Zenith kicked off the 2nd edition of the LVMH Watch Week alongside its sister brands Bvlgari and Hublot last week, held virtually for a global audience with in-person presentations in select cities.
Headlining the Swiss manufacture's line-up for this year was the unveiling of the new Chronomaster Sport collection, an addition to its pre-existing Chronomaster offerings.
On first sight, enthusiasts will see inevitable similarities to the Rolex Daytona timepiece. It is interesting to note the first Daytona from Rolex actually used a Zenith movement, so perhaps this was Zenith coming full circle. However, other than the ceramic bezel, the Zenith Chronomaster Sport appeals visually with its tri-coloured sub-dials.
Zenith explains that the Chronomaster Sport drew design elements from other notable Zenith chronographs that came before it. This includes the pre-El Primero A277 with its black bezel and dot markers, the El Primero Rainbow with its polished bezel engraved with a tachymetric scale, as well as the polished and satin-brushed bracelet of the El Primero De Luca.
Crafted in a sleek and robust steel case measuring 41 mm wide with pump-style pushers, the polished black ceramic bezel sets the new Chronomaster Sport apart from its predecessors. Graduated over 10 seconds, the bezel’s bold contrast offers exceptional legibility on the periphery of the dial.
Inside, the timepiece possesses the newest version of the legendary calibre, the El Primero 3600, boasting a high frequency of 5 Hz (36’000 VpH) that is able to measure and precisely offer a 1/10th of second that’s easily readable, displayed directly on the bezel as well as the dial. Its autonomy has also been rendered more efficient, with an extended power reserve of 60 hours.
Visible through the sapphire display back, the new architecture is strikingly evident, revealing a blue column wheel and open rotor marked with the five-pointed star Zenith.
