Watch of the Week: Zenith Chronomaster Original

When done well, diamonds on a watch add more than just to the price tag. This is a delicate exercise that is not that easy to accomplish. It is all about finding the right balance and incorporate the precious stones in such a way that they elevate the watch as a whole and create synergy with its design. With the new Chronomaster Orginal, Zenith is giving a master class on how to achieve this. What is most interesting is that they only need sixty-five brilliant-cut stones to make a dazzling display. Fifty-six are used for the lugs, with an additional nine as hour markers on the dial. They seem like details, but the impact is profound.

The first of the two versions that Zenith is launching of the Chronomaster Orginal stands out by its stunning dial. The brand used four different colors of mother-of-pearl to create it and modeled it after their first El Primero chronograph with its slightly overlapping subdials. Combined with the diamonds, does it give a tremendous play of light. Zenith perfectly matches this color palette with a strap made of light blue calfskin. The other version of the Chronomaster Original is slightly different. Zenith opted for a traditional dial with a silver-tone base on which they placed taupe-colored subdials with different shades. The diamonds also add here a dash of glamour that works very well.

Both watches have a 38mm large case made of stainless steel. Inside this case, and visible through a sapphire crystal insert in the caseback, is the caliber El Primero 3600. Zenith specifically designed this movement to mark the 50th anniversary of the El Primero. The chronograph is fitted with a column wheel and vertical clutch and offers a 60-hour power reserve. Unique is that its centrally mounted chronograph hand makes a full rotation every 10-seconds, giving new meaning to the 1/10th of a second precision for which the Zenith El Primero is so famous.