The spirit of collaboration is alive and well in Switzerland. Seemingly not a week goes by without a Swiss watch brand and a likeminded company or individual announcing they’ve teamed up to co-create a timepiece. Of course, it’s easy to see why. The results are often gestalt in motion.
Case in point: The new El Primero Revival A384 Edge of Space limited edition wristwatch, the product of a three-way partnership between the legendary Swiss watch brand Zenith, the U.K.-based men’s style site Mr Porter and British watch customizer Bamford Watch Department.
A follow-up to the 2018 Chronomaster El Primero Solar Blue, a sold-out limited edition co-created by the same cast of characters, the A384 Edge of Space incorporates historic Zenith design elements that Bamford Watch Department founder George Bamford discovered when he dug into Zenith’s rich archives.
Zenith El Primero Revival A384 Edge of Space Caseback Courtesy of Zenith
They include a tachymeter scale borrowed from a 1984/86 Zenith El Primero model, subdials inspired by a 1970 calibre, a vintage tonneau-shaped chronograph case, and vintage lettering taken from the original A384 model c.1969, when the El Primero automatic chronograph movement—arguably the most famous mechanism in all of watchmaking history (even Rolex used to use it inside its Daytona)—made its debut on the world stage.
Zenith paid homage to the 50th anniversary of the El Primero this year by introducing the A384 Revival, a remake that has earned plenty of praise.
Zenith El Primero Revival A384 Edge of Space Courtesy of Zenith
The A384 Edge of Space edition comes in a 37 mm titanium micro blasted case, whose size and angular tonneau-style shape are faithful to the original. Together with its “Edge of Space” blue dial with black counters and navy blue Cordura-effect rubber strap, the model has a retro vibe that has “future classic” written all over it. It’s available in a limited edition of 50 pieces, each $8,600, starting November 18
