One of the most emblematic variations of the El Primero makes its long-awaited return
With the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar, Zenith combines the cutting-edge performance of its legendary automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre’s latest incarnation with a triple calendar and moonphase in one compact, historically inspired design.
The 1/10th of a second chronograph remains as prominent and legible as ever—even with the inclusion of the complete calendar, which is easy to read and doesn’t clutter the dial.
The days of the week and months are displayed in symmetrically positioned windows above the chronograph counters, while the date window is positioned in the traditional El Primero position of 04:30.
As for the moonphase display, it is found at six o’clock alongside the chronograph’s 60-minute counter.
Meanwhile, the timepiece’s compact 38mm case in steel is a faithful interpretation of the A386 from 1969. With its bezel-less construction and raised and domed sapphire crystal, Zenith has certainly pulled off the neat trick of fitting the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar’s whole host of functions into the case without altering its proportions.
There are two dial versions to choose from: A sportier, silvery-white ‘panda’ opaline dial with black counters and 1/10th of a second scale, and an opulent, opaline slate-grey dial with silvery-white counters and scale directly inspired by the small series of El Primero triple calendar prototypes from 1970.
Both versions have rose gold-tone applied baton markers and hands. This brings out the polished rose-gold moon set on a metallic blue sunray-patterned disc with five-pointed stars.
A third dial variant is the Boutique Edition, which, as the name suggests, is available only at Zenith physical and online boutiques. It is notable for its handsome sunburst olive-green tone with golden applied markers and hands.
In terms of straps, one can choose between a three-link steel bracelet with the same alternating brushed and polished finishes as the case, and a calfskin strap in black for the panda dial, blue for the slate-grey dial and green for the Boutique Edition dial.
The Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar is equipped with a new variant of the latest generation El Primero automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre, the 3610. It operates at a rate of 5 Hz (36’000 vph) to deliver a true 1/10th of a second chronograph function and has a power reserve of approximately 60 hours.
