ZENITH New El Primero Lightweight Chronograph Limited Edition, Ref. 10.2260.400/69.R573
Swiss luxury watch maker Zenith unveils a sporty avant-garde version of its legendary El Primero chronograph incorporating high-tech materials.
The mission was to build a light watch with a sporty design, while making no compromises on precision, sturdiness and reliability. Drawing upon its latest research on new materials, Zenith selected titanium – a light and sturdy material widely used in aeronautics – to build the movement bridges.
The Manufacture also opted to use silicon, with the lever and escape wheel made from this high-tech, anti-magnetic material that is three and a half times lighter than classic alloys, harder than steel and a guarantee of excellent efficiency. The carbon and aluminium case with titanium push pieces and crown reveal the extreme nature of this ultra-sporty chronograph.
The sapphire crystal reveals the exceptional El Primero Calibre 400B Titanium that beats at the rate of 36,000 vibrations per hour. Zenith chose titanium to make the main parts of the movements which are the heaviest when they are made in brass: namely the mainplate and five bridges (Barrel Bridge, Balance Bridge, Lever-Bridge, Lever-Wheel Bridge and Chronograph Bridge). The result is a 25% lighter weight.
The open-worked dial provides another bird’s eye view of this legendary movement, a dynamic reinterpretation of the collection’s classic design characteristics.
The transparency of the central part makes it even lighter and provides a clear view of the skeleton-worked El Primero calibre. The disc type date display is also both light and efficient thanks to cut-out stencil-style numerals standing out against a red dot at 6 o’clock.
The generously hollowed-out facetted hour-markers bear a luminescent coating, while the light grey, blue and anthracite counters pick up the three emblematic colours of the 1969 El Primero chronograph that have become one of the collection’s key signature features.
The blue central sweep-seconds chronograph hand with its small Zenith star is accurate to the nearest tenth of a second. Sporty, contemporary and decidedly masculine, the new El Primero Lightweight gives a new breath of life to the Zenith collection, while confirming the innovative capacities and creative daring of the Manufacture.
Technical details
Model: ZENITH New El Primero Lightweight Chronograph Limited Edition
Reference: 10.2260.400/69.R573
Edition
250-piece limited edition
Movement
EL PRIMERO 400B, AUTOMATIC
Calibre: 13‘‘‘(diameter: 30 mm)
Thickness: 6.60 mm
328 parts
31 jewels
36,000 vph (5 hz)
Oscillating weight adorned with“Côtes De Genève”motif
Over 50-hour power reserve
Titanium components: Mainplate, barrel bridge, balance bridge, chronograph bridge, lever bridge and lever-wheel bridge
Functions
Hours and minutes in the centre
Small seconds at 9 0’clock
Date window at 6 o’clock featuring a red dot
Chronograph ensuring 1/10th of a second accuracy:
– 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock
– 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock
Case, dial and strap
45 mm carbon case
Open worked dial with three counter colours
Faceted hands and hour-markers coated with superluminova SLN C1
Nomex-coated black rubber strap, triple folding clasp
