Zenith El Primero A386 MK3 1971 - Roy & Sacha Davidoff SA

Zenith El Primero*** A386 MK3*** 1971

VINTAGE WATCHES » Zenith El Primero*** A386 MK3*** 1971

ZENITH El Primero Ref A386, MK3, Circa 1971
Serial: 231E034
Circa: 1971
Reference: A386

DIAL: Tri-Color dial with silver base and blue, grey and silver counters. Date window between 4 & 5 o'clock. White hands with red central chronograph seconds hand. White outer tachymeter ring.

CASE: 40mm, stainless steel with screw back.

MOVEMENT: Caliber 3019 PHC, Self-winding mechanical chronograph movement with 31 jewels

BRACELET: Zenith Gay Freres ladder bracelet dated 3.68

CONDITION REPORT: Excellent overall condition. The case appears unpolished with some tool marks on the caseback. The dial and hands are in mint condition with the lume having aged to a warm cream color. Overall a stunning example and seldom seen in this crisp and nice lume color. Lastly, the caseback gasket was replaced after photography revealed it was dried out.

NOTES: NOTES: It was in 1962 that the basics of the El Primero movement first took shape on the drawing board. The idea was simple: to create an iconic watch that would be launched in time for the centenary of the Manufacture in 1965. The idea was simple, but the technical specifications were not. It was to be the first automatic chronograph ever. Better still, the caliber was to be fully integrated and designed as an inseparable whole. There would be no additional module, but instead a construction built around a column wheel and a central rotor mounted on ball bearings. It would also need to beat at a high frequency in order to be the world’s most accurate chronograph. To complicate matters still further, the movement was to be miniaturized and equipped with a date mechanism. All these factors amounted to an equation so complex that it would take seven years to solve it – 1969 was four years past the anniversary date.
1971 was the last year of the star logo on the caseback. In the transitional year 1972-73, Zenith introduced a new, square logo, as well as a new system of model codes. Serial numbers on the back were no longer used. The series that came after the 1st usually had a SP1205, internal case designation reference by the manufacturer (Spillman).

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