More than 50 years after its initial release, Zenith has announced the reissue of the Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385. The A385 joins models A386 and A384 to complete Zenith’s Revival Collection. Like its predecessors, the A385 is an extremely faithful reproduction that has been updated with minor mechanical upgrades and new materials. Originally launched in 1969, the Zenith El Primero was the world’s first automatic high-frequency chronograph introduced by the watch industry. There is a fun fact worth sharing about the El Primero A385. In 1970, the A385 gained notoriety due to “Operation Sky” when the watchmaker strapped the watch to the landing gear of an Air France Boeing 707 departing from Paris and proudly demonstrated the in-perfect-working-order model that arrived in New York some six hours later.
The contemporary reissue recreates both the 1969 edition’s look and feel. Housed in a 37 mm tonneau-shaped stainless-steel case, the watch’s standout feature is its smoked brown gradient dial, which blackens toward the edges in a vignette effect and is adorned with a red chronograph central second hand and silvery-white chronograph counters. The face of the timepiece, like its proportions, mirrors the original’s perfectly. The 2021 reproduction differs from the original in only two small ways: a domed sapphire crystal replaces the original acrylic glass and an exhibition caseback is used in place of the closed back. The Chronomaster Revival A385 completes its vintage look with two bracelet options. One is a light brown calf leather strap with a protective rubber lining, which is available now, and the other is a steel “ladder” bracelet, which will be available in February.
To learn more about Zenith watches, check out Zenith’s Defy 21 Dubai Mall Limited Edition.
