AndrewD
[HoMe Moderator]
12829
Actually ...
... I love it.
The 10-second dial makes it very easy to read off short time intervals and takes advantage of the natural frequency of the El Primero (10 oscillations per second). In combination with the 60-second counter at 3 o'clock it makes for a very animated dial. I was with Art last year on the first occasion I got to play with this watch and was very impressed. The styling emphasizes the history of the company, but there are plenty of nods to modern manufacturing with silicon parts that shows that Zenith is not just stuck in the past (which some have accused them of because of their reliance on the 40-year-old El Primero movement).
The only design feature that bothers me is the inability to read some of the subdials accurately, but that would not stop me committing to this piece. It marked a turning point for the company in my mind.
Andrew
Your thoughts about the "Striking 10th"?
Do you think it is an interesting complication? a useful one? Do you consider purchasing the watch? Or have done so already? What are your experiences with it? Your input is appreciated. Regards, Marcus
If I get one chronograph for my collection
this is the one I would like to get. I am not a great fan of chronographs, generally preferring a digital stopwatch for timekeeping. However the Striking 10th absolutely enchants and fascinates me.
I plan on buying one this year...
Not only is it a very good looking watch, but the history of the movement means a lot to me.
I like it
I do think it's an interesting complication. In a way, it stretches time, allowing us to see and live fractions of a second. The way Zenith designed it, it is useful since it is tied to the chronograph and not just a visual curiosity, altough it is also v...
Striking 10th and Ancestor
For those of you design mavens, here's a striking 10th next to its ancestor, the ref. A 386 El Primero of 1969. What do you think of the way Zenith handled fitting a larger watch to El Primero?...
I think
they succeeded. The older version has subdials that are too large. I just wish they had kept the design details instead of changing them for the worse.
I'll admit to being beguiled by . . .
. . . the more proportionally correct dial offered in the 40th anniversary model . . . . . . which, along with its cushion case, makes for an exceptionally handsome presentation, in my humble opinion. On a purely æsthetic level, this model is by far and a...
New Vintage 1969
I agree with you about the New Vintage 1969 - the more attractive of the two revivals of the A 386 scheme. But then, I am a huge fan of the somewhat quirky case of these models - not everyone is. The dial is the same size as that used in the A386, and in ...
Count me in as a fan . . .
. . . of Zenith's cushion case design. As much as I like it in the abstract . . . . . . it's the presence it exudes on my wrist that entrances. Cordially, Art...
It seems more than a novelty to me....
The idea that the striking 10th renders the "heartbeat" of the movement I find riveting. But I gather its appeal is limited. J
I beg to differ . . .
. . . because the ability to demarcate a tenth of a second with utter legibility is compelling to someone that would exclusively take advantage of the functionality offered by a chronograph to time racing events. There are many uses for a chronograph that...
To go further on AndrewD's comments below...
...the sub-dial obscuration is an issue....The big red hand is great, as you say, for reading fractions of a second without squinting. But due to the obscuration of the seconds subdial, some thought will be required for anything between 30 (ish) and 45 (i...
The matter of overlapping subdials . . .
. . . shouldn't be an issue because the acclimation period is practically non-existent. The chronograph seconds hand subdial at 3:00 . . . . . . runs in parallel with the sweep striking seconds hand, so it's a simple matter of mentally fusing the two. Of ...
Good to hear...
I thought it might be intuitive given that they are keyed to each other and given that the overlap only really covers 15 odd seconds, you'd be out of the obscuration zone before the red hand had been around a little less than twice... Thanks for the feedb...
sub dial overlap
...is not really an acute issue in the Striking 10th, as Art points out. Recall that the principal chrono hand circles the dial once every 10 seconds. Thus, when you look at the subdial seconds hand, you don't need to read each second, you just need to kn...
+1...
I replied to Art, but that reply is just applicable to your post. Your points are well made and well received. Makes perfect sense!
Actually ...
... I love it. The 10-second dial makes it very easy to read off short time intervals and takes advantage of the natural frequency of the El Primero (10 oscillations per second). In combination with the 60-second counter at 3 o'clock it makes for a very a...
It is...
A pretty nice watch, with styling dating back to the original from 1969...but I have to agree with Art on this one, the 40th Anniversary was much more of a homage piece to the original El Primero chronograph of 1969. The actual watch itself, though, I hav...
Thanks for these very elaborate comments ....
...to which I mostly agree, with the exception of your opinion on "safe queens". I think that today nearly every series produced watch can be worn in all everyday situations, excluding maybe the shower, sauna and working with the jack-hammer. Regards, Mar...
. . . but, apparently, including . . .
. . . power sanders . . . . . . and hedge trimmers . . . . . . ;-) . . ....
Hehe, definitely not a safe queen, but ....
... since this is a dedicated sports watch, I do expect it to perform well under all these conditions, even if afterwards, it looks like this: Marcus...