The Next Must-Have Chronograph Is from a Brand You May Not Expect

• Creating a ceramic in Zenith’s signature vibrant blue is a technically impressive achievement
• Powered by the in-house El Primero 1/10th second automatic chronograph movement
• Limited edition of 160 pieces

Zenith is celebrating its 160th anniversary with a collection of three El Primero chronographs made from a ceramic that matches the brand’s signature vibrant blue. The best-looking and most impressive watch in the collection is the Chronomaster Sport 160th Anniversary Edition.

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Tangled up in blue

Zenith’s El Primero 1/10th second, high-beat chronograph movement is renowned as an astounding feat of horological engineering. Almost as impressive is achieving a ceramic in the specific shade of blue that has long been the brand’s signature color.

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Ceramic is the new trendy material in watchmaking because it allows brands to shape, brush and polish colorful cases and bracelets with more detail than coated metal. Plus, the material is far more resistant to scratching, chipping and fading than plastic-based colored materials and coatings.

The issue with colored ceramic is that achieving very specific hues is challenging. The type of ceramics used in watchmaking go through intense heat and pressure on the way from base materials to finished products. Getting colors to end up exactly as desired takes months of development.

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The payoff for nailing the desired shade of blue is that Zenith can apply the same finishing techniques used on steel and gold Chronomaster Sport references. The brushing and polishing on the case, bezel and bracelet enhance the luster of the stellar blue.

The El Primero at its finest

Zenith’s El Primero movement is the Swiss watchmaker’s crowning achievement. For decades, it has been revered by chronograph and sport watch enthusiasts as one of the most impressive stopwatch complications ever created.

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The Chronomaster Sport 160th Anniversary Edition may be the most beautiful watch ever to house the esteemed movement. The dial, coated in a blue lacquer that matches the ceramic case, contains the three tonal overlapping subdials indicative of the Chronometer.

A 60-second counter at three o’clock is a darker, contrasting blue to the dial, while the running seconds dial at nine o’clock and the 60-minute counter at six o’clock are separate shades of silver.

The hands and hour markers are plated in rhodium, an element that resembles platinum but is harder and more corrosion-resistant, and inlaid with SuperLuminova.

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Because the central chronograph hand rotates fully every ten seconds, the blue ceramic bezel is marked with a 10-second track in white, with dashes indicating each tenth of a second.

An exhibition case back displays the oscillating weight with Zenith’s 160th-anniversary logo cut out in relief.

Zenith’s 160th Anniversary Collection includes a Defy Skyline Chronograph and a Pilot Big Date Flyback, but the Chronomaster Sport undisputedly takes top billing. Each watch is limited to 160 pieces, adding to its allure.

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As one of the best-looking iterations of the Zenith Chronomaster Sport, the blue ceramic 160th Anniversary Edition is destined to become a hotly pursued grail piece along the lines of the original Tag Heuer Monaco and Rolex Daytona.

Availability and pricing

The Zenith Chronomaster Sport 16th Anniversary Edition will be available from Zenith and authorized dealers in late April for $22,700.

Each of the three Blue Ceramic 160th Anniversary Edition chronographs can be purchased individually or as a special edition box set of all three.

Zenith

Zenith Chronomaster Sport 160th Anniversary Edition

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Case Material	Blue ceramic
Movement	Zenith El Primero 3600 automatic
Wate Resistance	100m

• $22,700 at Zenith

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