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1994/95 – The Zenith Chronomaster Collection Launches
In the mid-1990s, twenty-five years after the El Primero was launched, Zenith entered a new era: the Chronomaster collection was grandly launched at the 1994 Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show. From then on, the collection not only showcased the brand's expertise in complications and precision, but also became a core Zenith collection and the flagship of the El Primero chronograph movement.
The Zenith Chronomaster collection initially focused on classic models, integrating a full calendar, moon phase, and chronograph functions. The Zenith Chronomaster Ref. 01.0240.410 was a key early model that embodied this aesthetic. Building on the classic high-frequency chronograph, it added a full calendar with moon phase, displaying the day of the week, date, and moon phase, along with a chronograph seconds hand and 30-minute and 12-hour counters.
The Zenith Chronomaster of that time, with its round, two-step case and all-silver dial, was a stark departure from today's models, clearly aimed at a more traditional clientele. Inside, it housed the Caliber 410 movement, comprised of 354 components and a precise column-wheel mechanism; it was also certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
2010 – El Primero Striking 10th: The Return of the Tenth of a Second
In 2010, Zenith returned to the El Primero's core strength – its high frequency – and made the ability to measure time intervals to the nearest tenth of a second, a hallmark established at the time of its launch, clearly visible on the dial. The El Primero Striking 10th Limited Edition, limited to 1,969 pieces worldwide, showcased this level of precision for the first time. To achieve this, the central chronograph seconds hand completed a full rotation in just 10 seconds, rather than 60. Consequently, it operated six times faster than a traditional chronograph seconds hand. Beyond this technical innovation, the watch also incorporated aesthetic elements that would later influence many future Zenith chronographs.
Visually, the Striking 10th echoed the original A386, featuring a layout of overlapping tricolor subdials and a red chronograph seconds hand on a silver dial. However, it departed from the original concept in one key respect: instead of a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock, there was a chronograph seconds hand; and instead of a 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock, there was a 60-minute counter. The Zenith Striking 10th wasn't designed to measure longer intervals—its focus was clearly on the precise display of seconds.
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To ensure accurate reading of tenths of a second even when the chronograph was stopped, the outer edge of the dial features 100 fine, clearly visible graduations. This became a core design element of Zenith chronographs, incorporated into subsequent generations of watches, and remains a signature aesthetic feature of modern models.
Inside the watch, 11 new parts have been added to the standard El Primero components, bringing the total to 326, designed to maximize the potential of the 36,000 vph movement. The result is the self-winding Caliber 4052 B, a mere 6.6 mm thick. The sapphire crystal caseback reveals the movement's structure, including the blued, two-layer silicon coupling wheel that drives the constant-running seconds hand at 9 o'clock and the central chronograph hand. Silicon was chosen because it is 3.5 times lighter than traditional materials, reducing wear and friction—especially important since the coupling wheel continues to rotate even when the chronograph is stopped. The silicon coupling wheel has exactly 100 teeth, and since it rotates once every 10 seconds, it produces 100 pulses, or 10 times per second. This detail directly inspired the name "Striking Tenth." Furthermore, the movement is equipped with a newly developed hacking mechanism for ultimate precision. More specifically, a brake lever engages between two of the 100 teeth on the chronograph center wheel, instantly and precisely stopping the central chronograph hand.
2019 – Zenith Chronomaster 2: Second Generation
2019 marked another milestone for Zenith: the 50th anniversary of the El Primero movement. To celebrate, the brand unveiled a series of reissues, including the A384 and A386 models, as well as the Zenith Chronomaster 2. Limited to 250 pieces and featuring either a blue or black ceramic bezel, these watches stand out not only for their modern aesthetic but, more importantly, for the debut of the further developed El Primero 3600 caliber.
But what exactly is so unique about this caliber, which Zenith calls the "next generation" of the El Primero? The Zenith Chronomaster 2's Caliber 3600 combines elements from the El Primero Caliber 400 (relaunched in 1987) and the Striking 10th's Caliber 4052B. Its chronograph mechanism measures tenths of a second, with a distinctive red central seconds hand completing one rotation every 10 seconds. New to this movement is a stop-seconds function, allowing for precise time setting—a feature previously absent from the El Primero. The power reserve has also been increased from 50 to 60 hours. Furthermore, the movement's gear train and wheel architecture have been redesigned, the column wheel has been enlarged and repositioned, and, most importantly, the lateral clutch has been optimized, which we will discuss in detail shortly. As part of the new stop-seconds function, the crown's position has also been reconfigured to follow the widely used sequence for manual winding, quick-set date, and time setting.
Aesthetically, the Zenith Chronomaster 2 also inherits the venerable A386 caliber: it features the signature El Primero layout of overlapping subdials—blue at 3 o'clock (chronograph seconds), dark grey at 6 o'clock (chronograph minutes), and light grey at 9 o'clock (small seconds). Furthermore, the Zenith Chronomaster 2 introduces two new design elements: first, a black or blue ceramic bezel graduated from 0 to 10 for precise time measurement; second, a skeletonized dial that reveals not only the full date disc but also the movement's components.
2021 – Chronomaster Sport: The Third-Generation Zenith Chronograph with the El Primero Movement
The development of the Caliber 3600 movement was driven by clear objectives: increased modularity, improved industrial production, and simplified assembly and adjustment. It also opened up the possibility of using it in watches with an aesthetic as modern as the movement itself – a development fully realized in 2021 with the launch of the third-generation Zenith chronograph: the Zenith Chronomaster Sport, equipped with the El Primero 3600 caliber.
Following the El Primero Striking 10th (2010) and the Chronomaster 2 (2019), the Zenith Chronomaster Sport becomes the third watch to bring precise short-time measurement to the wrist. It not only adds a modern aesthetic to the Zenith Chronomaster collection, but also, with Caliber 3600, offers a substantial improvement over the EP400 movement previously used in the brand's standard production models.
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Key Differences Between the El Primero 3600 and the El Primero 400
The El Primero 3600 shares its core architecture with the El Primero 400 but differs in several key respects—most notably the addition of a stop-seconds function and an increase in power reserve. But most significantly, the most notable change lies in the connection to the chronograph center wheel (and, therefore, the central chronograph seconds hand). Rather than relying on an auxiliary seconds wheel mounted on a conventional seconds arbour, the 3600 employs a patented clutch system similar to a tourbillon mechanism. This creates a direct connection between the escapement wheel and the chronograph center wheel.
The gear ratios are designed to ensure that the central seconds hand travels precisely 100 steps in a full 10-second rotation. To ensure the efficient energy transfer of this gear train, every component—from the gears to the tooth geometry—had to be recalculated. This level of optimization was only possible through the use of custom-developed computer algorithms—an approach that would have been unthinkable over 50 years ago, when the original El Primero 400 was created. |
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