1990s Zenith El Primero Rainbow Flyback 40mm 02.0480.405
Ref: 02.0480.405
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as “Watch Only” and, therefore, comes without its Zenith box or Zenith paperwork. It is paired with its original chunky 20mm Zenith five-link stainless steel bracelet with a concealed butterfly clasp and will fit up to a 7.35-inch wrist. The watch is from Circa 1990s and is sold in worn condition, but overall, it is in very fair condition, as you can see. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1g9fwHIeM34ow7kNJRA0qqFdKFrki5W4A?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 30:39 - https://youtu.be/H0qu8YovsI0
The Watch
Here we have a 1990s Zenith El Primero Rainbow Flyback 40mm 02.0480.405 made for the French Ministry of Defence. It required a timepiece for their pilots, designed to withstand the high “G” forces and magnetic fields they experienced; the tender was issued in 1997. The brushed 40mm stainless steel case curves with thick, tapered drilled lugs over your wrist. A lug-to-lug length of 46mm and a case thickness of 12.5mm give the watch an impressive wrist presence. Down the right side, we have the recessed chronograph pushers and a crown in the centre with deep knurling for grip. The stainless steel bezel has deep knurling and a black aluminium 60-minute insert with silver numerals, markings and the first 20 minutes highlighted. A flat sapphire crystal sits above a matte black dynamic dial. An outer Telemeter scale chapter ring surrounds the minutes precisely executed, Arabic numerals are coated in a thick layer of Tritium marking the hours, the chronograph consists of a colourful 30-minute register with an orange hand, at 6 o’clock a 12-hour register with a Tritium coated hand and at 9 o’clock small seconds with a Tritium coated hand, between the four and five a colour matched date window. Slender white sword hands are filled with Tritium and complemented by an orange arrow-pointed chronograph hand; at noon, we have the Zenith El Primero motif and “Automatic” printed underneath, completing this striking Rainbow Flyback chronograph. On the reverse, a screw-down case back with the details of the watch engraved around the edge and the Zenith shield in the centre; inside an Automatic Zenith Cal. 405, 31 Jewels beating at 36,000 Beats per hour, this column-wheel flyback chronograph is made up of 331 components. The watch comes paired with its original chunky 20mm Zenith five-link stainless steel bracelet with a concealed butterfly clasp and will fit up to a 7.35-inch wrist.
Personal Note
The Zenith El Primero Rainbow Flyback, reference 02.0480.405, in 40mm is the odd-duck among the Zenith references but one that begins to grow on you the more you wear it. The choice of colours is very "Zenith" and pops on the wrist, definitely a talking point amongst collectors and it will come as a surprise to those who have not seen it before when they realise it is a Zenith. I would not hesitate to add this to your collection if you are after a chronograph, it is surprisingly versatile with straps and fits the wrist beautifully!
The Brand
Zenith was founded in 1865 by 22-year-old watchmaker Georges Favre-Jacot. Their manufacturing was based in Le Locle, Switzerland. Famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who was the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911 and the North Pole in 1926, wore Zenith watches on his expeditions. In 1999, Zenith was purchased by LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), joining brands like TAG and Hublot. Zenith is one of the only Swiss manufacturers to still produce their own in-house movements. Their most recognised movement is the El Primero which was released in 1969, went into production in 1975, and was re-issued in 1986.
The introduction of the El Primero Automatic as the world's first Automatic Chronograph had a run from 1969 until 1975 when it was decided by Zenith Radio Corporation owners at that time until 1978 that all mechanical movements should cease production and all production be transferred to quartz. It was decreed that everything connected with the manual and El Primero movements be destroyed, but thanks to the foresight of Charles Vermot, a foreman of one of the workshops, who hid away as much as he could get his hands on over several months, including the 150 presses, thus saving these incredible movements. Thanks to a new contract, In 1989, Rolex introduced the Daytona Ref 16520 with the El Primero Cal. 4030 inside, which had a number of alterations made by Rolex, and it was kept under wraps as to who they got their movements from, unsurprisingly.