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The new-for-2017 Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Full Open 38.00 is based on a simple, but powerful recipe. Step 1: take an original-sized Zenith El Primero chronograph. Step 2: remove its dial and fine-tune a few details accordingly and Step 3: enjoy. It was nearly two years ago that I reviewed the El Primero Original 1969 – one of the few watches I can say I thoroughly enjoyed and miss wearing – and I was curious to see if this “full open-ized” piece gets to be a considerable alternative, or if it falls short by trying too hard.

As such, allow me to keep this review a bit shorter and more to the point, as this Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Full Open 38.00 (reference 03.2153.400/78.C813) has essentially the same case, movement, strap, and clasp as the Original 1969. One last point to clarify: the Original 1969 has been discontinued, but the Chronomaster El Primero 38mm (reference 03.2150.400/69.C713) is a minutely updated version of that piece that is currently available from Zenith.

Quick Run-Down On Specs

The Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Full Open 38.00 comes in a 38mm wide and 12.45mm thick case, sporting an ample 100m of water resistance and matched to an odd, 19mm wide strap. Both the front and back feature sapphire crystal windows, with the front featuring dual-side AR-coating over its boxed and slightly domed crystal element.

The movement inside remains the El Primero 400 Automatic, a classic iteration that falls very close to the original El Primero caliber – mind you, it is now behind a grey tinted crystal that makes it a bit more difficult to appreciate under some lighting conditions. It is, of course, a fully integrated chronograph caliber, composed of 278 parts, 31 jewels, and a balance wheel that beats at the much-loved 5Hz frequency, while power reserve runs over two full days at around 50 hours. The column wheel, horizontal clutch, automatic winding, and a beautiful movement and sub-dial layout make it a true classic.

Notably, the El Primero 400 is also as loud as it’s ever been, especially now, with the open dial, that allows sound to pass through the case with yet greater ease. In a quiet room, it is audible when on the desk at about two feet away, and when I lift my arm near my head – striking my Rodin’s The Thinker pose – I can hear it tick-tocking at its frantic and impressive 36,000bph. Some will love the El Primero for that, but others will want to know that it’s a watch you can hear in quiet environments – not something you’ll likely make out in the boutique, when trying it on.

The El Primero – Transformed

The Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Full Open 38.00 is a new reference for 2017, and while there have been numerous variations of the El Primero with different extents of skeletonization, this is the first one I can recall to be a 38mm-wide variant with a fully removed dial. It is also here where we should note that this is not really a skeletonized watch, as that term is traditionally used to refer to movements whose plates (and maybe some other parts) have been fully hollowed out so as to introduce as much transparency into the movement’s structure as possible. Kudos to Zenith watches kuwait Replica for using the correct term and calling this a Full Open and not an El Primero Skeleton, although this piece does seem to include a few pieces that appear to have been modified to make the dial-side of the El Primero more fascinating to look at.

Let’s step back a bit and discuss why this fast operating, silicon material technology is all a big deal. The name of the game here isn’t just to be exclusive with something different, but more importantly – about wristwatch performance. In the words of Jean-Claude Biver, “I imagine this is what Abraham-Louis Breguet would be excited about if he were alive today!” While we’ve seen an enormous level of variety in timepiece design over the years, there is very little new in terms of actual performance increases. That means that most mechanical watches produced are similarly accurate. Of course, there are major differences in terms of how well regulated a movement is, or how well it is constructed, but at the end of the day you can only tweak a standard mechanical watch movement to be so accurate.

The end result is one bonkers looking El Primero that comes with tons of newness and excitement to it – but also a few issues that are worth mentioning. Let’s dig in and see all the pros and cons of this bold, new, and attractive iteration of such a much-loved chronograph.

There can be no doubt to the wow-factor of the El Primero Full Open – it’s a striking watch, with a full skyline of wheels, tiny springs, cams, plates, and openworked sub-dials – it’s one heck of a view, and also something that you’re highly unlikely to get bored of anytime soon (or ever, for that matter). Whether one likes or dislikes full open watches is down to personal preferences and taste, but that doesn’t mean a watch without a dial can’t be tastefully done.

To mark the brand’s 150th anniversary, Zenith has introduced another version of its ultra-complicated Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane watch (hands-on here). That watch is unique because of its gimbal-style gyroscopic escapement, which Zenith calls a “Gravity Control system”; it also has a fusée-and-chain constant force mechanism, which is rarely seen in wristwatches.

In 2013, Zenith defy quartz watches Replica updated the collection with the Hurricane Grand Voyage, a limited special edition piece that featured lavish decoration in the form of hand-engraving and enamel painting that depicts Christopher Columbus’ founding of the New World.

