![]() Although Zenith would overshoot the date by four years, the movement that they produced would break the mold as far as chronograph movements were concerned-both literally and figuratively. Zenith’s journey to develop the El Primero began in 1962, for a target date of 1965, the company’s centennial. ![]() The fiercest competition was among the Swiss, with two camps vying against each other for supremacy: Hamilton, in concert with Heuer, Breitling, Dubois-Depraz, and new Hamilton acquisition, Buren, who would use Buren's Intra-Matic to develop the "Chrono-Matic" (or Caliber 11) under the mysterious title of Project 99. Then there were Zenith and Movado, who'd already made a name for themselves as producers of fine chronographs. In 1969, as the Soviets and the Americans raced to put a man on the moon, watch brands raced to develop the first automatic chronograph movement. In absolutely pristine condition, this is a collector-grade example you won't want to miss! Furthermore, it comes complete with a period correct box, leather strap with signed buckle, and a period Zenith catalog for the Italian market. The included extract from the Zenith archives pinpoints its original delivery between May and August of 1969. The example we have here is a truly special 'MK I' version of the groundbreaking A386 El Primero. ![]() As the first model to be fitted with the El Primero automatic chronograph movement, the Zenith A386 was-visually and technically-a standout.
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