One of the most celebrated automatic movements of modern watchmaking, the name “El Primero” refers to both the movement (translating to “the first” in Spanish) and the line of watches Zenith debuted featuring this movement. Launched in 1969, the El Primero caliber was simply revolutionary. It was one of the very first automatic chronograph movements ever created, and furthermore, it was designed as a wholly integrated chronograph movement rather than being an automatic movement with an added chronograph module.

Additionally, it operates at 36,000 VPH, an extremely high frequency for a mechanical watch, ensuring superior timekeeping performance. The story of the El Primero is not only a study in mechanical engineering, but is also fraught with drama: the equipment to produce the El Primero was condemned during the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s and set to be destroyed, but was heroically rescued by one Charles Vermot who had covertly hidden the equipment in an attic. When Zenith won the contract to produce the ébauche for the upcoming automatic Daytona based on the existence of leftover assembled movements, Vermot was instrumental in the re-uncovering of the methods to produce the El Primero.

Approximately 2,600 examples were produced of this specific reference A384, but very few have remained in this state of preservation and even fewer with a startlingly homogenous tropicalized dial. The subsidiary seconds dials, as well as the outer track, have both aged to a truly spectacular caramel color. Furthermore, the original blue protective stickers remain visible to parts of the case and caseback. The present tropical A384 retains its original guarantee booklet, instruction manual, and even the original leather strap.