For 2015, and to mark the 150th anniversary of Zenith, the manufacture has just announced the Zenith Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II. It’s very similar to the Grand Voyage from 2013, but it is still worth going over what makes this watch so special. Since there is so much going on with this watch, let’s begin with the case. Case size is 45mm and is 18k rose gold. It is 14.8mm thick, but this actually varies up to 21.8mm thanks to the sapphire dome which houses the Gravity Control system. Despite the large sapphire dome, and contrary to expectations, the Zenith Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II wears quite well once you get used to it. The only thing we would note is that it can be easy to bump the sapphire dome into things if you are not careful.

Like its predecessor, the dial exposes much of the watch’s underlying movement and mechanisms. There are three subdials made out of gold and filled with enamel and decorated with guilloche. Hands are blued steel. The subdial at 12 o’clock tells the time, while the subdials at nine and three o’clock offer the running seconds and power reserve, respectively. Legibility is not an issue, though wearers would likely get distracted by other aspects of watch that are exposed on the dial side – that we would get into later.

The first Zenith watches elite 6150 Replica Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage was a showcase of Zenith’s watchmaking prowess coupled with its flair for the arts and craft, and the new Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II is no different. Flip the watch around and owners will be greeted with a large sapphire display caseback and a breathtaking artwork that celebrates Christopher Columbus.

The painting is hand-engraved and hand-painted, and depicts Columbus landing in the New World, with Columbus himself on the right-hand side holding the Spanish flag and natives on the left. In the background is a large and colorful parrot that is engraved and painted in excruciating detail, and further back, one can spy the three ships in which Columbus and his crew arrived – the Santa Maria, Niña, and Pinta. The entire painting is really fascinating to look at, and we could just stare at it for hours on end to take in all the details.

Fortunately, the artwork is more than matched by the mechanical prowess of the watch. Powering the Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II is Zenith’s hand-wound El Primero 8805 movement, which beats at 5Hz, offers 50 hours of power reserve, and is made up of no fewer than 939 parts – a stratospheric amount in itself, and even more unusual when we consider that the watch offers a relatively small number of complications. The three complications it features are the power reserve indication, the fusée-and-chain constant force mechanism, which can be clearly see on the dial side at 12 o’clock just behind the time subdial (and which you could find in Zenith’s other recently announced creation, the Georges-Favre Jacot Academy, hands-on here). Transmission of power between the mainspring and fusée is handled by an 18cm long chain that is made up of 585 parts, and the fusée regulates the force that is passed on to the going train by adjusting for variations in tension. Winding the watch offers a visual treat of the chain wrapping itself back onto the fusée.

The third, and arguably most notable complication is the Gravity Control system, which is made up of 173 parts and borrows heavily from the principle of gimbal suspension systems used in marine chronometers of days long past. The idea behind it is that this self-regulating device would keep the escapement leveled at all times, regardless of the ships’ rolling and pitching, thus negating the need for the timekeeping device to be regulated in multiple positions.

The counterweight of the Gravity Control System features a hand-painted half-sphere of the Southern hemisphere. In some ways, this is the antithesis of the tourbillon and carrousel, and is arguably the more fun and interactive mechanism/complication. Moving the watch around lets wearers observe the mechanism at work and it is quite wondrous to see that no matter how you position the watch, the escapement stays absolutely level. It does have a wobbly action to it, as the gimbal tries to stay at level, but to think that the drive from the massive mainspring nevertheless finds its way into this tirelessly moving construction is in itself awe-inspiring.

All in all, the Zenith watches vs omega Replica Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II combines haute horlogerie with some of the most magnificent artwork we have seen on a watch. And despite its lofty specifications and presentation, it also comes off as a very fun watch to wear because of the Gravity Control system. The Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II comes in an ornately designed presentation box made out of fine mahogany and features ox-bone inlays. It is priced at $353,000 and is limited to just 10 pieces. zenith-watches.com

Aeronith is very light (2.7 times lighter than titanium, and 1.7 times lighter than standard aluminum) and also durable. The formation process (which is patented by Hublot) boils aluminum in some manner as to create air bubbles. When it dries, Aeronith takes on a foam-like texturing, and the pores are said to be filled in with a special polymer. I don’t know how much Aeronith will be used in future watch production, but I have a feeling Hublot and its sister brands will make use of the exotic material when they see fit – such as for these 10 unique watches. The issue is that each case is simply very time consuming to produce.Each of the 10 debut Zenith Defy Lab watches has a slightly different look mixing silver and gold-toned hour markers and hands with different dial and strap colors. It feels a bit like Zenith’s prototype collection where they tested out what the production models might look like – but honestly each looks cool (I’m partial to the green). Buying one of these 10 pieces (which are all sold out) came with some special perks. Not only do you as a customer get to be at the launch event with us members of the watch media, but they also get to take a watch home with them. The buyers of each of these piece unique watches also get a Zenith manufacture visit, an “exceptional gift box,” (which I will admit is pretty nice) as well as rare bottles of Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes white wine.