100th Auction

2019/11/15

Lot 24

Zenith "Chronograph Automatic El Primero", Case No. 538D789, Ref. A386, Cal. 3019PHC, 37 mm, circa 1969
A legendary vintage wristband chronograph with date and tachy scale
Case: steel, screw back, original buckle. Dial: silvered, sub dials in various gray scales.
Only 4,500 examples of this Zenith El Primero reference A386 were produced between 1969 and 1972. This timepiece is fitted with what was at the time the newly introduced calibre 3019 PHC, making it a member of that prestigious club of very first automatic chronographs.
Whereas many of the vintage sports watches usually show the telltale signs of excessive stress, this timepiece is in remarkably good condition. The 37 mm steel case has large chronograph pushers and the original signed and fluted crown. The lugs are mattfinished, the bezel is polished as are the outside edges of the flat, screwed-down caseback, which provides an interesting contrast to the brushed finish in the centre. Likewise, the three-colour dial is in excellent condition, if charmingly aged – the luminous mass is slightly darkened. The watch also features a red paddle hand, which can be found in many of the Zenith El Primero watches of that time.
Inside sits the legendary El Primero 3019 PHC high-beat calibre Zenith launched in 1969 as one of the first ever automatic chronograph movement, thus laying the foundation for the El Primero range of movements. The automatic movement beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour, allowing a measurement accurate to one tenth of a second and making the El Primero the most accurate serial production watch movement in the world to this day.

Sold

estimated
11.00015.000 €
Price realized
15.000 €