Fratello’s Top 5 Classic El Primero-Powered Watches — Featuring Zenith, Ebel, Rolex, And More
Another Friday, another list! This week, we enter the wonderful world of the El Primero movement. As most of you know, Zenith introduced its famous El Primero trio of watches in 1969. The brand was part of the illustrious race to release the first automatic chronograph, competing with Seiko and the consortium of brands formed by Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton-Buren, and Dubois Dépraz. Over time, several different brands used El Primero calibers. Most famously, Rolex bought El Primero movements to power its first generation of automatic Daytonas. But many more examples of El Primero-powered watches are worth checking out. For this list, we picked our five favorites.
One of the best things about working at Fratello is collectively digging up watches from the past. Various contenders came up when we discussed the topic of this week’s list. Ultimately, it was quite a task to pick our five favorites, but they show that Zenith’s El Primero movement powered several interesting watches. This topic certainly sparked a search for any cool possible additions to our collections. Now, without further ado, here are our five favorite watches powered by the legendary El Primero movement.
Image: The Watch Boutique
Zenith El Primero A384
Let’s kick things off with the obvious pick — or maybe it’s not to some of you. If given the choice, most people would pick the Zenith El Primero A386 instead of the A384. The A384’s case shape is more divisive but also more distinct. I prefer it over the A386, but there is nothing wrong with either one (or the A385, for that matter). The El Primero A384 features a blocky 37mm case that is 13mm thick, including the domed crystal.
Image: The Watch Boutique
The watch came on the famous Gay Frères ladder bracelet. It is one of those features that defines the A384, but it’s also the one element that didn’t often stand the test of time. Today, a lot of these bracelets are in bad condition and need a good cleaning because they have collected quite a bit of unwanted wrist substances.
Image: The Watch Boutique
Quite a few vintage A384s now have discolored dials. What started as a panda dial often changed to a cream-colored dial with brown registers. The fun thing is that these discolored models take more after the A385, which actually debuted with a gradient brown dial. But as you would expect, these also change color over time, making quite a few of them look super nice.
Image: Watches of Knightsbridge
The legendary first-generation El Primero movement
Inside the case, you will find the caliber 3019 PHC. It’s the first-generation El Primero movement. This high-beat caliber operates at 36,600vph and offers 50 hours of power reserve. This integrated chronograph caliber with a horizontal clutch is generally considered royalty in the watch industry. The initial run of the El Primero movements, however, was short-lived due to the quartz revolution.
Image: Watches of Knightsbridge
The production of the El Primero caliber was resumed in the 1980s due to the demand for a great chronograph movement by Ebel and Rolex. But the El Primero legacy started with the brilliant trio of watches that have become Zenith icons. Regarding the A384 specifically, expect to see prices starting at roughly €12K and moving up to €25K for one in good condition.
Image: The Watch Club
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16520
Another classic powered by Zenith’s El Primero movement is the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16520. Most of you will know that Rolex placed a large order of El Primero calibers to power the first generation of the automatic Daytona. This watch was in production from 1988 to 2000 with either a black or a white dial. Despite there being only two dial colors, collectors distinguish no fewer than five dial variants. The famous “Patrizzi” dials with discolored sub-dial rings and the “Porcelain” dials were among them.
Image: The Watch Club
Inside the Daytona’s case, you will find the Rolex caliber 4030. The original El Primero movement was heavily modified to fit Rolex’s production standards. The most important modification was the reduction of the operating frequency to 28,800vph. Additionally, the Rolex watchmakers removed the date complication and fitted a new escapement with a free-sprung Glucydur balance wheel, Microstella regulating screws, and a Breguet overcoil. With these modifications, half of the original parts were replaced. But the result was a caliber that is generally considered a great and reliable first automatic chronograph movement from Rolex.
Image: The Watch Club
Finding an El Primero-powered Daytona ref. 16520 is not hard, but prepare to pay some serious cash for one. The prices for one start at around €17K and move up to €80K for some of the rare dial variants. Most importantly, though, this generation of Rolex’s famous chronograph will forever be known as the “Zenith Daytona.”
