El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow
El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow: Concentrated Zenith DNA
The forceful homage paid to this almost mythical chronograph perpetuates the legend of Zenith's outstanding aviation timepieces.
By David Richard
2013 is definitely all about change for Zenith timepieces... but change based on the historical continuity of the famous manufacture with the star logo in Le Locle.
Two years after its 150th anniversary, Zenith is clearly feeling its second wind. Indeed, the legend appears to be starting from scratch: from the launch of a communication campaigns to rebuild its image, a redesigned website and a newly-designed booth for Basel, to the revamped factory and the re-issue of the Zenith Rainbow Flyback chronograph.
No change has been made to the 250 pieces of the limited edition Stratos, whose dial comprises all the former codes and functions, including the sword hands.
The only addition is the date aperture at 6 o'clock, which forced a reduction in the diameter of the hours totaliser just above it.
Obviously, in 2013, steel was no longer the norm for the case and bezel, but rather a tough alloy of titanium and aluminum also known as TiAlum. Aluminium was chosen for the unidirectional bezel, a user-friendly metal resistant to wear and tear.
A black rubber strap was used for lightness and full contemporary comfort.
Zenith El Primero: the flying fast beater
The term “optimal” could be the superlative of the El Primero calibre that drives this limited edition. It was the flyback function that boosted the El Primero calibre's evolution from the 400 to the 405 version for the Rainbow Flyback.
Now it's a 405B version that generates the 36,000 vph for the calibre built into this 45.5-mm Stratos.
What is left to be written about this iconic calibre?
According to sources close to the brand, manufacturing it required around nine months' worth of processes, 2,500 separate operations and eighty different crafts… It was necessary, and in the end it made the Zenith Rainbow Flyback an authentic professional tool geared towards the world of aeronautics.
The very fact that a new factory was arranged within the walls of the old one reveals the brand's goal of capitalising on its history. This is a value added that has authenticity, daring and pleasure shaping the brand's fundamentals.
Rainbow Flyback: a legendary model
The 2010 Defy model was the second instance of Zenith reviving fine memories of the Rainbow Flyback from 1997. This exceptional chronograph was made for the French army in 1995 and designed entirely according to military specifications.
It was built to resist changing air pressure and temperatures, magnetic fields and gravity (up to 11 Gs), and was thus adapted to be used in extreme conditions thanks to its likewise extreme sturdiness.
Eventually, for political reasons completely beyond Zenith's control, the French army decided not to use the watch. However, the prototype continued to be optimised thanks to the interest of professional pilots and the Aéroclub de France, before being made public at the 1997 Baselworld trade fair.
One major innovation is the flyback function, which gave pilots greater accuracy in their calculations thanks to the chronograph's single click reset function.
In addition, certain important choices were made to ensure optimum readability: the sweep chronograph hand is red, as is the minute counter hand and the first twenty-minute arc on the bezel. Similarly, the minutes subdial at 3 o'clock features a tricoloured and white track, making for impeccable readability regardless of the plan's position or lighting.
The limited edition Stratos not only follows in the footsteps of this prestigious legacy, but also pays a more global tribute to Zenith's principles: rhodium-plated, faceted and Superluminova-coated hands, and Stratos bezel and a strap as a reminder of the Rainbow collection.
This timepiece represents a strong message for this brand’s collectors, who are being invited to visit one of Zenith's fifteen exclusive concept stores around the world to acquire one of the 250 pieces available. Acquiring a limited edition Stratos is tantamount to partaking in the brand's renewal.