One of the most interesting partnerships in fine watchmaking is certainly that between the famous Swiss watchmaker Zenith and the living legends of rock music – The Rolling Stones. Ever since 2014, the house of Zenith produces special limited edition watches dedicated to the famous British brand. Earlier this year, Zenith introduced a distinctive Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb model - Tribute to the Rolling Stones. Now another of Zenith’s flagship models, the El Primero Skeleton, reveals its rock’n’roll side. To honor the legendary band, which was formed no less than 55 years ago, Zenith presents a special series timepiece, the El Primero Skeleton Tribute to the Rolling Stones. This exclusive new model is crafted from blackened ceramic and fitted with an openworked dial. The timepiece is issued in a limited edition comprising 250 chronographs.
The new Zenith chronograph features an imposing 45mm-wide case, which frames an openworked dial that reveals a spectacular fast-paced El Primero movement. For the first time ever, Zenith has created a case that is entirely made of black ceramic, a material that perfectly conveys the rock attitude of the band. The three dimensional watch face displays the Rolling Stones famous licking tongue insignia in a small seconds sector. The tongue and lips logo, inspired by the mouth of lead singer Mick Jagger, spins around the sub-dial like a vinyl record on a turntable. The hour and minutes hands evoke the neck of a Fender Telecaster 1950s electric guitar, while the crimson colored star-tipped central seconds hand matches that of the date.
The extraordinary column-wheel chronograph movement, El Primero Caliber 400B, is visible through both the skeletonized dial and a see-through case-back. The movement beats at a high frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour, allowing tenth-of-a-second measurements. The caliber is assembled from 326 individual components and 31 jewels. Its animating core, the oscillating weight, is decorated with Cotes de Geneve motif, and the famous Rolling Stones logo in red. The movement powers an indicator of the hours and minutes, small seconds, along with chronograph, tachymeter and date functions. It also delivers over 50-hour power reserve, and is sealed against the ingress of water to up to 50 meters of depth.
Zenith El Primero Skeleton Tribute to the Rolling Stones is mounted on a black calfskin strap with hot-stamped rock’n’roll motifs and red stitching. The strap is tightly secured to the wrist by a triple folding clasp in black PVD-coated titanium. Each timepiece from this special limited series of 250 exemplars comes in a dedicated presentation box.
Reference: 49.2521.400/98.C755
Limited Edition of 250 units
Price: $11,100 USD / more information at zenith-watches.com
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