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19 September 2014, 02:33 AM | #1 |
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My first Zenith, the 410 Limited Edition - Pic Heavy!
So, my good wife and I recently spent the day in London and whilst at Harrods I tried on a few watches including a Zenith 410 Limited Edition (which we both loved).
As luck would have it I had, that same weekend, spotted a sales post on another forum. Needless to say after a few PMs' and an initial viewing the deal was done and all that remained was for me to make payment. I had (I thought prudently) already decided to sell a few watches that weren't being worn much, to make available some funds. However, Mrs.Thorien decided that I should not sell them, so being the good husband that I am, I did not argue! Shalako (the seller), top bloke that he is, very kindly allowed me a couple of weeks to get the funds together from elsewhere and we met again, had a coffee and a chat and I came home ecstatic on the weekend with my latest acquisition. Before I go any further, I'd like to share with you some quick info about Zenith, the El Primero and the 410 I've learnt which a lot of you probably already know, but I found it interesting: 1969 marks some great moments in history. Man walks on the moon; The Arpanet project – the ancestor of the Internet – is launched; Concorde takes off and defies the sound barrier; while hundreds of thousands of people flock to the Woodstock festival. 1969 also, however, marked another revolution. This time of the horological kind: the birth of the El Primero caliber, the first (hence the name) ever automatic (self-winding) chronograph. At least according to Zenith! It was also the first movement to beat at 36,000 vibrations per hour, making it the world’s most accurate chronograph. This high frequency necessitated special lubricants to prevent undue wear of the escapement but allowed the chronograph function to deliver accuracy to 1/10th of a second. This was an unprecedented feat, especially given the over 50-hour power reserve that was an exceptional performance for such a high-frequency movement. To complicate matters still further, the caliber was equipped with a date and miniaturized to a size of just 6.5 mm thick and 29.33 mm in diameter. Furthermore, to prove it's robustness, In 1970, El Primero took the Air France AF015 flight from Paris to New York and crossed the Atlantic fixed to the landing gear of the Boeing 707. The temperature stood at 4°C on the tarmac in Paris, whereas 20 minutes later, at an altitude of 10,000 meters, it had dropped to -62° and atmospheric pressure was four times lower. After the landing in New York, during which it was subjected to terrible jolting, the watch showed it had remained accurate to the nearest second apart from the inevitable time-zone difference. El Primero had kept running at 36,000 vibrations per hour and required no adjustment. No mean feat, I'm sure you'll agree. The caliber was also integrated and designed as a complete whole - with a column wheel and a central rotor on ball bearings and so, no additional module was needed. While each of these criteria was revolutionary in itself for the time, together they represented a truly major accomplishment. Its technical specifications were indeed so complex that it took seven years to develop —four years past its scheduled launch date. Buoyed by the success of the reception accorded to the El Primero 3019 PHC in 1969, Zenith decided later that year, to equip the calibre with triple calendar and moon-phase indications. This movement was initially called the El Primero 3019 PHF, but its name subsequently changed to the Calibre 410. This photo shows a Zenith El Primero prototype manufactured in 1970 that sold for over £24,000 at Christie’s on May 14th, 2012 (one of an estimated 25 pieces ever made), it was bought by Zenith due to its historical significance. Despite its success and demonstration of its reliability over many years, amazingly El Primero was temporarily upstaged by quartz and its production was suspended for nine years. Thankfully, Charles Vermot, an engineer working for the company at the time, chose to store the tools and drawings necessary for El Primero production, preventing them being destroyed. A few years later, under new ownership, and thanks to Vermot's actions, El Primero production recommenced. Indeed, so good is the El Primero that a number of other brands have chosen to use the famous movement, most notably Rolex in their Daytona model (though Rolex have subsequently replaced the El-Primero with its own in-house movement driven by a wish to make all its calibres in-house, rather than any failing of the El Primero.) So that's the History, It is now45 years since the El Primero was born and Zenith chose to mark the legend of this model with the release of a 500-piece limited series, presented in stainless steel and aptly named the Zenith El Primero 410. The Limited Edition ref. 03.2092.410/91.C496. There is also a non-limited edition version available now ref 03.2091.410/01.C494 which has a silver-toned sunray dial instead of the panda dial of the Limited Edition. Therefore gents, I give you: My Limited Edition El Primero 410 (number 107/500) - a vintage inspired timepiece with a fully integrated automatic 12-hour chronograph and complication of an annual calendar with moon-phase. This model is fitted with a 42 mm highly-polished stainless steel case with satin-brushed lugs and with a thickness of 12.75 mm —not bad for such a robust calibre. It features the traditional El Primero pump pushers and a beautiful and solid crown with the Zenith star on relief. The case side features two correctors at 8 o'clock to adjust the moon-phase indicator and the day of the week and the overall look of the watch is sporty, yet very elegant. This modern interpretation of the El Primero from 1969 features a slate grey sunray dial that is beautiful and changes colour