![]() The movement was released in 1969 and is considered the first automatic chronograph movement ever produced. Payment can be made via credit card or wire transfer.The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Zenith is inseparable from their famous chronograph caliber, the El Primero, which means "the first" in Spanish. Prices include shipping and insurance worldwide, while the buyer is responsible for duties and taxes. Strap: 19/16 mm in black fabric with titanium pin buckle, additional strap in luminous fabric Update: Sold out, thank you for the interest.įunctions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, and chronograph The Poker Chip will be exclusively available from SJX Watches for a month – order it here – and then subsequently from Zenith boutiques around the world, as well as its online store. (Prices include shipping and insurance worldwide, but the buyer is responsible for duties and taxes.) The watches will be shipped from Singapore in the third and fourth week of November. Limited to 200 pieces, the Chronomaster Revival “Poker Chip” is priced at US$10,000 or SGD14,500, with payment via credit card or wire transfer. And the second is the gentle irony of having reimagined the aesthetics of a vintage watch but retaining the same movement. One is the fact that I expect the original El Primero to gradually become less common as the latest versions of the movement become more widespread throughout the Zenith line up. We decided to go for the original El Primero for two reasons. Zenith had already launched a new version of the El Primero movement when this project started last year, so there was a choice of movement. Inside the case is the El Primero 400, a movement that’s basically the same as that found in G383 and all the other El Primero models of 1969. It’s micro-blasted titanium, giving the case a fine, dark grey finish that’s then enhanced with a coating that increases its wear resistance and also helps prevents fingerprints from showing.Īnd the crown bears the Zenith star logo in relief Like the Chronomaster Revival models – and the vintage El Primero A386 – the case is a compact 38 mm but made minimalist. Credit for the glow-in-the-dark strap goes to Romain and his team.īecause the dial is coolly excessive, the case was made restrained, while remaining a twist on a vintage classic. Rendered in dark grey, the dial is sectored into matte black segments with Super-Luminova patterns on top, reproducing the layout of the vintage original – but in lume.īecause of the generous Super-Luminova on the dial, the “poker chip” motif is apparent in both day and night – though I do think it’s more striking in the dark.Īnd for maximum effect at night, the watch is delivered with an additional strap of fabric impregnated with Super-Luminova – so the entire strap glows. The modern-day Poker Chip transforms the aesthetic of the original into something that is striking in its contemporary style, but once you recognise the historical inspiration, the disco-era flavour is apparent. Unique amongst vintage El Primero models in terms of style and also notably rare – only about 200 were made – the G383 is relatively obscure today, perhaps because the extravagant look is not for everyone, especially with its unusual lugs. Launched in 1969, the G383 sports a wildly sectored layout in black, white, and gold that evokes a poker chip. So the classic 38 mm El Primero case of 1969 is retained, but it’s micro-blasted titanium for the first time (the other models with the same case are in steel).īy the same token, the dial design goes back to the very beginning of the El Primero. Like our past editions, the Poker Chip was conceived to be easily recognisable as a Zenith, but immediately distinct from the brand’s other designs – extracting a great idea from history and reimagining it for today. It is still a limited edition, but it will also be available at Zenith boutiques, after an initial period of exclusivity for us – click here to order. Unlike our SJX Editions by Habring 2 and Kudoke that were available only on SJX Watches and sold out almost instantly, the Poker Chip is a collaborative effort between us and Zenith. It’s as affordable as Zenith watches typically are – in fact it costs just 10% more than the Chronomaster Revival A386 in steel – but will also be available more widely. (Full disclosure: The several months spent tweaking the idea produced more than one outstanding design, so a variant is a possibility.)Īt the same time, the Poker Chip will also be more accessible than our past editions. So in early 2020, I got in touch with Romain Marietta, Zenith’s head of product development, and together we spent several months refining the concept, creating the Chronomaster Revival “Poker Chip”. But a one-for-one vintage remake has never interested me (plus I’m not a fan of the tiny lugs of the G383).
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