In Partnership: Zenith unveiled their latest Chronomaster Sport at LVMH Watch Week last month, and we’ve had a first-hand look at the new edition.
LVMH watch week has been and gone for another year, and being in Miami, many of the brands under the LVMH banner went with a decidedly green theme. Maybe this was just a coincidence as there seems to be a range of green watches being released this year. Zenith was no exception and this year, not only did we get a Titanium Chronomaster Sport, but we also were introduced to a new all-green Chronomaster Sport. Yes this is similar to the Aaron Rodgers version, but without the Aaron Rodgers embellishments. Essentially it’s the standard Chronomaster Sport, but green!
Whilst this isn’t a review per sè I’m going to let you know how this feels and looks on the wrist. Hey, I’ve had a chance to have this for the week to play with it and give it a good test drive, so what better way to showcase this release than with live pics and on the wrist with a first-hand account? Plus I’ll say this now, this piece had me a little smitten with the way it looked and felt on my wrist.
When released a few years ago, the Chronomaster Sport was accused of being a bit too close in looks to the Rolex Daytona. Now this was mainly due to the fact that it was released in both a black variant and white variant, had a similar case and bracelet look, and was a three-dial chronograph. But this is where the similarities stopped in my mind. For starters, Zenith’s tri-colour dial has been around for a long time and they do overlap the sub-dial at 6 o’clock and really don’t look much like the Daytona’s classic styled subdial design and layout at all.
Read our Hands On Review Of The Original Chronomaster Sport Here
The proportions of the Chronomaster Sport Green are exactly the same as the OG – a 41mm case size, 47mm lug-lug and 13mm thick. For me personally, these proportions are almost perfect to sit on my 17.5cm wrist. The lugs taper down enough to hug the wrist and not protrude at all, and I’ve seen some people talk about 13mm being too thick on a watch, but let’s face it, there are very few chronograph’s out there that are a lot slimmer. And for a sports chronograph, having a little bit of wrist presence is always preferred. Not only for the aesthetics but for the ease of reading the time and functionality of the chronograph pushers.
The case is well done, with the Zenith style case and lugs that are typically Zenith, albeit a little more refined and shaped for the sporty nature of the piece when compared to the Chronomaster Original or the new Triple Calendar. The combination of brushed and polished surfaces also adds to the overall look of the piece and compliments the steel bracelet with the bushed outlet links and polished inner links. And if you look closely enough, Zenith has beveled the outer links and polished the sides of these, giving a nice depth to the links and overall design. The one negative aspect of the bracelet I do hear all the time is that it’s not a solid as you would expect for a watch at this price point, and I would have to agree here. But with this caveat. Once it’s on the wrist, it’s not something you really notice and as the links are not solid, it does save a little bit of weight and wears possibly lighter than pieces with solid links.
Inside the Chronomaster Sport beats the newer El Primero Caliber 3600 Automatic Chronograph movement. The blue column wheel allows for a smoother operation of the chronograph and looking at this movement via the sapphire case back, you can see the industrial finish Zenith has added to it. The open-worked rotor with the Zenith star I’ve always liked and a nice touch to really show the movement off. The El Primero Calibre 3600 beats at 36,000 VpH or 5Hz and sends the 1/10th of a second chronograph hand around the dial once every 10 seconds.
The green dial is the standout here. Zenith has used a green that really pops, and depending on the light can change hues from a more aqua-coloured green in most light settings to a deep green and in full sun, a grass green. The sloped ceramic bezel keeps this theme all the way to the edges, and unlike the new Daytona, is ceramic all the way and not set into a steel ring. Honestly, having worn this for a full week, the dial and bezel keep catching my eye and drawing me to the piece and would be the sole reason for me to consider buying this (outside of the other elements of this I like)
The tri-coloured dials contrast nicely on the dial as well. The second counter at 3 in blue really stands out, as does the minutes and small seconds dial at 6 and 9 o’clock. One point I will make is the small seconds dial is on the harder side to read in real life due to the writing being white on a light grey dial. But this is a niggle really as you intuitively know what point in the minute it is due to where the hand is.
The other aspect that I found slightly annoying is the lack of lume on the dial for a sports watch. Whilst not a deal breaker, It would have been a better option for Zenith to fill the indices with lume instead of just the small part on the end. It means that at night, the piece isn’t al that legible with very small lume pips. This is a personal preference for me really, but something Zenith could potentially rectify easily to improve the overall functionality of the watch.
Final Thoughts
When Zenith released the Aaron Rodgers Chronomaster Sport, I’ll admit I wasn’t 100% sure I was sold on that piece. Maybe it was the numerals on the dial, or the more monochromatic sub-dials that didn’t resonate all that well with me. However, this new variant which stays true to the original Chronomaster Sport’s design with really just a colour change did resonate straight away. And I’ll go out on a limb here and say I’m not sure the press shots of this did it justice.
Once having this piece on your wrist and being able to fully appreciate it for what it is, you understand what Zenith is trying to do with this collection. Yes, it has some similarities with the Daytona, but only a few in my opinion. And with this variant in green, even less so. It does stand out on its own. And for those that like to draw comparisons and say this is less of a watch, then I’ll say this. The Daytona is now over A$24,000 in steel. This is A$17,500 so they are not compatible price-wise. Add to this the fact Zenith has a massive amount of heritage in the El Primero movement, a movement that Rolex used to use as well, then it’s hard to draw unfavourable comparisons.
Overall, this is one piece that helps set Zenith as a brand apart, and given green may be a theme this year, could do good things for the brand and the Chronomaster Sport line. On a personal note, I’m sad to be handing this piece back, but I hope it may find its way back to me as I’ve genuinely loved wearing it and strongly considering adding it to my collection. Something I haven’t said about a watch for a while now…I’ll leave it there.
Reference: 03.3119.3600/56.M3100 (Steel) / 03.3119.3600/56.R952 (Rubber)
Specification:
- Case: 41mm, 47mm lug-lug, and 13mm thick
- Case Material: Brushed and Polished Steel with green ceramic bezel
- Dial: Green-toned sunray-patterned with tri-coloured sub dials
- Crystal: Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
- Water resistance: 100 meters
- Movement: El Primero 3600 high frequency automatic movement. Beating at 36’000 VpH / 5Hz with 1/10th second chronograph function
- Power reserve: 60 hours
- Bracelet: Stainless Steel Bracelet with brushed outer and polished inner links and folding clasp
Australian Retail Pricing: $17,500 AUD on steel, or $16,700 on rubber.
Availability: Available now through Zenith Boutiques, Authorised Dealers and online at Zenith-watches.com
This article was written as part of a commercial partnership with Zenith. Watch Advice has commercial partners that work with us, however, we will never alter our editorial opinion on these pieces, a fact that is clearly communicated to the brands when entering into a commercial arrangement. At Watch Advice, we categorically do not sell outcomes or our editorial integrity. We will never say a watch is good when it’s not.
