Finally, a grail Zenith El Primero A386 from 1971!

Zenith El Primero A386, circa 1971

I've been looking out for the Zenith A386 for a long time - they're are not easy to come by at all.

Firstly, there aren't many of them around - only 2500 pieces were produced from 1969 to 1971.

And this is the model that all the Zenith and vintage watch collectors are searching for, so whatever comes up on sale tends to be snapped up, however overpriced or in bad condition they may be. Just as an example - this one featured in Christie's blog (with a nice write-up) has the wrong crown.

Then, because there's many photos of this model online, courtesy of proud owners wanting to share, there are actually scammers, using available online photos as their own and even impersonating well known watch dealers, offering to sell this watch to unsuspecting collectors! I know this for a fact, cos I was offered such a watch, and was very nearly scammed!

Lastly, to liven things up even more, recently there have been a bunch of forged ones trickling into the market, that have fooled more than a couple of collectors and auction houses - see this post and this post for details. Again, I was offered such a forged piece (by an unknowing seller, I must add), that I almost fell for.

So it's an understatement to say that I got all excited when I chanced upon this piece on offer over at Chrono24. It was not cheap by any means, but it was not exorbitantly overpriced like some others, plus I've long concluded that if I wanted this model I would have to put my money where my mouth was, so to speak (pardon the pun).

Most importantly, it looked all original - the wabi-ed dial, the 'El Primero' script, the hands, the '4-pointed star' crown, the caseback (with correct 'sunburst' rather than forged 'radial' brushed effect), and the c.3019 movement all checked out. This was important, cos a lot of these Zeniths had period incorrect service crowns, and of course, I had to make sure this wasn't one of those forged ones circulating around.

As a bonus, the store claimed they were offered this watch by the elderly first owner!

So a supposed all original first owner Zenith El Primero A386, patina and all, with a correct c.3019 movement, dating to late 1971 by serial number - it would have been criminal to pass this watch up!

So I promptly emptied my wallet and bank account (and then some), and pulled the trigger, and within a week it had arrived.

I've read a lot about this watch, about how stunningly beautiful in real life it is, plus I already have it's cousin, the 'panda' dial A384, but none of that adequately prepared me for the priceless moment when I opened up the box...

Zenith El Primero A386, 31J c3019 movement, circa 1971

It was indescribably gorgeous - words and photos simply fail to capture how timelessly pretty and perfectly proportioned this watch is, from the script on the dial, to the overlapping metallic tri-colored sub-dials, to the distinctive white 'plastic-looking' hands - everything about it was perfect.

Zenith, no doubt, made a legendary first 'high-frequency automatic integrated column-wheel chronograph' movement in the c.3019 (see here for Zenith's own take on the story), but it would be fair to say that their watch designers could not match up - some of their 70s designs have perhaps not stood up to the test of time - but whoever designed the Zenith A386 in the late 60s must have been supremely and divinely inspired to have created such a masterpiece.

I had read a well known vintage Zenith collector mention that if he was only permitted the A386 as his only watch, he'd not miss any of the others in his collection, and I now know what he meant.

With this watch as the 'final piece in the puzzle', I am happy to look no further and not feel that I'd miss out on any other watches, vintage or otherwise. There have been so many that I've eyed or considered - the Carrera 12 Dato, the Camaro 7220, the blue Skipper, the Rindt 2446 Autavia, the Rolex 5513 and 1016, the Grand Seiko 6146, but these will have to wait for another lifetime, or the next midlife crisis!

It's been an exhilarating and educational few years, where I've met lots of fellow collectors even more passionate that I am, and had the privilege of making more than a couple of friends, but I am finally content to proudly declare that I have 'completed' my vintage collection, themed around the the first automatic automatic chronographs, and other iconic watches, of 1969!

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