In total three versions of the El Primero were designed by Phillips for the 50th anniversary. In addition to the blue one of a kind, there is a gold and a steel version made in limited numbers.
Yesterday we brought you the news of the $250,000 Zenith El Primero watch sold at auction during the past weekend’s Geneva Auction X by Phillips. That one of a kind watch that was designed with Phillips In Association with Bacs & Russo, was not the only timepiece collaboration. Two other Zenith El Primero A386 chronograph limited editions were designed by Phillips.
Zenith x Phillips El Primero A386 watches designed by Phillips and created in limited editions.
One of those versions is crafted in yellow gold and limited to 20 pieces, the other is in stainless steel and limited to 49 pieces. Together, the production runs of these two exclusive watches add up to 69 pieces, in reference to 1969.
“Since they felt it was impossible to create watches that would fully encapsulate the El Primero’s rich and beautiful history, Aurel Bacs, Senior Consultant at Bacs & Russo and Alex Ghotbi, Head of Watches Continental Europe & Middle East for Phillips, decided instead to turn back the clock and imagine themselves in Le Locle, in 1969, in the shoes of the manufacturer’s designers.”
The steel version with orange counters is visually impressive and incredibly reminiscent of the times.
The extraordinary yellow gold El Primero Ref. A386 features a stunning black dial with gold sub-registers and gold printing. For the stainless steel version, Phillips’ team was inspired by colors that were popular in interior design during the 60s. The iconic overlapping registers of the first ever Zenith El Primero Ref. A386 here are bright orange, and the outer register is in a taupe-hued color.
The gold version features a richly colored dial and brown stitched strap.