from silver-grey to a dark charcoal depending on the lighting. The dial features recessed chronograph registers, faceted rhodium-plated applied markers with superluminova, faceted hands also with superluminova, a running seconds register at 9, a 30-minute chrono-register at 3, a 12-hour chrono-register with integrated moon-phases indicator at 6, a date aperture between 4 and 5, a day of the week aperture at 10 and a month aperture at 2 o'clock. The 10 and 2 o'clock faceted markers have been replaced by two beautiful stars on relief (in homage to the 1970 model), the silver-toned flange features a tachymeter scale and its red chrono hand provides the perfect amount of contrast to the dial. There is a downside to the design of the dial and that is the moon-phase indicator can hardly be appreciated if the hand on the 12-hour chrono-register is at the reset position. A oversight maybe, but then again who really looks at the moon dial all the time. in reality when wearing the watch it becomes a bit of a non-issue as you can still tell the moon phase. The domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides provides perfect readability and visibility to the dial. In the dark, the superluminova on the hands and markers glows nice and strong. This particular 410 calibre is composed of 390 parts and 31 jewels and provides a power reserve of 50 hours while beating at a frequency of 36,000 vph —5 Hz. The calibre is fully visible via the display case back. One interesting thing about this calibre, is that the time is set by pulling the crown out to the first position, while the date is set by pulling it out to the second position. The watch is fitted with a matte black alligator strap with protective rubber lining and a very comfortable triple folding clasp designed to look like a pin buckle. On the wrist, the watch wears extremely comfortably but slightly smaller than its actual size and more like a 40 mm watch. The wrist presence is unparalleled and opposed to the sporty look of most chronographs, the El Primero 410 Limited Edition offers the perfect balance between elegance and sportiness in a watch that goes great with a suit or with jeans. All in all, you get a lot of watch for your money! |
19 September 2014, 05:39 AM | #2 |
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Several members here have been seduced by the lim. ed 410. Welcome to the club.
I am happy with mine, the dial is incredibly nice. Congrats with yours !
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19 September 2014, 05:44 AM | #3 |
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A beauty - congrats!
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19 September 2014, 06:42 AM | #4 |
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Fantastic watch and amazing pictures. thanks for posting and big congrats!
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19 September 2014, 07:48 AM | #5 |
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Well written piece on a fantastic watch!
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19 September 2014, 06:22 PM | #6 |
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Excellent write up. A beautiful piece
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19 September 2014, 06:41 PM | #7 |
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Nice write up. Great pics; and a beautiful watch. Really like that grey dial. Zenith is one of the best values in Swiss watch manufacturing. Enjoy your new piece.
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20 September 2014, 04:17 AM | #8 | ||
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Thanks for all the comments guys, Im over the monn with it.
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They certainly are amazing value and hopefully the good work of Jean Fred Dufour will be continued by Aldo Magada and brand recognition and appreciation will grow. |
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20 September 2014, 06:27 AM | #9 |
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love this watch, congrats
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20 September 2014, 08:34 AM | #10 |
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This is a real winner! Finally, a modern El Primero without overlapping dials!
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20 September 2014, 10:36 AM | #11 |
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Very nice
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20 September 2014, 04:45 PM | #12 |
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congrats and great story. I owned the 1969 Limited Edition Striking 10th and I can safely say that Zenith movements and chronos are just amazing. Love it!
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21 September 2014, 03:13 AM | #13 |
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Great write up with beautiful pictures Thanks for sharing and enjoy this beauty
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21 September 2014, 08:18 AM | #14 |
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Stunning!
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21 September 2014, 08:44 AM | #15 |
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Beautiful! Zenith nailed it on this one!! 👍
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22 September 2014, 04:11 AM | #16 |
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Thanks again for all the kind words gents, It's certainly a keeper.
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22 September 2014, 05:15 AM | #17 |
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Im in awe! Congrats man.
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22 September 2014, 08:12 AM | #18 |
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Zenith has started to call my name. A chrono moonphase just is great. congrats
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