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. Nevertheless, on that winter day in 1969, Zenith proudly displayed a working model of its chronograph. This was four years later than Zenith had intended: the brand had begun developing the calibre in 1963, hoping to bring it out for Zenith’s centennial in 1965. Zenith announced the El Primero on January 10, 1969, at a press conference. Instead of taking an automatic module and merely sandwiching it onto the chronograph, Zenith fully integrated the two moreover, the movement would be a high-beat calibre, offering significant added accuracy. 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. 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.
But that all changed a few years ago, when Zenith began reissuing many of its famed designs from the 1960s and 1970s.
For many years, the words El Primero held little meaning outside of high-intensity vintage watch enthusiast and collectors groups.
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