El Primero 52nd Birthday!

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wristpirate

·Jan 10, 2021

The El Primero was announced to the world on the 10th of January 1969. The first three models to be launched were the A384, A385 and A386.

Happy Birthday El Primero!

 

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Medinatalzahra

·Jan 10, 2021

Impressive! M

 

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amcclell

·Jan 11, 2021

What an amazing collection - when did you start accumulating El Primero's?

 

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FREDMAYCOIN

·Jan 11, 2021

My far fetched dream watches. Love them all congratulations. So they are in sequence from left to right, 2 of each model n each column?

 

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gatorcpa

·Jan 11, 2021·ΩF InvestiGator

The Seiko cal. 6138's were available to the market months ahead the first El Segundo. 😁
gatorcpa

 

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cvalue13

·Jan 11, 2021

gatorcpa

The Seiko cal. 6138's were available to the market months ahead the first El Segundo. 😁
gatorcpa

And 20 years before that Piguet of Lemania had developed a prototype auto-chrono that didn’t go to production because it was ahead of its time 😁

 

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amcclell

·Jan 11, 2021

gatorcpa

The Seiko cal. 6138's were available to the market months ahead the first El Segundo. 😁
gatorcpa

I know the Seiko 6139 and Buren 11 both beat Zenith to the retail market, but I did not know that the 6138 also crossed the finish line ahead of the EP. Please say it isn't so....

 

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wristpirate

·Jan 11, 2021

amcclell

What an amazing collection - when did you start accumulating El Primero's?

Picked up my first Zenith 7 years ago. El Primero Day 2014 gave me some really lovely photos to look at and got the ball rolling

 

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wristpirate

·Jan 11, 2021

FREDMAYCOIN

My far fetched dream watches. Love them all congratulations. So they are in sequence from left to right, 2 of each model n each column?

That's correct. The left 2 with panda configuration are the A384. Middle 2 with "fume" dials are the A385. And the right side pair with tri-colour dials are the iconic A386.

 

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jaguar11

·Jan 11, 2021

What a stunning collection!!!

 

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wristpirate

·Jan 11, 2021

gatorcpa

The Seiko cal. 6138's were available to the market months ahead the first El Segundo. 😁
gatorcpa

We'll have none of that type of chatter here. Take it to the Seiko Sub Forum 😁 (which btw it would be really good to have on OF)

 

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amcclell

·Jan 11, 2021

wristpirate

Picked up my first Zenith 7 years ago. El Primero Day 2014 gave me some really lovely photos to look at and got the ball rolling

Alas, I arrived late to the party and had focused mainly on Omega until 2016. I wasn't into chronographs, so I didn't get my first EP cal. 3019 until 2 years ago with a surf. I picked up a Rainbow cal. 400 a year later but by then, the vintage classics that you have were far out of reach.

 

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adrian scott

·Jan 11, 2021

Fantastic set of watches.

 

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gatorcpa

·Jan 11, 2021·ΩF InvestiGator

amcclell

I know the Seiko 6139 and Buren 11 both beat Zenith to the retail market, but I did not know that the 6138 also crossed the finish line ahead of the EP. Please say it isn't so....

What is the “finish line”? I don’t think a press conference showing prototypes qualifies.
gatorcpa

 

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MRC

·Jan 11, 2021

amcclell

I know the Seiko 6139 and Buren 11 both beat Zenith to the retail market, but I did not know that the 6138 also crossed the finish line ahead of the EP. Please say it isn't so....

Japanese Domestic Market only, manufactured May 1969 according to some sources.

This article about the "race" was written by a noted Heuer collector (although he has Speedies too...)
http://www.onthedash.com/docs/Project99.html

 

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Cuttysark

·Jan 13, 2021

Fantastic collection!!!🥰🥰

 

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DanT

·Jan 13, 2021

And now the impossible question - do you have a favourite?!

 

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pdxleaf

·Jan 13, 2021·"I cut it TWICE and it's still short!"

DanT

And now the impossible question - do you have a favourite?!

That's just mean! 😉

 

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arkman

·Jan 13, 2021

DanT

And now the impossible question - do you have a favourite?!

If it was asked of me, although it may be sacrilege, the smoky dial A385 in the middle of the bottom row gets my heart racing. And if no one has said it yet, DIBS!

 

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amcclell

·Jan 13, 2021

gatorcpa

What is the “finish line”? I don’t think a press conference showing prototypes qualifies.
gatorcpa

The retail market - I was under the impression that the 6138 was released to stores 6-9 months after the 6139 and slightly after the El Primero made it to the stores. I had always believed that the Zenith 3019 was 3rd place in the race to market for an automatic chronograph, but if the 6138 was out prior, the EP would be 4th place.