The Zenith Chronomaster Sport boasts an enviable heritage, ushering in the automatic chronograph movement alongside Seiko and Heuer in 1969, and doing so in high-frequency fashion. The El Primero, as it was called, would go on to appear in some era defining sport watches from Zenith before nearly being lost to history altogether. According to Zenith, an El Primero sporting a full calendar complication was in the cards from the get go, though it never would appear in the A386 case that put the movement on the map. While other full calendar El Primero watches have appeared, the original design is finally getting its crack at it within the modern Chronomaster Original.
The Chronomaster Original has taken shape in recent years as a fitting modern rendition of the A386, capturing the look and feel of the OG with great care. With a solid foundation, Zenith is now laying in the triple calendar moonphase complication in classic Zenith style, which keeps the focus high and tight so to speak, maintaining as much practicality as possible, including chronograph legibility. Zenith has taken a similar approach in the layout of their full calendar watches, but it’s never worked as well as it comes together here in the Chronomaster Original, as it keeps the focus as straightforward as possible, rather than it feeling like an afterthought in the context of a more formal design language.
The latest members of the Chronomaster Original collection feature a triple calendar with moonphase nested within the layout in a decidedly throwback fashion, with small apertures set above the seconds totalizer and the running seconds revealing the month and the day respectively. The date remains planted at its usual 4:30 position. The minute totalizer at 6 o’clock gets the moonphase display in a manner that doesn’t interfere with its chapter ring. In total, the new additions don’t make themselves known at a glance, and as a result the watch keeps its usual legibility in check. The calendar fulfills its function in a practical manner without compromise to the core feature set. There are no flourishes or needless labels, just a straightforward integration.
Adjustments to the calendar are made via two pushers set within the case between 8 and 9 o’clock, with the rest of the operation handled through the crown. Each of the three dial variations get gilt hour hands and markers, a detail that will further set them apart from the regular Chronomaster Original watches. It’s a detail I could do without, frankly, especially considering the well executed implementation of the calendar complication within the context of a sport watch.
The steel case retains its 38mm diameter and 13mm case thickness, which may just be the most impressive feat of the new offering. The dial is offered in silver opaline with black sub-dails; slate gray with silver sub-dials; and olive green with silver sub-dails (this one is a boutique exclusive. Each are priced from $13,400 on calfskin leather, and $13,900 on a steel bracelet. We’ll have more hands-on impressions of these watches coming soon. Until then, head over to Zenith for more details.