Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Chronomaster 1969 SVRA Edition

For many years, the words El Primero held little meaning outside of serious vintage watch enthusiast and collectors groups. But that all changed a few years ago when Zenith began reissuing many of its famed designs from the 1960s and 1970s. The El Primero was the culmination of a years-long research and development process undertaken by Zenith to develop the world’s first automatic chronograph movement. While other brands had sought to achieve the same feat — including Heuer (in concert with Breitling and Hamilton) and Seiko — Zenith intended to make the El Primero something entirely unique. Instead of taking an automatic module and merely sandwiching it onto the chronograph, Zenith fully integrated the two. Moreover, the movement is a high-beat calibre offering significant added accuracy. Zenith announced the El Primero at a press conference on January 10, 1969. This was four years later than the brand had intended: It had begun developing the calibre in 1963, hoping to bring it out for Zenith’s centennial in 1965. Nevertheless, on that winter day in 1969, Zenith proudly displayed a working model of its chronograph. The A386 was the first model to be fitted with the El Primero movement, and therefore commands a hefty premium among collectors for its horological import. Over the past decade, Zenith has used this important model as the basis of numerous reissues, among which was a cool special edition designed in concert with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). Housed in a 42mm stainless steel case with dual pump pushers, a signed crown, and a sapphire caseback, it features a silvered dial with an outer tachymeter scale, a black minute track with white printing, a luminous 'sword' handset, a 30-minute totalizer at 3 o'clock, a running seconds totalizer at 6 o'clock within the SVRA logo, and a 'open heart' display between 9-10 o'clock giving a view to the movement's escapement wheel and pallet fork assembly. Powered by the automatic Zenith El Primero Calibre 4061 hi-beat chronograph movement and paired to a signed black leather strap with yellow contrast stitching and a signed steel pin buckle, this, neat automotive-inspired watch ships with its factory goodies. Limited to just 100 pieces, it's a rare horological object that's perfect for the car junkies among us!