Zenith El Primero Stratos Fly Back Review

Team,

First of all, my cat, Noel Rosa help me on this review. Noel approved the watch.





Background

Is not new to anyone that I have an old love for Zenith, in special for the ones powered by an El Primero movement.

My addiction to El Primero started with the high beat 36000 bph and increased as much I learned about the movement history, the ties with Martel and the fact that is one of the oldest movements in full production.

Another factor that attract me to Zenith is the no-frills movement finish expressing the pure engineering priorities.

A Zenith watch, is my perception, is made to deliver a sturdy Watch, with capital “W” and that is it.

I was hooked on the Stratos since it was announced in 2011 and I was disappointed when I notice that the case dimension was 45.5mm. At that time, I could not believe that my wrist could hold a watch with that dimensions.

Time passes, I got a 44mm Sinn U2 and it was not bad on my wrist. Took another size jump, with an El Primero New Class that also has 44mm.

A new size limit was set and it was now 44mm.

A did several “visits” to the Stratos vendor and my conclusion always was that 44.5mm  “Is way too big to me”.

On my last visit, trying to put the Stratos on my wrist, fighting the Zenith Deployment buckle (more about that later) I notice that between the Stratos lugs there was a metal piece, secured in place by two small screws meaning that they were removable!





Based on this finding I started a plan that was to get the Stratos, remove those two metal pieces and, maybe, the case could stay on my wrist.

Plan in hand, negotiation started. I go to skip this part because my watch negotiation process is long and boring.

So, finally the Stratos was mine.

Let’s see what I got.

Initial impressions

The El Primero Stratos is, by all means, an impressive watch. The case size and the overall volume, causes this watch to have an imposing wrist presence.

The deep black lacquered dial, complemented by the ceramic bezel with dark gray tone that guides the eye to it is a very pleasing combination. Add to that the shine hour marks that hold a generous amount of Luminova that combined with the large hour and minute hands makes the overall visibility a very easy task.

Many will complain about the overlapped sub dials but this was a design compromise between the El Primero movement and the watch size.
It’s a little weird on the beginning but I got used to this.

The date at 6 is something that I don’t agree.
All others El Primero that I own have the date window at 4:30 but Zenith decided to put the date on a more standard place.





Metrics

Case size: 45.5mm
Height: 15mm
Inter lug size: 23mm
Size, including lugs: 53mm
Water resistant to: 10 atm/100 meters/330 feet

Strap

My watch was delivered with a crocodile strap with the internal size rubberized.

The strap comes with a Zenith deployment buckle that is a major challenge to adjust and to lock in place.

By sheer luck, the strap can accommodate a standard Zenith 18mm pin buckle that immediate put in place.






It's a little unusual for me a strap that has 23mm on the case and tapers to 18mm.










As I stated before, I removed those two metal “extensions”.
Some may complain about the gap between the strap and the case but it’s fine to me and it will give more space when I replace the OEM strap by another one, more tool styled to match the watch.

Movement

My Stratos is “powered” by a classic El Primero caliber 405 fly back chronograph movement.

I love the fly back complication, which was originally envisioned to help airplane pilots to reset the chronograph and immediately start measuring time.

This complication introduces very few changes on the base caliber 400, as is detailed on the following picture (Thanks to Nicola).







Fly back

Conventional chronographs have the following states:

1. Reset
2. Running
3. Stopped

Those states are controlled by two buttons, normally locates at 2 (button A) and 4 (button B) hour marks.

Button A starts the chronograph (Reset --> Running) or stops it (and can also start it from the current position).

Button B, when the chronograph is on the stopped state, resets it and moves the chronograph hand to the zero position.

With the Fly Back complication the button B gains another function. If the chronograph is on the running state, it resets the chronograph and starts it with a single action.

Simple? I think so, but this introduces additional complications to the overall movement design.

About the movement

I paid a visit to my watchmaker and, using a time machine, we checked the movement on all six positions:

Stem up, Stem at the 3 o'clock position, Stem at the 9 o'clock position, dial up, dial down and Stem down at the 6 o'clock position.

As expected, the El Primero 405 movement delivered little or no variations and I’m very happy with the overall movement performance.

If any wants to see a more technical analysis of the El Primero, please Google “THE ZENITH CHRONOGRAPH WALT ODETS” for a very detailed examination of this movement.





Other impressions

The bezel is unidirectional and has very precise 60 clicks. Of course the bezel is perfectly aligned with the internal marks.





The crown is screwed in and locks, as it should very smoothly.





 




The two pushers that control the chronograph are of the rectangular type.
The pushes are very large and require some force to operate.
I prefer this type of stiff action because it enhances the tactile feedback.

You know, for sure, when an action is being executed.

The case back is equipped with a transparent crystal allowing us to see the El Primero in full glory.

The movement decoration, as on any El Primero, targets a more functional and utilitarian than pure esthetics. I’m fine with this focused approach.

On the wrist

Of course, being a very large watch it feels on my underdeveloped wrist as some sort of a monster but the relatively short lugs and the perfectly flat case back allows it to seat on my wrist on a very comfortable way.

Being a very sportive watch is not a watch that I go to wear using a suit or even long sleeves but since my life style is very casual, it’s fine for me.










What I liked about the Stratos

1. The overall presence on the wrist
2. The design, that reminds me the old, but not forgotten, Rainbow
3. The details on the dial, markers, hands. I dare to say that the Stratos is the best built Zenith watch that I ever strapped on my wrist.

What I dislike

1. The deployment buckle is terrible and that is it. Trying to strap the watch using this buckle requires hand abilities of a magician and I don’t have those skills.
2. The strap, very well made crocodile with the rubberized internal part, is stiff and I plan, real soon, to replace it using a more flexible and less formal one (calf).
3. The lug size. 23mm makes the sourcing of a strap a hard task.

Suggestions to Zenith

1. Redesign the deployment buckle.
2. Release, please, a 40-42mm version of the Stratos (and call it Rainbow?)

Conclusion

I already stated that the Stratos is the best made by Zenith watch that I ever put on my wrist and after a week, I can confirm that.
Is a true keeper and it should be part of any serious Zenith aficionado or to any person that wants a true historical piece.

Now, I only need to source a large balloon, a parachute and I’m ready to jump, just like Felix Baumgartner did.



Thanks for seeing.

Cheers,

Nilo

Additional pictures

This message has been edited by nilomis on 2013-02-12 03:52:53