Ebel Sport Classic Chronograph ref. 1134901
Next up is a watch that Robert-Jan owns and that most of us at Fratello love. The Ebel Sport Classic Chronograph was first introduced in 1982 and was famously worn by Don Johnson in Miami Vice. He wore a full-gold version, while RJ owns a bicolor version. As he explained in his article about the watch, there was also a steel version with a white gold bezel.
No matter which one you choose, the watch’s design is instantly recognizable and has become an example of ’80s design brilliance. But in true ’80s fashion, the two-tone version is the one to go for. The combination of gold and steel looks super classy, and the gold elements on the dial add to the watch’s great character.
The watch features a 38mm case that is 11mm thick and measures 42mm from lug to lug. It came fitted with a beautiful wave bracelet that tapers gracefully from 20mm to 15mm wide. It’s one of those bracelet designs that is famous in the industry and still looks really cool.
Ebel started out using the Zenith 3019 PHC movement for its Sport Classic Chronograph. After Zenith restarted the production of the El Primero with the caliber 40.0 in 1986, Ebel switched to that version and the caliber 400 in later years. While current-day Ebel is far from the brand it was in the past, the Sport Classic Chronograph is a great reminder of its heyday. Prices for one of these watches start at roughly €2.5K and move up to €5K for one in great condition.
Image: Vintage Watch Leader
Movado El Primero Chronograph ref. 01.0180.434
Our next pick is a rare bird. As some of you will know, Zenith and Movado were under the same ownership from the late ’60s to the late ’70s. During that time, they shared models with different branding. This Movado El Primero Chronograph ref. 01.0180.434 is a great example of those collaborative efforts. Another one is the famous Zenith El Primero “Big Blue” with its TV-screen-shaped case, which was also available as a Movado.
Image: Vintage Watch Leader
Our pick was available with three different dial versions. The first was branded Zenith, the second featured the Movado logo, and the last featured the logo of both brands on the dial. You will also find Movado versions that say “Automatic El Primero,” and there are versions with the text “Automatic Chronograph El Primero” as well. The dual-branded versions have the word “Automatic” without the “El Primero” designation.
The watch has a 38mm case that is 12mm thick and measures 42mm from lug to lug. The proportions are still very acceptable today, making this watch a great vintage option. What I love is the watch’s monochromatic presence and characteristic bracelet. Despite being from the early 1970s, it still looks incredibly relevant today. It is believed that Zenith and Movado only produced 500 pieces of this good-looking chronograph. Inside the case, you will find the caliber 3019 PHC that also powers the other watches on this list. Despite its low production numbers, finding one of these watches is possible. Expect prices to start at roughly €3K and move up to €5K for one in good condition.
Image: WatchUSeek
Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM00121
Our last pick is another rare watch. As some of you will know, starting in the early 2000s, Panerai also used Zenith’s El Primero movement for some of its releases. The PAM00072, PAM00121, and the PAM00122 were all powered by Zenith’s famous movement. We picked the Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM00121 from 2002.
Image: WatchUseek
Apparently, Panerai was supposed to produce 1,500 pieces of the reference, but the brand never made more than 250. The watch features a 40mm brushed titanium case with a 15mm thickness, a 22mm lug spacing, and a 200m depth rating. The case was combined with a stainless steel bezel with the tachymeter scale engraved in black.
Image: Bruce-Bigb (WatchUSeek)
This reference features a dark gray dial with silver sub-registers. The date window at 4:30 is an easy giveaway that an El Primero-based movement lies within. A quirky detail is the “Automatic Chrono” text right above the sub-dial at 6 o’clock. Panerai could have easily left that off the dial to make it look better.
Image: Bruce-Bigb (WatchUSeek)
Inside the case, you will find the Panerai caliber OP IV, which started life as the Zenith El Primero caliber 400Z. Panerai fitted the movement with a branded rotor visible through the sapphire window on the back. As mentioned, the PAM00121 is rather rare, so you won’t see it pop up for sale regularly. If you do, expect to see a price of roughly €5K–9K.
Final thoughts on our list of Zenith El Primero-powered classics
There you have it — five watches powered by Zenith El Primero movements. Seeing that the El Primero legacy stretches far beyond Zenith’s history is amazing. We love all five models and are curious about which one you like best. Let us know your pick in the comments, and we will see you again for a new list next week!
