Paris has inspired artists, architects and creators for centuries. Its Haussmannian vistas, the balance of its royal squares, the alignment of its façades and the silhouette of its monuments compose an immediately recognisable urban landscape. A city where geometry is placed at the service of elegance.
It is this vision that ZENITH chose to interpret with the new CHRONOMASTER Original Édition Paris, a series limited to just 50 pieces intended exclusively for the French market. A watch that celebrates not only the capital, but also one of the greatest chronographs in the history of Swiss watchmaking.
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A new declaration of love for Paris
After paying tribute to the contemporary lines of the capital with the DEFY Skyline Édition Paris in 2024, ZENITH continues its dialogue with the City of Light through a collection whose history reaches directly back to 1969.
The choice of the CHRONOMASTER Original is anything but incidental. As the direct heir to the legendary A386, it arguably represents the most authentic interpretation of the El Primero, the movement that became a true benchmark in the world of the automatic chronograph.
This new edition does not seek to revolutionise an iconic model. It simply offers a different reading of it, deeply rooted in Parisian identity.
Verdigris as a signature
The eye is naturally drawn first to its verdigris gradient dial.
This colour was not chosen at random. It immediately evokes the oxidised copper roofs that crown many of Paris’s emblematic buildings, from monumental domes to elegant Haussmannian rooftops. Over time, copper develops that characteristic patina which gradually transforms the material without ever making it lose its identity.
A particularly fitting metaphor for a watch derived directly from a model more than half a century old, whose design remains strikingly contemporary.
The gradient brings real visual depth while the famous tricolour El Primero sub-dials retain all their legibility. The whole gives the watch a fresh personality without ever betraying the codes that made this collection a success.
The direct heir to the A386
Introduced in 1969, the A386 reference holds a place all its own in the history of watchmaking.
That year, ZENITH unveiled the El Primero, considered one of the very first integrated automatic chronographs to be mass-produced. More than a mere movement, it marked a technological breakthrough thanks to its frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour, delivering a precision rarely achieved at the time.
The CHRONOMASTER Original faithfully reprises the proportions of its illustrious ancestor with a 38 mm case, unprotected pushers, tapered lugs and a box-type sapphire crystal that immediately recall the original watch.
In a market where diameters have at times reached excessive dimensions, this loyalty to historical proportions now appears as one of the greatest qualities of this collection.
The El Primero, a legend still in motion
While the aesthetic draws on the Manufacture’s heritage, the mechanics belong firmly to the present.
The CHRONOMASTER Original Édition Paris houses the El Primero 3600 calibre, a modern evolution of the historic movement. True to its 5 Hz frequency, it allows a direct reading of the tenth of a second thanks to a central hand that completes a full turn of the dial in just ten seconds.
More than fifty years after its birth, the El Primero remains one of the few historic movements still produced in a continuously modernised version. Visible through the sapphire case back, it reveals its famous blue column wheel, its openworked oscillating weight stamped with the ZENITH star, as well as a comfortable 60-hour power reserve.
A limited edition thought through down to the last detail
Every detail recalls the exclusive character of this series.
The case back is engraved with the wording “ÉDITION PARIS” accompanied by the individual number of each of the fifty pieces.
The watch is delivered on a steel bracelet fitted with the new ZENCLASP™ deployant clasp, unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2026. The fruit of three years of development and nearly 1,800 hours of research, this clasp incorporates a tool-free micro-adjustment system that quickly adapts the bracelet to the natural variations of the wrist. A discreet yet particularly welcome improvement in everyday use.
A second strap in black nubuck also accompanies this edition, making it easy to change its character.
An exclusivity that will appeal to collectors
Limiting this CHRONOMASTER Original Édition Paris to just fifty pieces is obviously a nod to exclusivity, but also reflects a desire to offer a collector’s item aimed above all at enthusiasts.
This approach fits into a trend that is increasingly present among the major manufactures, which now favour local editions with a strong cultural identity rather than mere chromatic variations.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | ZENITH |
| Model | CHRONOMASTER Original Édition Paris |
| Series | Limited series, 50 pieces (French market) |
| Case | Steel, 38 mm, box sapphire crystal, unprotected pushers |
| Dial | Verdigris gradient, tricolour El Primero sub-dials |
| Movement | El Primero 3600, automatic chronograph, 5 Hz (36,000 vph) |
| Power reserve | 60 hours |
| Bracelet | Steel with ZENCLASP™ deployant clasp + black nubuck strap |
Our take
With this CHRONOMASTER Original Édition Paris, ZENITH demonstrates that it is still possible to pay tribute to a city without resorting to easy clichés.
The inspiration is not limited to the use of an emblematic colour. It is expressed in the pursuit of balance, in the restraint of the proportions and in a certain idea of elegance that ultimately draws Parisian architecture and watch design closer together.
This limited edition is also a reminder of just how much the CHRONOMASTER Original remains, today, one of the finest gateways into the El Primero world. Its contained diameter, its historical heritage, its benchmark movement and this new verdigris interpretation make it a particularly appealing piece for lovers of classic chronographs.
More than an edition dedicated to Paris, this watch ultimately celebrates a quality that the capital shares with the great watchmaking icons: the ability to span the decades without ever losing its power to fascinate.
Frequently asked questions
It is a series limited to 50 pieces, intended exclusively for the French market.
The automatic El Primero 3600 calibre, running at 5 Hz (36,000 vibrations per hour), with tenth-of-a-second reading and a 60-hour power reserve.
A 38 mm case faithful to the proportions of the 1969 A386 reference, with a box sapphire crystal and unprotected pushers.
This hue evokes the oxidised copper roofs of Parisian monuments; the gradient recalls the patina that copper develops over time.
A steel bracelet fitted with the new ZENCLASP™ deployant clasp, along with a second strap in black nubuck.
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