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!
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?
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
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....
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
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.
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)
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.
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
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!
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.