We already know, Zenith was born to inspire each individual to follow their dreams and make them come true, even against all odds. Since its foundation in 1865, the Starry house has established itself as the first Manufacture in the modern sense of the term and its watches have always accompanied extraordinary figures with great dreams that aimed at the impossible.
Always driven by innovation, it stands out for the exceptional in-house movements that power all its watches and since the creation of El Primero in 1969, the first automatic chronograph caliber ever created, Zenith wants to dominate every single fraction of time up to an extraordinary reading precision of 1/100 of a second.
Zenith has been able to shape the future of Swiss watchmaking since 1865 and has done so again today, March 30, 2022, presenting, in the frame of the Watches & Wonders event, the “Master of Chronographs” exhibition, revealing its milestones and telling us about the path to establish himself as a pioneer of automatic chronographs. Today, staying loyal to their core values, Zenith presents the new Chronomaster Open, characterized by a tricolor dial that innovatively reveals the high-frequency beating heart.
“Master of Chronographs” is for Zenith the testimony of the Manufacture’s illustrious past and countless successes, which have contributed to the evolution of mechanical chronographs for over 50 years.
Performance and precision aren’t the only two areas where Zenith chronographs have made their mark. The pioneering movements deserve to be sublimated into unprecedented new-inspired designs, to fully exploit all their ingenuity.
For Zenith, the partially open dial has remained an emblematic feature of many Chronomaster models for nearly 20 years.
With the introduction of the new updated version of the El Primero 3600 in 2021, it was time to adapt and introduce the latest innovations for the emblematic Chronomaster Open.
The new Zenith Chronomaster Open
Revisiting the iconic tricolor dial configuration first presented in 1969 with the iconic A386, the latest version of the Chronomaster Open fully retains this feature, with a transparent touch. Unlike the previous version, in which the small seconds counter at 9 o’clock has been completely eliminated, the three colors of the counters are retained here thanks to an element of hexalite crystal that acts as a readable counter, revealing the silicon escape wheel. in the shape of a star.
In response to the prevailing demand for watches with more modest proportions, the round case now measures 39.5mm compared to the previous 42mm model, with thinner lugs and windows with more pronounced polishing on the edges, while the pump pushers now feature with rounded tips, for a more ergonomic touch.
Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, the El Primero 3604 automatic chronograph movement with precision to 1 / 10th of a second, is in fact a modified version of the 3600 featured in the Chronomaster Sport, characterized by an open-base plate and bridges that allow for greater vision. clear of the escapement, beating heart at a frequency of 5 Hz, with escape wheel and anchor in silicon that does not require lubrication; while the power reserve of 60 hours is guaranteed by the open oscillating weight in the shape of a star that powers the automatic winding mechanism
The Chronomaster Open is available in two versions in stainless steel, with a matte silver or matte black dial, accompanied by a steel bracelet or a “Cordura” effect rubber strap.
To these is added a version in rose gold with a white dial and a blue “Cordura” effect rubber strap.
The Chronomaster Open in steel
Let’s now take a closer look at the newcomers to Zenith, and to do so let’s start with the two steel Chronomaster Open. Reference 03.3300.3604 / 21.M3300, with matt black dial and reference 03.3300.3604 / 69.M3300 with matt silver dial.
Both versions are equipped with a stainless steel case with a diameter of 39.5 mm capable of withstanding a pressure of 10 atmospheres and a bracelet, also in steel, with a double folding clasp.
The beating heart is the El Primero 3604 automatic column-wheel chronograph movement, with hours minutes and small seconds function, which beats at a frequency of 36,000 A / hour (5 Hz), capable of measuring a reading accuracy at 1/10 of a second.
The dial, equipped with counters in two different shades and one in translucent polymer, presents the classic configuration of chronographs, with a 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock, a 60-second counter at 3 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock, below. of which the escape wheel and the silicon anchor, the beating heart of the movement, are visible
Rounding off the Chronomaster Open dial are the faceted hour markers with rhodium finish, as well as the hour hands, all coated with SuperLuminova luminescent paste, to ensure maximum visibility even in low light conditions.
The Chronomaster Open in rose gold
The icing on the cake of the Chronomaster Open collection is certainly the reference: 18.3300.3604 / 69.C922 which has a 39.5 mm case in 18K Rose Gold, also capable of withstanding a pressure of 10 Atmospheres, embellished with a bracelet in blue calfskin with triple folding clasp in 18K rose gold.
From a technical point of view, it has the same characteristics as the two previous references in steel, including the El Primero 3604 caliber.
The matte silver dial, also equipped with two counters in different shades and one in translucent polymer, is embellished with faceted gold-plated hour markers, as are the hour hands, all coated with SuperLuminova luminescent paste.
The differences are also found in the prices, in fact the two references in steel are sold at a price of 9,900 CHF, while the 18K rose gold version is marketed at 19,900 CHF.
Our opinion
The certainty we take away when leaving Zenith is that the return of the Chronomaster Open marks the completion of the Maison’s legendary chronograph collection, a collection respectful of tradition and at the same time resolutely modern in design and function.
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