Zenith Chronomaster Sport

Zenith released the Chronomaster Sport to mark the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the El Primero caliber, albeit with a two-year delay, in 2021. The Chronomaster Sport is a series-produced model coming on the heels of the anniversary trilogy of the Chronomaster 2 El Primero, El Primero A386 Revival, and the Defy El Primero 21. Only 50 copies were produced of each model in the trio.

The sporty chronograph uses the in-house caliber El Primero 3600, a further development of the El Primero 400. This movement's distinguishing feature is its ability to measure times to 1/10th of a second thanks to the central second hand. This hand sweeps around the dial in just 10 seconds after the push-piece is pressed, rather than the usual 60. With the help of the markings on the bezel scale, you can read the elapsed time with extreme precision.

The El Primero 3600 is a high-frequency caliber; its balance oscillates at 36,000 vibrations per hour. Zenith's first version of this movement, the A386, was first launched in 1969. Together with the Heuer 11 and Seiko 6139 calibers, it is considered to be one of the world's first automatic chronographs. You can recognize this movement by the arrangement of different colored subdials at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock and the date window at 4:30.

It didn't take long for watch enthusiasts to draw parallels between the Zenith Chronomaster Sport and the current generation of the Rolex Daytona. However, a side-by-side of these two models reveals that they really only seem similar at first glance. There are vast differences between the two, namely size and color scheme, subdials, shape of the indices, and the bezel markers. Interestingly, Rolex equipped the first automatic Daytona with the Zenith El Primero.

You can buy a Zenith Chronomaster Sport in mint condition from around 9,500 USD. This amount will get you the black dial version on a rubber strap. If you'd prefer a stainless steel bracelet, plan to spend around 10,000 USD. The Chronomaster Sport model with a white dial and paired with a stainless steel bracelet is a particularly popular choice and sells for around 10,500 USD new. You can save around 500 USD by opting for a rubber strap instead. As it's crafted from a precious metal, the rose gold version is the most expensive Chronomaster Sport model at roughly 19,500 USD.

At the time of writing, the Chronomaster Sport collection consisted of five models, all of which are powered by the in-house caliber El Primero 3600. You can choose between four stainless steel variants and one rose gold model. The stainless steel models differ only in their dial color (black or white) and band material (stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap). The rubber strap comes in black for the black dial version and blue for the white dial. The rose gold Chronomaster Sport has a white dial and Zenith mounts it on a black leather strap.

All Zenith Chronomaster Sport models have a diameter of around 41 mm, a case thickness of 13.5 mm, and a lug-to-lug measurement of about 46 mm. The somewhat conservative dimensions make the Chronomaster Sport a great choice for slimmer wrists. What's more, the chronographs offer water resistance to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft).

Another feature seen on all Chronomaster Sport watches is the black, polished bezel with an engraved 1/10th of a second scale. The scale on the stainless steel variants is white, and rose gold on the rose gold model.

Like its vintage predecessor with the El Primero 400 caliber, the Chronomaster Sport has a tricompax dial with overlapping subdials at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock arranged in a v-shape. The date window can still be found at 4:30, which adds a slight twist to the watch's otherwise perfect symmetry.

Regardless of the dial color you choose, the subdials have the same color scheme on all versions. The 60-second counter at 3 is blue, the 60-minute counter at 6 is anthracite, and the small seconds at 9 o'clock is gray.

The hour markers are applied and have a strip of luminous material at their tips. The obelisk-shaped hands also have a healthy dose of luminous material, so you can read the watch easily even in the dark. If you take a closer look, you'll notice that the indices and hands match the case color.

In early 2022, Zenith introduced the Chronomaster Sport Boutique Edition (ref. 03.3103.3600/69.M3100). This model is the first in the collection to have a silver dial, but still features the familiar v-configuration of subdials in blue, gray, and anthracite. Of course, the Zenith El Primero 3600 high-frequency movement ticks away inside the case. Another novelty is the tricolor ceramic bezel, which carries over the colors from the subdials. Like all other watches in the Chronomaster Sport series, the Boutique Edition comes on a three-piece link stainless steel bracelet. You can buy this Zenith reference on Chrono24 for around 14,500 USD.