Zenith Grande Chronomaster Open El Primero Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com The Zenith Grand Chronomaster Open is the definition of a "manufacture" luxury watch. Powered by the legendary El Primero automatic chronograph, this 45mm solid gold complicated timepiece is a case study in machinery that works as good as it looks. Manufacture Zenith of Le Locle, Neuchâtel is revered by watch collectors as one of the most original, important, and potent creative forces in Swiss watchmaking. Zenith is also an exclusive manufacture; while companies like Rolex and Omega produces watches by the hundreds of thousand, a good year at Zenith sees about 30,000 units shipped. Zenith's greatest achievement of the 20th century was the 1969 launch of the El Primero, the world's first automatic 36,000 VpH chronograph. Constructed entirely in-house, the movement set a standard that remains a point of reference for the industry. Illustrious names including Rolex, Panerai, Hublot, TAG Heuer, and many others have chosen the El Primero to power their premier chronographs. However, Zenith's greatest achievement of the 21st century has been its popularization of the "open" escapement. By exposing the beating heart of the El Primero through the dial side of the watch, Zenith enables the owner to admire or share the view of the high-beat balance wheel of the Chronomaster. It captures the beauty and technical appeal of the far more costly tourbillon mechanism, and it does so without requiring exorbitant service costs that tourbillons inevitably incur.