In-Depth: The Secrets Of The Legendary Zenith El Primero

The year is 1969, a year full of firsts for humanity: the first Concorde supersonic test flight, the first man on the moon, and the first automatic chronograph. Zenith SA, based in Le Locle, was the first Manufacture to invent this now iconic calibre. After its creation, the Zenith El Primero had what looked to be a bright shining future. Not only was it the first ever automatic chronograph movement, but it was also the first and only chronograph capable of measurements to the nearest tenth of a second. All this was thanks to its now infamous 36,000 vph heartbeat. Zenith won the race against countless companies, Swiss and Japanese, to invent this now legendary chronograph.
 

Unfortunately, back in 1975 during the Quartz Crisis, the American company that owned Zenith ordered the cessation of production and the destruction of all things El Primero and mechanical movements. In their minds, there was no future for mechanical watchmaking, and quartz was the answer. Charles Vermot, a watchmaker that worked on the famous calibre, tried endlessly and without success to change the minds of the American owners. He wrote them letters to explain that it would be a mistake to part with the iconic calibre. He famously wrote,

The company didn't want to hear it, so Charles Vermot volunteered to destroy the El Primero himself. In secret from everyone – even his family – he hid all the plans, parts, and necessary tools to make the El Primero and all mechanical movements behind a fake wall in the attic of a non-connected building next to the Manufacture. The strong belief that we would lose savoir-faire by destroying it guided his actions. Charles Vermot then carried on with making Quartz watches as requested by the American company.
 

While at a beautiful dinner organized by Zenith this past June, we got the opportunity to speak with Charles Vermot's son, Michel. It was during this dinner we discovered that his family did not know of his actions at the time. Mrs. Vermot was so suspicious that she asked Michel if he knew what his dad was up to by staying late so many nights at work. Michel recalled that at the time he told his mother that he knew that his father was just a very hard worker and that she should not worry. Little did he know that his father would go on to save Zenith, and perhaps today's watch industry.
 

To continue the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of El Primero, Zenith launched the A384 as the final piece of the Revival series. Back in 1969, the El Primero A384 was a real standout with its original case shape and redefined style. It was also the first piece to be powered by the El Primero movement.
 

Saved by Charles Vermot, Zenith carried on making groundbreaking movements like those in the Defy collection. Their troubled past and the second chance provided by Vermot’s courage spurred Zenith to become one of the most ambitious brands in the market today. Always trying to innovate and be on top of technology, Zenith is, in my humble opinion, a brand that we should not overlook.