New watch release, the stunning men pleaser, the El Primero A3818 Revival ‘Cover Girl’
The beautiful & classic El Primero A3818 Revival ‘Cover Girl’, a stunning new watch release is here, courtesy Zenith & Revolution.
Zenith has been hitting it out of the park this year, with back to back great releases, whether be the introduction of a new collection (DEFY Midnight), expanding of an existing collection (Elite) or re-issues of vintage icons (Revival A384).
Joining these is the latest re-edition, the El Primero A3818 Revival. And helping Zenith in bringing this to the present day are our watch review industry heavyweights, Revolution magazine.
Justifying The Hype
The El Primero A3818 Revival, also called “The Cover Girl” is a legend amongst Zenith collectors.
It’s special because of two reasons:
One, the moniker.
The nickname of “The Cover Girl” has come about due to the appearance of the original’s photo on the cover of a book about Zenith history written by Manfred Rossler in 2009. Since then, vintage watch collectors have been referring to this as the “Cover Girl”.
Two, the limited production.
The original A3818 was introduced in 1971 for a brief time and only in limited quantities. This has made it one of the most elusive and sought-after vintage El Primero watches.
You better believe the hype behind this sporty-chic chronograph icon as when it comes to Zenith’s history, it’s hard to beat the charm of this limited edition re-release.
The Context
2019 marked the 50th anniversary of Zenith’s famed El Primero.
In honour of that, the brand released a fair number of limited edition iterations that continued well into 2020 with the introduction of the non-limited version of the El Primero A384, a watch series that ran from 1969 to 1971 only.
Coming hot off the hells of this revival, is this icon from the early 1970s.
The new El Primero El Primero A3818 Revival’s case design and visual aesthetics should appeal to anyone looking for a dose of retro vibes.
The brains behind the reissue
The collaborators behind this project, Revolution magazine and Zenith have had reasons to bring this out now.
“It’s an immense pleasure to bring back one of the most emblematic historical El Primero models with Revolution and The Rake, who have supported Zenith for the longest time. More than just leading media for watches and the finer things in life, Revolution and The Rake are also curators of exceptional objects and influential tastemakers with a story to tell”.
Julien Tornare, ZENITH CEO
“In the pantheon of watchmaking’s most iconic sports chronographs, there is only one timepiece bestowed with a sobriquet that enflames the desire of men to such an extreme. And that is of course Zenith’s legendary A3818 otherwise known as the Cover Girl thanks to its appearance on the front of Manfred Rossler’s halcyon tome Zenith: Swiss Watch Manufacture since 1865. In vintage collecting culture the Cover Girl is the single most sought-after and one of the rarest Zenith chronographs, with just 1000 pieces believed to have been made. It regularly achieves auction prices just below 20 thousand US dollars, making the watch a truly prized and elusive beast“.
Wei Koh, the founder of Revolution and The Rake
The Features
Zenith has used the Gay Frères designed bracelet — the “ladder” bracelet — to compliment the vintage look of this watch. It is a classic three-link bracelet design but with gaps in the middle that give it a ‘ladder’ look.
The heart inside the machine is special.
A384 was the first model to be equipped with this groundbreaking movement when it was first launched in 1969, and the new A3818 Revival features this same El Primero 400 Automatic movement.
The calibre El Primero 400 is a self-winding automatic movement with column-wheel chronograph comprising of 278 parts, 31 jewels and beating at the frequency of 5Hz (36’000 A/h) allowing for a decent (min.) 50 hour power reserve. The movement helps with depicting the following functions: hours and minutes in the centre, small seconds at 9’o clock, a central chronograph hand, a 12-hour counter at 6’o clock, a 30-minute counter at 3’o clock, a tachymetric scale, and a date indication at 4:30.
Watch Ya Gonna Do About It?
The Zenith El Primero A3818 Revival reference 03.A3818.400/51.M3818 comes in a 37mm — original was the same size — brushed & polished stainless steel case and costs 7’900 CHF.
At this price-point size, and limited edition aspect, Zenith and Revolution have presented a heck of a good looking sports watch at a bargain of a price.
The watch is a visually bold design that can be seen from a distance, and the red seconds hand against the satin-brushed finished & petrol blue tone of the dial is a great touch. The contrasting features of the “pyramid” seconds track and alternating grey and black colours on the sub-dial rings is another great added feature.
For those who are still on the fence about this one, the watch also features the pyramid track, tachymeter scale, logo and text in Super-LumiNova® for added legibility. And wait for it, the case-back is display compared to the closed-back of the original and showcases the famed movement that features an oscillating weight with “Côtes de Genève” motif. Need we say more?
If we were to pick a limited edition chronograph watch that was also a perfect watch for anyone with small wrists and the desire to go retro, we would highly recommend the new Zenith El Primero A3818 Revival “Cover Girl”.
For more information on these watches and other Zenith watches, head to their website here.
Alternatively, check this watch out on the Revolution Instagram page here.
