There are few details in the wild world of watches more romantic than “tropical” style dials. In true vintage examples, they’re a physical testament to the aging process – the once stark black tones warmed and patinated to chocolate browns and caramels through the passage of time, repeated wear, and exposure to the elements. But here in the 21st century, many brands have been able to capture the magic of the tropical style dials as an intentional design choice, forgoing the unpredictability, fragility, and often inflated price tags of true vintage watches. We are gathered here today to discuss an all-new and thoroughly modern expression of the tropical dial phenomena with Zenith’s latest rendition of the Chronomaster Revival A384, which ups the vintage-inspired goodness with a chocolate panda reimagining of one of its most faithful heritage reissues.
[toc-section heading=”History And Context”]
Zenith is, hands down, one of the most influential innovators in the chronograph complication. So influential that it completely revolutionized the landscape of chronographs with the introduction of the El Primero Caliber – the first-ever automatic chronograph movement (an innovation that other brands leaned on, outsourcing the high-frequency caliber for themselves for decades to come). Among the models to debut this technological feat was the A384, which captured the aesthetic codes of the era, which we now look at fondly as quintessentially mid-century design, from its compact tonneau-shaped case and pump-style pushers to its charming typography.
In 2019, the brand officially brought back the A384 to its modern repertoire. Zenith’s Revival collection is where the most faithful modern takes on its significant designs live, and the brand takes the term “Revival” with utmost seriousness. With the holy trinity of Chronomaster Revivals, which are the A384, A385, and A386, along with other similar examples, like the Defy Revival A3684 Diver, the brand has plundered the depths of its own archive, consulting blueprints and original design materials to achieve strict verissimilitude. When Zenith says vintage reissue, it really means it.
[toc-section heading=”Case And Wear”]
In the case of the watch at hand, this is largely a story of a novel new dial expression and its effects, rather than any major changes to the case or other big elements (if it ain’t broke…). But for those who are possibly encountering the Chronomaster Revival universe for the first time, or have a more nebulous relationship to the collection. As I’ve mentioned before, this Chronomaster Revival, at its core, is an intensely faithful reissue, not a modern re-interpretation of a vintage watch. That is possibly most evident in its sizing and proportions. The 37mm diameter of the angular, tonneau-shaped case is unchanged from the A384 of 1969 to the model here. Beyond its true-to-vintage appeal, this also effectively opens up the watch to wearers with smaller wrists (myself being one), who typically find chronographs on the market too large for comfort.
One quirk of this watch, and the Chronomaster Revival line writ large, is that Zenith has not only faithfully reproduced the watch, but the ladder-style bracelet. This is also typically where the watch enthusiast community is most divided. Originally designed by Gay Frères in 1969, this bracelet forgoes many of the center links, exposing the wearer’s wrist while removing bulk for a more lightweight feel. Many watch heads out there are not ready for this level of unconventionality in the bracelet department, no matter how historically accurate. Personally, I find it charming and kind of sensual, which I find delightfully subversive, given the sporty, rugged nature of chronograph watches. But we are all entitled to differences in taste. This bracelet features a double folding clasp, and if it’s really not your thing, the watch would also look killer on a leather strap.
[toc-section heading=”Dial”]
Now, onto the fun part. For the Chronomaster Revival A384 Tropical, Zenith has translated the aged charm of vintage watches in all their patinated glory into a more stable, contemporary form. The cream white base of the dial is done in lacquer, the tricompax chronograph counters have been rendered in a light chocolate brown, mimicking the aging process of 20th-century watches through UV exposure and the oxidation of dial paints and materials. The tachymeter scale around the dial’s perimeter has also been chocolate-ified. While the tones and hues on vintage Tropical dials are not uniform, Zenith has (I believe, rightly) decided not to go overboard on this detail, and, instead, goes for uniform color throughout the dial design.
For the finer dial details, this model, like its siblings, utilizes mid-century typography on every numerical detail, recreating the look of the 1969 model across the tachymeter scale, to the numerals in the chronograph subdials, all the way to the slanted date window between four and five o’clock. The Zenith logo, just under twelve, is also a near exact reproduction of the heritage models. For the luminous details on the hour markers and the hands, you’ll find a healthy serving of “Old Radium” Super-LumiNova. I think this is the only logical choice if you’re going the Tropical dial route – you’ve got to take the fauxtina all the way home.
[toc-section heading=”Movement”]
Under the hood, we’re working with the El Primero 400 Caliber, which Zenith utilizes across the Chronomaster Revival collection. A direct descendant of the revolutionary El Primero 3019 PHC (a.k.a. the first automatic chronograph ever made), this in-house caliber has a 5 Hz frequency, up to 1/10th of a second chronograph measurement, and has a power reserve of 50 hours. Arguably one of the most contemporary details of the entire watch, the caseback is sapphire (1969 models had closed casebacks), allowing its wearer to see the El Primero 400 at work, along with the openworked star-shaped rotor that’s the brand’s signature.
[toc-section heading=”Zenith Chronomaster Revival A384 Tropical Final Thoughts”]
Ultimately, this Tropical dial take on one of Zenith’s most historically accurate revivals and feels right at home in the collection, and is one that I’m almost surprised didn’t exist already. Even for those who are decidedly resistant to romanticism, I think the warmth of the color palette and chocolate panda dial is appealing in and of itself to warrant consideration and affection. This watch is available now and priced at $10,000. For more information, head to the brand’s website here.
