India Whiskey Charlie provides an essential look at Zenith's Chronomaster Revival A385, a timepiece that resurrects one of the original El Primero models from 1969. This article highlights the historical significance of the A385, particularly its role in the legendary 'Operation Sky' experiment, underscoring Zenith's pioneering spirit in high-frequency automatic chronographs. Readers will gain insight into the watch's heritage and its reintroduction to the modern market.
Zenith is ringing in the new year with the launch of the
Chronomaster Revival A385, inspired by one of the first watches to feature the
iconic El Primero chronograph movement. Zenith’s El Primero was the first
high-frequency, automatic chronograph in the world (1969) ; three models
were unveiled, including the original A385. In 1970, this watch made an even
bigger splash when it sucessfully completed Zenith’s “Operation Sky”- it was strapped
to an Air France Boeing 707’s landing gear on a flight from Paris to New York
to test its resistance to drastic temperature fluctuations, wind force and
changing air pressure. The release is below and included below for your reference ;
assets can also be downloaded HERE . The watch is available
for sale at authorized retailers and Zenith’s online boutique . It retails for $7,900
USD on leather strap. The bracelet version will be available next month (price
TBC).
Press Release: A legend is born again: Zenith is bringing back one of the earliest and
most emblematic El Primero-equipped chronographs from the earliest days of the
revolutionary calibre in the form of a Chronomaster
Revival model.
1969 was certainly a year to remember for Zenith and would go down in the
annals of watchmaking history as the year that forever changed the chronograph.
It was the year that the Zenith El Primero, the world’s first automatic
high-frequency chronograph, was unveiled to the world. It made its debut in
three distinct stainless steel models. Among them was the A385, a
tonneau-shaped steel chronograph with an eye-catching brown gradient dial,
which was the first “smoked” dial ever to be made in the watch industry and for
Zenith.
In fact, the A385 made headlines back in 1970, when it took part in Zenith’s
“Operation Sky”. This extreme test consisted of strapping the watch to an Air
France Boeing 707’s landing gear on a flight from Paris to New York to test its
resistance to external aggressions such as drastic temperature fluctuations,
wind force and changing air pressure. Upon landing, the watch was still
functioning perfectly. This daring feat was a testament to the confidence those
who had tirelessly worked on the El Primero calibre held, as well as tangible
proof that a mechanical movement was superior to the nascent quartz movements
of the time, which couldn’t have stood the temperature differences endured by
the watch during the flight.
Photo: Zenith
Photo: Zenith
