As the legend goes, in 1970 the manufacture Zenith had produced a protoype of a manual-winding chronograph, housed in a blackened steel case – a rarity at that time. Apparently, only a handful of this prototype was made and the model was never officially produced or commercialized.
Zenith Chronomaster Revival ‚Shadow‘ Ref. 97.T384.4061/21.C822
When in 2019, Zenith celebrated the 50th anniversary of the El Primero chronograph caliber, the team at the manufacture began to search the secret attic where Charles Vermot had once hidden all the plans and parts to produce the El Primero movement. Hidden in a box was the original prototype of the black chronograph that apparently hadn’t been seen by anyone since the early 1970s.
But the new Chronomaster Revival ‘Shadow’ is not just a reproduction of the historical model, but a symbiosis of two historically important watches. Inspired by the black chronograph prototype from 1970, the new timepiece is housed in a 37 mm case, which is a faithful reproduction of the A384: the very first watch fitted with the El Primero movement. But instead of a stainless steel with a superficial layer of black coating, Zenith has opted for microblasted Titanium with a matte finish.
Zenith Chronomaster Revival ‚Shadow‘
Unlike the prototype from 1970 (manual-winding chronograph movement), the Chronomaster Revival ‘Shadow’ features the automatic choronograph movement El Primero 4061. It offers a power reserve of 50 hours and is visible through the display back.
The grey counters and tachymeter scale subtly contrast against the deep, matte black dial. The hands and applied markers are filled with white SuperLumiNova that emits a bright green glow in the dark. The Chronomaster Revival ‘Shadow’ is worn on a black rubber strap with a cordura-effect featuring a white stitching. Price: 8,400 CHF.
| BRAND: | Zenith |
| MODEL: | Chronomaster Revival Shadow |
| REFERENCE: | 97.T384.4061/21.C822 |
| CASE MATERIAL: | Microblasted titanium |
| DIMENSIONS: | Diameter: 37.0 mm Height: 12.60 mm |
| WATER RESISTANCE: | 50 Bar (~ 500 m) |
| DIAL: | Black dial with grey counters and tachymeter scale |
| STRAP/BRACELET: | Black “cordura effect” strap and white stitching. Microblasted titanium pin buckle |
| MOVEMENT: | El Primero 4061 |
| MOVEMENT TYPE: | Automatic |
| POWER RESERVE: | 50 hours |
| FREQUENCY: | 36,000 Vph / 5 Hz |
| FUNCTIONS: | Hours, minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock, chronograph, tachymetric scale |
| PRICE: | CHF 8,400 |
