retrotimer

Zenith El Primero Retrotimer Watch

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

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Zenith El Primero Retrotimer Watch

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