It’s charity auction season around this time of the year, and that usually means that a few very limited editions (or unique editions) are released upon the world.
In this particular case we’re talking about a Platinum Zenith El Primero ChronographChronograph A chronograph complication is a feature in a watch that allows the wearer to measure elapsed time in addition to telling the time. It works by having a separate set of gears and levers, called the chronograph mechanism, which is activated by pressing a button or a pusher. The chronograph mechanism starts and stops the chronograph's second hand, which is usually located on the watch's dial, separate from the regular watch hands. The elapsed time is usually displayed on a sub-dial or a register on the watch's dial. [Learn More] designed by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo. This one-off watch will be auctioned in Geneva on 9-10 November 2019. “Proceeds from the auction of this unique commemorative timepiece will go to Zoe4Life, a Swiss non-profit organization, part of the Childhood Cancer International network”.
This also ties in with the year-long (!) celebration by Zentih, “ending its year-long celebration of the El Primero’s 50th Anniversary with a bang.
On November 8, 2019 in Geneva, the final stop of its Anniversary World Tour, Zenith – in partnership with Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo – will unveil a unique and truly unprecedented El Primero in platinum”.
Unique for this one-off creation, and for the first time for an El Primero, the watch is made in PT 950 platinum. Another first, is the dial which is crafted from lapis lazuli, a vividly blue stone with flecks of gold. It reminds me a little bit about an aventurine dial in a way, which is great.
In addition they state that “as a testament to its time-tested robustness and reliability, it comes with a special 50-year international warranty”. Quite nice indeed.