Zenith has teamed up with Hodinkee for the fourth time on a new collaboration within the Chronomaster Original family (for the second time). This time around, the focus is on the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar that was released earlier this year that was itself based on a prototype from 1970 (which never saw production). The watch integrates the calendar complications alongside the chronograph in a brilliantly straightforward way, in other words, it’s old school in the best possible way. This rendition, designed in collaboration with Hodinkee, takes the concept a step further with the addition of meteorite laden registers set within a matte black base. The result is a rather stunning rendition of the watch, even if you’re not fond of meteorite dials.
Meteorite dials have a certain indefinable charm or quality to them, and a bit like MoP dials, aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. The kind we generally see used on watch dials exhibit a Windmanstätten crystal structure that’s a bit chaotic in nature. These slices show geometric lines at seemingly random angles, and each section reflects light in a slightly different manner. A common source of the material when it comes to the watch industry is the Gibeon meteorite, which is a term that includes the total extent of meteoritic material from the strike, which happened over Namibia in the southern portion of Africa. Fragments were widely dispersed in the strewn field, and to date, about 150 fragments have been collected.
It is this source that Zenith is using here, though its placement has been restricted to the trio of registers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. This makes them a detail to discover, rather than a dominant feature of the design. It’s a refreshing use of the material, and it works wonders here against the deep black backdrop. At a glance, this reads as a reverse panda dial, while a closer examination will reveal the tell tale Windmanstätten structure, which will be unique in each example produced.
When the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar was first released, the design resonated immediately for its peculiar layout. While it first appeared in the A386 design back in 1970, it would actually see production in the ‘90s within the Chronomaster collection using the El Primero caliber 410. This movement would also appear in a limited edition released in 2014 called, well, the El Primero 410. When the Chronomaster Original made a return to the original design language and proportions in 2021, a triple calendar execution in the style of the original prototypes was suddenly in the cards, and this year, we got exactly that.
The modern Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar employs the El Primero caliber 3610, placing the day above the running seconds sub-dail; the month above the 60 second totalizer; and the date right where it belongs at 4:30. A moon phase display is nested within the 60 minute totalizer at the bottom of the dial. What sets this dial apart from the standard A386 design, is the spacing of the three registers, which allow for a small amount of negative space between them. This reduces the tension between them, and creates a cleaner environment for the newly added apertures.
Zenith released a trio of Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar (COTC?) watches earlier this year featuring white, gray, and green dial options. Each brought their own unique qualities, and each used gilt hands and hour markers. The Hodinkee limited edition collaboration ditches the gilt treatment, and embraces a matte black dial with those meteorite insets left to bring the intrigue. In total, it’s a beautiful rendition that shows the flexibility of this design, and it’s something I hope to see Zenith expand on in their own way moving ahead. It seems a good bet that we’ll see this triple calendar movement make appearances elsewhere in the Zenith stable at some point, as well.
The Hodinkee x Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar will be limited to 200 units, and will be priced at $13,500. That price is actually $400 less than the $13,900 price of the original three releases when fitted to a bracelet (as this LE is). The watch will be available from Hodinkee, as well as directly from select Zenith retailers. Zenith | Hodinkee