These spec-perfect revival pieces that the big-name watchmakers are announcing this year are proving to a series of hits. This time we have the Zenith, who in line with celebrating the 50th anniversary of the El Primero automatic chronograph movement, has just unveiled the El Primero A384 Revival.

You can read our complete series of stories marking the 50^th anniversary of the self-winding chronograph movement, here.

The barrel cased El Primero A384 happens to the share the same birth-year as the eponymous automatic chronograph caliber, meaning to say that today’s announcement bears double significance for Zenith. The importance of the A384 also lies in the fact that it was the first watch to house the ground breaking El Primero movement in 1969.

To create the 2019 revival A384, Zenith took an original specimen to work from, going the distance to have the actual 1969 piece digitized. From there, the present-day team took stock of very angle and facet of the watch case, and even the dimensions of the panda dial, to produce the truest possible revival timepiece.

The only deviations from the 1969 watch is that the 2019 version uses sapphire instead of an acrylic crystal and the caseback is now transparent.

The other deviation is, of course, the movement used, the El Primero 400; a finely tuned evolution of the milestone movement over the 50 years since its conception.

Vintage watch collectors, who particularly appreciate the finer details of early-70s watch design, are sure to applaud Zenith for fitting the A384 Revival on an integrated metal “ladder” bracelet, in the same way the 1969 original would’ve been.

The A384 Revival is the final piece of the set of watches that will be produced this year in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the El Primero. The first round of special timepieces for the occasion were announced during Geneva Days 2019 in January. Following which three gold alloy versions of the barrel shaped A386 Revival were announced at Baselworld 2019.

But unlike the rest of the watches announced for the 50th anniversary of the El Primero, the A384 Revival is going to be produced as an unlimited piece. Zenith, therefore, allowing everyone to partake and own a beautiful timepiece that celebrates one of horology’s most remarkable achievements.