The rubber-lined strap is a gray nubuck leather that matches the darker gray sub-dial. Zenith also carries this theme into the strap itself. The three segments of the tri-color scale are colored to match the sub-dials closest to them. To read individual seconds and tenths on the tri-color scale, one simply imagines a decimal between the indicated digits (reading “85” as “8.5 seconds”).
Using the counter at 3:00, one can discern whether over 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 seconds have elapsed. On this model, it complements the white scale as an alternative way to read 1/10th of a second. It’s a subtle change from the black scale on the old A386 and the modern-day Chronomaster Original, but it’s one that tri-color fanatics like me are sure to enjoy. This blue, dark gray, and light gray scale is exclusive to the Chronomaster Original E-Commerce Edition. It accurately measures 1/10 of a second thanks to a white outer scale decimal-based scale and a special tri-color 1-100 tracker. As opposed to a traditional chronograph, the sweeping red chronograph hand zooms around the dial once every 10 seconds. The new caliber has a “triple 60” sub-dial layout, with running seconds at 9 o’clock, chronograph minutes at 6 o’clock, and chronograph seconds at 3 o’clock. Unlike the A386, the Chronomaster Original E-Commerce Edition uses the next-generation El Primero 3600 movement. But despite the copious historical similarities, the new Chronomaster Original E-Commerce Edition is, in fact, a very different watch.
And like all El Primeros before it, the movement’s 36,000vph frequency provides accuracy to 1/10th of a second. The hour, minute, and chronograph register hands, as well as the indices, 4:30 date window, and the cursive El Primero logo, are all spitting images of those on the A386. They sit above a silver backdrop, accented by a slim red chronograph seconds hand. Like the A386, they feature a radiant sunburst finish in blue and two contrasting shades of gray. The signature overlapping tri-color sub-dials are present and accounted for. It is equipped with a domed sapphire crystal on the front, mimicking the acrylic crystals of the past, and it features a modern sapphire exhibition case back. The case is 50m water-resistant, with a push-pull crown and pump pushers. It measures 38mm in diameter, 12.6mm thick, and 45.8mm lug-to-lug with a 19mm lug width. The Chronomaster Original case is nearly an exact copy of that 52-year-old design. The watch pays faithful tribute to one of the first (and undoubtedly best-remembered) El Primero pieces, the A386 from 1969. The Chronomaster Original E-Commerce Edition marks one year since Zenith opened its online boutique to serve customers during the pandemic. Let’s see what this watch is all about, shall we?
So you can imagine my excitement when Rob asked me to cover the latest addition to the Zenith line, the Chronomaster Original E-Commerce Edition! Not only does this watch offer a host of geeky upgrades under the hood but it also subtly takes the tri-color theme up one more notch with a blue, dark gray, and light gray chronograph scale on the dial. From its history as the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph in 1969 to its unmistakable blue and gray sub-dials, the watch rings both my intellectual and emotional bells. Known these days as the Chronomaster, everything about the watch just does it for me. And personally, there is just no other chronograph that speaks to me the way the tri-color El Primero does. However, an absolute, exclusive enthusiasm for the Omega icon is actually not a necessity. After all, it’s no secret that we love our Speedies around here. There is no chronograph in the world that I love more than the tri-color Zenith El Primero! An irreverent statement coming from a writer at Fratello, I know.
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