Zenith El Primero HW???

[Geodoc]

Sikken et smukt ur, du "skyder i luften" - 36.000 BPH og med kolonnehjul.

Som "absolut ikke Zenith ekspert" - endsige Zenith kyndig, blev min nysgerrighed også vakt, for "hvad var det nu der tikkede indeni?"
Den velkendte Ranfft kaliber-guide, fortæller om kaliber 420 & 420Z, og fremviser et smukt værk, med overbevisende præstationer.

Ligeledes viser Ranfft vej til referencen: Les Ateliers Zenith, hvor vi ser:

Dette leder på sporet af, at kaliber 420 er en kaliber 400 med "afmonteret automatik".
Dit spørgsmål, om "en El Primero HW er interessant, eller om det kun er automatic versionen, der er interessant", er både forståeligt, og forbliver ubesvaret i diverse Zenith fora.

Denne reference: Zenith El Primero, Handwound - Watch Report beskriver 420 & 420Z i historisk sammenhæng.

Citat:Zenith introduced El Primero in 1969, The 13-ligne self-winding chronograph calibre stunned the world with a 36,000(ten times a second) oscillating rate per hour.
Its first model was named Cal 3019, whose execution looked almost exactly the same as the 40th anniversary version rolled out last year.
Coming later was 3019PHC which was added with triple calendar and moonphases. Following the renaissance of mechanical wrisstwatch, Zenith ended their
association with Movado.
The reference numbers of the El Primero were reorganized: the self-winding date became 400, and the triple date became 410.
At one time, EI Primero was the thinnest self-winding chronograph calibre. Its thickness is just 6.5mm, compared with Valjoux 7750’s 7.9mm and lemania 5100’s 8.25mm.
While how movement thickness could affect piece’s appearance and aesthetic attribute is recognized only in recent years, Zenith had long been acknowledging the importance.
Such indeed paved the way for Thierry Nataf’s remake of the barnd’s style and design. In mid 1990s, two variations were added to El Primero:405 with flyback and 420 with the self-winding mechanism removed.

The piece my friend asked about was an execution of 420. The calibre, meanwhile, has two versions. In 1998, Zenith gave and upgrade to the four existing models of El Primero.
The modifications included increasing the number of arm and teeth of the second wheel from 5to 6 and 100 to 120 respectively, reducing the teeth of the escape wheel from 21 to 20 but increasing the teeth on the pinion from 7 to 8, as well as changing the shape of the lever.
The revamped calibres were added the letter “Z” at the end of their reference number.

On the surface, 420 is just 400 minus self-winding. A closer look would suggest, however, that the former is more conducive to modern timepiece aesthetics.
This is so first because after removing the rotor and 20-so parts, the movement is just 5.7mm thick. Another self-winding calibre, 7750, also has a manual-winding version in 7765, which is extremely ugly in its layout however.
After taking out the visual-blocking parts, it is important to hide up those remain but do not look good. I handled in the same way as 420, it definitely would look better and quite likely, would stay longer on my wrist.

På Watchuseek, er Zenith Prime (forløber for El Primero HW) og kaliber 420 beskrevet nøjere Zenith El Primero HW + Zenith Prime + cal. 420
Den historiske overgang fra "Prime" til "El Primero HW", er nøjere beskrevet i tråden: Zenith El Primero HW Zenith Prime cal 420, hvor sidste indlæg skriver om "Prime/El PrimeroHW":

Citat:It was subsequantly renamed and restyled as the Zenith El Primero HW, which was featured in Zenith catalogues in the period 2000-2001.

Dette giver jo lidt grå hår i hovedet, ved din information om, at uret i dit opdrag er fra 2006.
Det kan være købt i 2006, hvilket harmonerer med beskrivelsen på diverse Zenith fora, at uret solgte langsomt.

Yndere af uret (både forløberen "Prime" og "El Primero HW") fremhæver det æstetisk tilfredsstillende, at når der nu er glasbagkasse....

så er indblikket til værket klarere og mere overskueligt uden en rotor end med.

Ligeledes fremhæver æstetikere, at værket uden rotor er imponerende fladt.

Mine egne tanker om værket er, at det ser en "smule amputeret ud". Det vil sige: med tydelige gevindhuller og recesser til en automatik (der altså er fjernet).

Som svar på det direkte spørgsmål, om HW kan være interessant i forhold til El Primero Automatic, bliver jeg svar skyldig.
..... men håber naturligvis, at have kastet "godt med røg over problemstillingen"

Med venlig hilsen - Geodoc