat Zenith El Primero automatic chronograph movement. Zenith sometimes offers El Primero movements to good brands, and having one in a designer Chaumet is a sweet deal for watch lovers and fashionistas alike.

This piece is in all platinum, and has the Chaumet Dandy cushion style case. The dial is fascinating and done in Grad Feu blue enamel. The design is meant to look like Chaumet store fronts - which was designed by J.M. Wilmotte. I like the matching blue stitching on the black alligator strap. This rare piece will be limited to just 12 watches in the limited edition set.

Ariel Adams publishes the wrist watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: chaumet, dandy, el primero, watch

Zenith El Primero Retrotimer Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Zenith has been relatively hush about their 2010 collection of watches. Showing just a few pieces, not allowing photographs, and slowly releasing details. The response to the new collection is mixed. Some people applaud the brand for "returning" to their roots, while others feel as though much of the new collection is uninspired and too much like a re-release of their history effectively bringing Zenith back in time while "forgetting" the last few years . This all comes after the "Nataf years" where Zenith was run by a man with maybe some of the right ideas, just not ones that worked for this particular watch brand.

One new piece is this relatively odd Zenith El Primero Retrotimer watch. It is fitted with the brand's famous (and most valuable asset) in-house made El Primero movement that runs with a high 36,000bph rate. The beloved movement has been used even in some classic Rolex watches, and is a mainstay name of the new Zenith. Here is the Retrotimer watch in its classic looking blackened steel case, which is used on more than one new Zenith watch. The dial in carbon fiber doesn't distract from the hour markers or hands - which is good. Though last I checked, carbon fiber isn't a retro material. The hands and hour markers are pretty and covered in some lume - though they fall short of being a pure classic in design. Zenith describes the watch as being fun, which I guess it is. The rubber strap integrates nicely with the case, and the Zenith star logo is happily present on the strap and two places on the dial.

The watch is fitted with a 30 minute mono-pusher chronograph. There is no seconds hand for the time. A small red marker is placed at 8 minutes on the chronograph subdial. Why? Because it marks how long one should cook a particular type of pasta that the designer of the watch likes, to be al dente. Price is 6,900 Swiss Francs.

Via Europa Star.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com

Tags: el primero, retrotimer, watch, zenith

Zenith El Primero New Vintage 1969 Chronograph Watch Collection

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

This is my favorite new Zenith watch for 2009 and is the El Primero New Vintage 1969 collection. These watches are called "new vintage" because they are not only a "reissue" of a watch movement from another era (the first El Primero), but share the iconic styling of watches from that time period. The El Primero is a high beat movement operating at 36,0000 bph (beats per hour). This gives it the ability to have a chronograph that measures 1/10 of a second (most mechanical chronographs measure maybe 1/5 of a second). The movement is the automatic Zenith El Primero 469, with a column wheel chronograph and date, with a 50 hour power reserve.

Three versions of the lovely watch will be offered, each being really nice and worth the investment. Which is a blessing and a curse given that the collection will be offered as a limited edition and only in 2009. There is the black titanium model, stainless steel model, and 18k gold model. Each in the 40mm wide classic looking case. The black titanium model features a curious skeletonized dial with markers applied on a sapphire crystal as the dial, while the steel and gold have very cool looking overlapping subsidiary chronograph dials and an easy to read face. The whole collection with its alligator or crocodile straps and retro styled case is quite hip looking - again, one of the best Zenith watch collections this year.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Zenith New Vintage 1969 watches

Tags: 1969, chronograph, el primero, ElPrimero, movement, new vintage, NewVintage, timepiece, watch, zenith

Zenith Class El Primero Moonphase Watch For 2009

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

A lot of new luxury watch offerings are discernibly more subdued than the flamboyant parade of watches we have come to expect over the last few years. Zenith, who is typically very experimental in design has actually had one of the most conservative line of new models at Baselworld this year. That doesn't mean the watches are boring, but rather refreshingly elegant in their focus on being modern classics. A good example is this Zenith Class El Primero Moonphase watch. The watch features a full annual calendar with a moonphase and a chronograph. The El Primero automatic calibre 4100 movement is the only movement with an annual calendar and column wheel based chronograph complication.

Two case sizes are available at 40mm and 44mm, with the pictured version being in steel. The dial is handsomely decorated with engravings and applied hour markers. To enhance legibility, Zenith has clustered the complications toward the center of the face allowing for space around the dial to be dedicated to telling the time. With hour and minute hands that are properly sized for the watch, it offers a lot of function with minimal visual distraction. You just can't argue about its solid good looks and handsome demeanor. Look for availability this spring.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: class, el primero, ElPrimero, moonphase, timepiece, watch, zenith