Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Zenith’s High-Beat Heart Exposed on the New Chronomaster Sport Skeleton
A quartet of Chronomaster Sport models showcases the El Primero 3600’s 1/10th-of-a-second precision.
When Zenith unveiled the Chronomaster Sport in 2021, the message was clear: the El Primero was entering a new, sportier chapter rather than living off 1969 nostalgia. Exploiting the full potential of the calibre 3600’s 5Hz frequency, the 1/10th-of-a-second readings put the Chronomaster Sport luxury sports watch in a class of its own. The latest quartet of Chronomaster Sport Skeleton chronographs strips down to bring the openworked El Primero 3600 SK to the forefront.
Following the reindustrialisation of the iconic 1969 El Primero movement in 1986, Zenith launched the Chronomaster collection in 1994. A wide-ranging collection, the Chronomaster evolved through Revival and Original models that revisited the A386’s 38mm proportions and overlapping tri-colour registers.
The arrival of the Chronomaster Sport in 2021, teased by the Chronomaster 2 of 2019, was not just the launch of a luxury sports watch; it was also touted by the brand as the “biggest change to the El Primero” since 1969, embodied by the Striking 10th concept. Taking full advantage of the 5Hz frequency, the Chronomaster 2 ditched the classic tachymeter scale on the bezel and replaced it with a scale graduated from 0 to 10. Designed to capture 1/10th-of-a-second timings, the central chronograph hand whizzes around the dial in ten seconds, six times the speed of a normal chronograph hand.
Clearly pitched against heavyweights like the Rolex Daytona and Omega Speedmaster, the Chronomaster Sport comes with a Zenith twist. The chronograph’s 5Hz frequency is not just a detail on a spec sheet but a powerful and useful function for hyper-precise timing. While essential features of the original El Primero are respected, including the integrated chronograph construction with a horizontal clutch and column wheel, the modernised and redesigned El Primero calibre 3600 is fitted with a stop-seconds mechanism and a generous 60-hour power reserve.
However, the big news today is the spectacle of the El Primero 3600 SK movement, revealed beneath the sapphire crystal dial, with its smoked-black periphery and transparent centre. The skeletonised movement, featured previously on the Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton, has differently shaped bridges. Visible from the dial and caseback, key components are revealed, including the blue column wheel, the horizontal clutch architecture, the silicon escape wheel and the star-shaped openworked rotor.
While the colour scheme of the chronograph counters varies between the four models, they all share the hallmark overlapping sub-dials – 60 minutes at 6, 60 seconds at 3, and running seconds at 9 o’clock – with snailed frames suspended over the sapphire crystal dial, but do not feature the date window. The applied and faceted indices and hour and minute hands are treated with Super-LumiNova, and the tip of the central seconds chronograph hands, with its star-shaped counterweight, is red.
All four versions of the Chronomaster Sport Skeleton share 41mm cases with classic pump-style pushers, alternating brushed and polished surfaces, a screw-down crown, and 100m water resistance. Available in two stainless steel variants: one with a green ceramic bezel and grey counters, and the other with a black ceramic bezel paired with the signature grey, anthracite, and blue tri-colour counters. The third version, in 18k rose gold, features a black ceramic bezel, and the fourth, a limited edition of 10 pieces in rose gold, has 52 diamonds set in the bezel and baguette-cut diamond-set indices. The scratch-resistant ceramic bezel is engraved with a graduated 1/10th-of-a-second scale.
Additionally, the steel Chronomaster Sport models introduce Zenith’s new patented folding clasp. Developed over three years, the folding clasp features a user-friendly micro-adjustment mechanism that allows the bracelet to be resized without tools, directly on the wrist. By lifting a secondary cover, the bracelet can be extended or reduced in 2mm increments across 5 positions (total range of 10mm).
The price of the two steel Chronomaster Sport Skeleton models is EUR 16,500. The 18k rose gold model retails for EUR 31,200, and the 18k rose gold reference with a diamond-set bezel and gold bracelet is priced at EUR 111,400. More information at zenith-watches.com.
