Zenith Updates a Classic: The Chronomaster Original Gets a Blue Dial

Zenith has once again gone back to one of its most important watches and made a small but striking change. The Chronomaster Original, the modern descendant of the 1969 El Primero A386, now comes with a deep blue dial — the first time this color has been offered in the line.

The new version keeps everything that has made the Chronomaster Original a standout: a compact 38mm stainless steel case based on the original A386, a clean, bezel-less profile, and the instantly recognizable tricolor subdials. But now those elements are set against a rich blue background, paired with a silver 1/10th of a second ring around the edge of the dial, giving the watch a new sense of contrast and clarity. The markers and hands are baton-style, rhodium-plated, and filled with SuperLuminova.

Inside is the El Primero 3600 movement, a high-frequency update to the original caliber. Running at 5 Hz, the movement allows the central chronograph hand to make a full sweep every 10 seconds instead of 60, offering true 1/10th of a second precision. The 60-hour power reserve and stop-seconds feature bring the movement into modern territory without losing the DNA of the original. A sapphire display back reveals the column wheel and star-shaped rotor.

As with other models in the Chronomaster Original lineup, this version comes with two straps: a blue calfskin leather strap and a stainless steel bracelet, both with folding clasps. The case is 12.6mm thick and 46mm lug to lug. Water resistance is rated at 5 ATM.

Now for the bad news: the new blue dial Chronomaster Original is $10,300 USD. It’s a solid price for a manufacture chronograph but adding a little blue to a lovely Zenith might not encourage you to upgrade just yet. That said, the El Primero is a classic and a Zenith like this deserves to be in everyone’s collection.