El Primero Tourbillon

 
EL PRIMERO TOURBILLON
 
HIGH-FREQUENCY COMPLICATION
 
Delivering a unique combination on the watch market, the new El Primero Tourbillon model associates a prestigious high-frequency (36,000 vph) tourbillon with the world’s most prestigious series-made chronograph, the legendary El Primero launched by Zenith in 1969.
 
Beneath its understated elegance, the new El Primero Tourbillon model conceals a mechanical heart whose complexity has been perfectly tamed. The iconic tourbillon complication is associated here with an equally legendary movement: the El Primero automatic chronograph calibre beating at the high frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour. Its distinctively asymmetrical architecture places the tourbillon at 11 o’clock, while its off-centred rotating carriage appears through a generous dial opening. The tourbillon mechanism performing one rotation per minute also incorporates a small seconds indication as well as a patented date display shown by means of a disc placed on the periphery of the carriage.
 
PURE CLASSIC LINES
 
The 46 mm-diameter stainless steel case is water-resistant to 100 metres and equipped with a screw-lock crown and two round vintage-style pushpieces that lend a classic touch to its smoothly proportioned lines. The cambered sapphire crystal, glareproofed on both sides, optimises readings on the black lacquered dial punctuated by luminescent facetted dagger-shaped hands and hour-markers. The remarkably slender chronograph seconds hand, adorned with the emblematic Zenith star, accurately sweeps around the graduated dial circumference and its inner bezel ring bearing a tachymetric scale. This delightfully pure, understated watch face bears 30-minute and 12-hour counters respectively positioned at 3 and 6 o’clock to ensure optimal clarity. The transparent sapphire crystal caseback provides a fascinating view of the automatic El Primero movement and the steady dance of its gold oscillating weight adorned with the “Côtes de Genève” motif.
 
TRADITION AND PERFORMANCE
 
Combining high frequency with a remarkable tourbillon, this heir to a prestigious lineage of timepieces that began in 1969 is driven by El Primero Calibre 4035D, a high-precision automatic tourbillon chronograph movement developed, fine-tuned and produced by Zenith. The tourbillon features a carriage performing one rotation per minute in the upper left part of the dial, while the rim surrounding its opening incorporates a patented date display system. In addition to its off-centred tourbillon thus encircled by the date, this remarkable mechanism also powers central hours and minutes hands, small seconds on the tourbillon carriage, as well as chronograph indications with a central seconds hand along with 30-minute and 12-hour counters. Bearing all the distinctive codes of the El Primero collection, this movement chronometer-certified by the COSC beats at the exceptional cadence of 36,000 vibrations per hour, thus ensuring a precision and corresponding display accurate to the nearest tenth of a second. Endowed with a 50-hour power reserve, it comprises 381 components and is graced with meticulous finishes visible through both the dial opening and the sapphire crystal case-back.
 
The technical and sophisticated El Primero Tourbillon, combining the dynamic nature of the chronograph with mastery of a major horological complication, is available on a rubber-lined black alligator leather strap secured by a steel triple folding clasp ensuring perfect comfort and an impeccably sure hold.