#Zenith x hodinkee update
#Zenith x hodinkee free

There are three extremely fine silicon blades (or beams, as Zenith calls them, only 20 microns thick) extending from the center, to the inner rim of the circle, which perform the same role as a balance spring in a conventional watch movement: they act as springs, and are the restoring force on the oscillator.

#Zenith x hodinkee free

The circular outer element, however, is free to vibrate back and forth. The entire oscillator is roughly the diameter of the movement itself (30mm for the oscillator alone) and is held in place in the movement by screws running through the three leaflike lobes radiating from the center. He's well known in the watch enthusiast community for his work on a number of high tech TAG Heuer projects, including the belt-driven TAG Heuer Monaco V4, and the TAG Heuer MikroPendulumS, which used magnets rather than a balance spring as the restoring force on an oscillator. Sémon is a former naval aviator, who flew the Dassault Super-Étendard off French carriers before turning to watchmaking, holds a PhD in physics from the Université de Franche-Comté, and has taught analytic algebra and topology. This component – the Zenith Oscillator – is the brainchild of Guy Sémon, currently General Director of TAG Heuer. In their place is a one-piece unit etched from a silicon wafer, which combines the functions of the lever, balance spring, balance, and lever in a single component, doing away with, says Zenith, some thirty components (including the ruby pallets, pallet lever, balance spring, stud, and more). The most obvious differences are in what's not there – no conventional balance, no balance spring, and no lever there's no conventional anti-shock system either. The sapphire caseback reveals the Calibre El Primero 3600 in all its splendour, with a mix of finishes, and of course that star-shaped rotor.Even a casual glance at the Zenith caliber ZO 342 caliber makes it obvious this is an extremely unconventional movement. The chronograph function runs directly off the silicon escape wheel and not the movement’s fourth wheel, a testament to Zenith’s engineering capabilities. This integrated high-beat column-wheel chronograph movement runs at a rate of 36,000vph and provides a very healthy 60 hours of running time. It comes with the El Primero 3600 Calibre, capable of measuring elapsed time down to 1/10th of a second. Movement-wise, nothing has changed from the previous versions of the Chronomaster Original. A feature not to be overlooked is the colour-matching date wheel revealed by the window at 4:30, often a point of debate for many enthusiasts and collectors (to match, or not to match).

The faceted hour markers and hands are given a good dose of Super-LumiNova. Most of you know we’re quite fond of salmon-coloured dials and admittedly the Salmon Opaline dial of this limited edition was a bit unexpected but works very well! The combination of the warm pink-ish tone and signature three-coloured grey overlapping sub-dials is striking, to say the least. Speaking of the dial, this is where the Zenith Chronomaster Original for Hodinkee mixes things up. We know the fact who actually was first is somewhat debatable, but we’re not going to explain every detail right now. What is beyond a shadow of a doubt, the references A384, A385 and even more so the A386 became true horological icons. Back in 1969 Zenith introduced the very first integrated automatic chronograph movement, and apply named it El Primero, the first one. The story of the El Primero chronograph movement by Zenith is well-documented, and rightfully so as it marks a historical chapter in watchmaking. Here’s the Zenith Chronomaster Original for Hodinkee. Collaborating with our friends and colleagues of Hodinkee, Zenith has now created a special limited edition of the Chronomaster Original, based on the original A386 reference. This has been the star of stand-out watches like the Chronomaster Sport and Chronomaster Original, presented in multiple iterations.

#Zenith x hodinkee update

In recent times Zenith has put in great strides to update the legendary El Primero architecture, primarily with the El Primero 3600 calibre. With a history stemming back to 1969 when the brand introduced the El Primero movement, it is loved and cherished by many. The Zenith Chronomaster, in any shape or form, is one of the most enduring and captivating chronograph watches available today.