{"product_id":"zenith-el-primero-cover-girl-as03310","title":"Zenith El Primero 'Cover Girl'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Love It\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEasy...breezy...\u003cem\u003ebeautiful\u003c\/em\u003e Cover Girl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe histories behind 'nicknamed' watches is sometimes pretty unusual and obscure...and other times, its pretty much right on the nose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Reference A3818 is known as the 'Cover Girl' simply because it was featured as the cover image of Manfred Rössler's brilliant book, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Zenith-Swiss-Watch-Manufacture-Since\/dp\/8862080697\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Analog\/Shift X Amazon Zenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865 by Manfred Rössler\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eZenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865\u003c\/a\u003e. Yep, that's it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcept it is also \u003cem\u003eso\u003c\/em\u003e much more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Reference A3818 features the same tonneau shaped case as popular the A384\/A385 models (the former of which was just reissued for 2019), but is fitted with a brilliant sunburst blue dial with exotic chapter ring that positively jumps off the wrist. Powered by the legendary Calibre 3019 \u003cem\u003eEl Primero\u003c\/em\u003e automatic chronograph movement, this is one of the rarest and most desirable executions from the 1970s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis particular example is in untouched, unpolished condition with a lightly patinated dial featuring richly aged luminous indices and hands. Best of all, it comes fitted to a Gay Freres 'ladder' bracelet with correct (and virtually unobtanium) ZKM end links.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn short, this is the one you want.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Story\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor many years, the words\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eEl Primero\u003c\/i\u003e held little meaning outside of high-intensity watch enthusiast and collectors groups.  But a few year ago, Zenith brought those words back into the fore with the release of their heritage piece, the El Primero Striking Tenth chronograph.  The piece was a success in it's own right and got\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hodinkee.com\/articles\/a-week-on-the-wrist-the-zenith-el-primero-striking-tenth-chr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003ea lot of attention in industry publications\u003c\/a\u003e.  But it also marshaled the growing body of watch enthusiasts, urging them to look back at the history of the movement and the pieces produced around the legendary movement. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eEl Primero\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ewas\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003ehigh-beat automatic chronograph movement that debuted in 1969, challenging Seiko's Reference 6139 and Project 99's Calibre 11 for the title of world's first automatic chronograph.  The advent of the automatic chronograph was a huge technological feat and it changed the face of the industry, opening the door for many companies to offer their own models.  But while the Calibre 11 found its way into a slew of watches, Zenith made their\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eEl Primero\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emovements available to only\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/shop.analogshift.com\/collections\/movado\/products\/movado-datron-chronograph\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003ea handful of other manufactures\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e And for good reason.  Of the three movements that were released that year, only the \u003cem\u003eEl Primero\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewas high-beat, offering significant added accuracy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zenith","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29241680429143,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0809\/1255\/products\/Zenith__COVER_GIRL__AS03310_5.jpg?v=1562161000","url":"https:\/\/www.analogshift.com\/products\/zenith-el-primero-cover-girl-as03310","provider":"Analog:Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}