foversta presents a hands-on review of the Zenith Chronograph El Primero Range Rover Special Edition, a watch he initially approached with skepticism due to the commonality of car brand partnerships. He argues that this particular collaboration defies expectations, establishing itself as one of Zenith's finest aesthetic achievements in recent years and potentially setting new stylistic guidelines for the El Primero line.
When the release of a Chronograph El Primero celebrating the partnership between Zenith and Range Rover was announced, I immediately had a thought that the watch would have to demonstrate the same obstacle clearance capacity than the vehicle which inspired it to manage to convince the watch community. Because, if we consider it straightforwardly, the success of this chronograph doesn't seem to be obvious! Come on, another partnership between a manufacture and a car brand, another variation of the Chronograph El Primero and another far-fetched link between two famous Maisons...
However, the Zenith El Primero Range Rover Special Edition finally reaches its final destination without incident or runway excursion. The reason for this outcome is simple: this chronograph is one of the finest aesthetic achievements from Zenith in recent years. And I would say even better: it defines what could be the stylistic guidelines of a contemporary and bold Chronograph El Primero.
In any case, beyond its qualities, the starting point of this watch could only please me: Zenith and Range Rover sealed their partnership to celebrate a milestone year in their respective histories: 1969, the year of the presentation of the Chronograph El Primero and of the unveiling of the Range Rover prototype, is also, more modestly, my year of birth!
This is obviously not what makes me appreciate this chronograph. In fact, there are two key elements which contribute to its seductive power: its case and dial.
The case is made of a matt black ceramicised aluminum. Its lightness makes it very nice and comfortable on the wrist. The rendering of the dominant color is interesting because it is a vivid and dynamic black which creates beautiful light reflections and shades. The case is much more subtle and refined than I imagined at first glance. Its other asset is to reduce the perception of size taking into account its dark color. In fact, the watch, once put on the wrist, gives the feeling of being closer to a 40 / 41mm diameter than the actual 42mm one. The ratcheted crown and the black round pushers complete efficiently the case design.
The case has also the mission to enhance the dial because it is indeed the highlight of the watch. I have rarely seen a dial which offers such a chromatic range. Presented by Zenith as a "brushed gray" dial, it surprises with its ability to transform itself according to the light conditions and the tilt of the wrist. Navigating between anthracite, gray or bronze, the dial animates the chronograph, creates unusual shades and is a true feast for the eyes. I must admit that for a "dark" watch, the Chronograph El Primero Range Rover appears to me as rather colorful!
But beware, colorful does not mean gaudy: the designers have worked particularly well to ensure the coherence of the whole. Even the flange (on which is located the tachymetric scale) seems to blend between the case and the dial like the date window whose integration seems almost perfect. "Almost" and not "fully" because unfortunately this window cuts the graduation scale of the chronograph and makes the reading of the displayed time by the central hand not accurately possible for a few seconds. It would have been wise to put a discreet graduation at the top of the window but the choice was made to preserve the purity of the whole.
On the other hand, and this is great news, the Chronograph El Primero Range Rover fixes a problem that occurs on several Zenith pieces by giving priority of the minute counter on the hours one. This minute counter and the second hand sub-dial are slightly raised and that little touch enhances the perceived quality of the watch. The presentation of the dial is extremely successful in both aesthetic and chromatic points of view and despite the low contrast between the chronograph hands and the dial, chronograph data remain properly legible. Reading the main time display is easy thanks to the rhodium-plated, faceted and SuperLuminova coated hands. Moreover, the fact that the sub-dials and counters feature the same color than the dial makes the watch more balanced.
The least surprising element is the movement. The Chronograph El Primero Range Rover is indeed equipped with the El Primero movement 400B with a 5hz frequency and a power reserve of around fifty hours. However, it has an originality: the presence of the "Range Rover" words on the winding mass instead of the traditional "Le Locle Manufacture". If I put aside the special case of the watches related to the Rolling Stones, this is the first time a co-branding with Zenith leads to such an honor. The great strength of the El Primero movement is its behaviour. Reliable and accurate, with an excellent winding efficiency, it nicely runs on a daily basis and its lay-out makes it appealing. The El Primero movement remains one of the most enjoyable calibers to observe thanks to its architecture. Its finishes are simple and neat, without any particular effect. I would have liked to find a special touch on the decoration of the movement to remind us the atmosphere of the watch dial side.
The evocation of the "Range Rover" words on the winding mass immediately makes me come back to the inscription on the dial. Because there is an important detail that I have not mentioned. The words "Range Rover" are also placed on the dial what can generate a bad surprise among the fans of the lone star manufacture. And again, Zenith crosses the barrier by making this inscription extremely discreet. Yet positioned under the "Zenith", it leaves the main role to the watch brand with a controlled width and a smaller font. At no time I was not bothered by the inscription that tends to be forgotten.
So I loved this watch. It plays several paradoxes to seduce us. It is classic and modern at the same time. It is dark but bright. It credits Range Rover but the link with the car maker remains discreet. The elements merge into one entity but it remains very readable. The final touch is given by a rather pleasant and original rubber strap coated with an ivory or blue toned perforated calfskin. And since the Chronograph El Primero Range Rover is very comfortable once put on the wrist, it's hard to resist in front of the arguments of this watch which has been for me one of the most successful Zenith pieces for several years.
Thank a lot to the Zenith France team.
Pros:
+ An aesthetic achievement which gives a contemporary dimension to the Chronograph El Primero
+ The shades of colors of the dial
+ The comfort on the wrist
+ The reliability and accuracy of the movement El Primero 400B
Cons:
- The graduation scale of the chronograph is cut due to the date window
- A little more ambitious decoration of the movement would have been appreciated
Fr.Xavier
