Zenith goes back to the Seventies with El Primero ‘Cover Girl’ revival

Swiss watchmaker Zenith has drawn on its back catalogue with its latest timepiece, the A3818 revival.

The watch is a reincarnation of the El Primero of the 1970s, a watch which was affectionately known as the Cover Girl after appearing on the front cover of a book about Zenith’s history, called Zenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865.

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Featuring a 37mm tonneau case identical to the 70s original, the new A3818 Chronomaster Revival features a classy Galvanic blue dial with integrated tachymetre, fine ‘sharks’ tooth’ markings to measure time to 1/5th of a second, a red second hand, three-dial chronograph with 1/100th second precision, and date complication between the four and five o’clock positions.

Housed beneath a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides, the chronograph includes a small seconds counter at nine o’clock, a 12-hour counter at six o’clock, and a 30-minute counter at the three o’clock position.

The Rhodium-plated, faceted hour markers and hands are treated to Super-LuniNova for clear nighttime visibility, and the watch features the same stainless steel ‘ladder’ bracelet as the original.

One change for the new model is the case back, which now includes a sapphire crystal offering a view of the El Primero 400 self-winding mechanical movement, which has 50 hours of power reserve and 31 jewels. Water resistance is 50 metres.

Limited to just 100 pieces worldwide, stock of the Zenith El Primero A3018 Revival will be equally split between Zenith Boutiques and publications The Rake and Revolution, with which the watchmaker has partnered to offer the timepiece.

Each example comes with a hardback copy of Zenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865, plus a blue racing suede strap and brown calf leather strap.

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