21
Zenith
Ref. A3817
El Primero
An extremely attractive and rare stainless steel automatic chronograph wristwatch with date and tri-color registers
- Estimate
- CHF8,000 - 12,000€7,400 - 11,100$8,700 - 13,100
CHF40,000
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Zenith
- Year
- Circa 1971
- Reference No
- A3817
- Case No
- 904D926
- Model Name
- El Primero
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3019, 31 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Gay Frères bracelet, end links stamped ZKM, max length 200mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel deployant clasp stamped 3.71
- Dimensions
- 37mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
In 1969 Zenith announced the creation of what would become one of the most celebrated automatic movements of modern watchmaking, the “El Primero”. Directly translating from “The first one”, this high beat movement is known today as the very first automatic integrated chronograph movements ever created.
Instantaneously recognizable as a Zenith El Primero thanks to its tri-colour subdials, this modern and colourful sports watch reference A3817 is, according to research, far rarer than its sister reference A386 as only 1’000 pieces are believed to have been produced.
Reference A3817’s dial also differs from its sister reference A386 by a more colourful dial scheme. While the colour of the three subdials are light and dark grey as well as blue, the subdial at 9 o’clock is enhanced by a unique blue hand and blue indexes subtly contrasting with the light grey background.
The case construction fully reflects the taste of the time, oriented on highly sculpted and angular designs. Such construction can only be fully appreciated if unpolished like the present piece, allowing the beholder to admire every edge and facet in its original glory.
Fitted with its original styled Gay Frères ladder bracelet stamped for the third quarter of 1971, this watch ticks all the boxes of a highly collectible timepiece.
Instantaneously recognizable as a Zenith El Primero thanks to its tri-colour subdials, this modern and colourful sports watch reference A3817 is, according to research, far rarer than its sister reference A386 as only 1’000 pieces are believed to have been produced.
Reference A3817’s dial also differs from its sister reference A386 by a more colourful dial scheme. While the colour of the three subdials are light and dark grey as well as blue, the subdial at 9 o’clock is enhanced by a unique blue hand and blue indexes subtly contrasting with the light grey background.
The case construction fully reflects the taste of the time, oriented on highly sculpted and angular designs. Such construction can only be fully appreciated if unpolished like the present piece, allowing the beholder to admire every edge and facet in its original glory.
Fitted with its original styled Gay Frères ladder bracelet stamped for the third quarter of 1971, this watch ticks all the boxes of a highly collectible timepiece.
Zenith
Swiss | 1865Since Zenith's beginnings, founder George Favre-Jacot sought to manufacture precision timepieces, realizing quality control was best maintained when production was housed under one roof. Zenith remains one of the few Swiss manufacturers to produce their own in-house movements to this day.
Today, the brand is best known for the "El Primero," the firm's most successful automatic chronograph movement. In an interesting twist of fate, the company that owned Zenith during the 1970s decided to move on to quartz movements and therefore sought to destroy the parts and tools necessary to make mechanical movements. One watchmaker realized this folly and hid the tools and parts before they were destroyed. In 1984, he returned them to Zenith so they could once again make the El Primero movement.
Browse MakerToday, the brand is best known for the "El Primero," the firm's most successful automatic chronograph movement. In an interesting twist of fate, the company that owned Zenith during the 1970s decided to move on to quartz movements and therefore sought to destroy the parts and tools necessary to make mechanical movements. One watchmaker realized this folly and hid the tools and parts before they were destroyed. In 1984, he returned them to Zenith so they could once again make the El Primero movement.