The Chronomaster Revival вЂњShadowвЂќ reimagines what could have been, rather than directly reproducing a historical Zenith timepiece. It was enthusiastically agreed that the timing was perfect to complete the black chronograph project that had begun almost 50 years ago. For the team, surely this couldnвЂ™t be a coincidence, but fate calling. There among the countless artefacts was a box and in it, the original prototype of the black chronograph that hadnвЂ™t been seen by anyone since the early 1970вЂ™s. As Zenith began celebrating the 50th anniversary of the seminal El Primero chronograph calibre, the team at the manufacture began to go through the secret walled-off attic where Charles Vermot had once hidden all the plans and parts necessary to produce the El Primero movement. Many watchmakers and longtime employees of Zenith had heard of and even seen one of the rare prototypes, even though official records about this piece are extremely scarce.ДЇast-forward to 2019. Only a handful of this spectral prototype was made, but the model was never officially produced or commercialized. As the legend goes, in 1970, not long after Zenith debuted the groundbreaking El Primero calibre, the manufacture had produced a prototype of a manual-winding chronograph, housed in a blackened steel case вЂ“ a rarity for the time. Its existence has eluded collectors and Zenith collaborators alike for decades.

Now, Zenith has reinterpreted this prototype, refining it to suit modern tastes and equipping it with the iconic El Primero self-winding chronograph movement.ДЄ timepiece shrouded in mystery. Unusually, this watch housed a hand-wound chronograph movement within a blackened steel case. The Zenith Chronomaster Revival вЂShadowвЂ™ is based on a prototype model of 1970. This now-legendary calibre disappeared from view during the so-called quartz crisis of the 1970s, but thankfully returned to prominence when the public rediscovered the charms of mechanical watches. In 1969 it released the El Primero, a self-winding chronograph movement. Zenith was founded in 1865 and operates from period buildings. The streets and buildings were designed to harness maximum natural light, an essential requirement for watchmakers.

Indeed, Le Locle and the nearby town of La Chaux-de-Fonds are UNESCO World Heritage Centres. The Zenith Manufacture is based in Le Locle, an area synonymous with watchmaking. At the heart of the watch is the iconic El Primero movement, a calibre much loved by purists.

The Zenith Chronomaster Revival вЂShadowвЂ™ reinterprets a prototype model of 1970, refining it to suit modern tastes.

Zenith chronomaster revival