El Primero Stratos Flyingback Rainbow

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El Primero Stratos Flyingback Rainbow - Zenith
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A new stylish and virile timepiece, inspired by its two illustrious predecessors, El Primero et Rainbow Flyback.


Genesis

In 1969, Zenith presents El Primero, the first ever integrated automatic watch, beating at the exceptional speed of 36,000 vibrations per hour and thus displaying 1/10th second precision – an achievement that makes it the world’s most accurate series-produced chronograph to this very day.

Zenith built the Rainbow Flyback model in 1997 based on technical specifications established for the French Air Force. The result was a rugged, high-performance timepiece capable of standing up to the most extreme conditions. The goal was to develop a watch capable of maintaining excellent precision even in extreme conditions of use – including violent accelerations from 9 to 11 Gs, variations in pressure and temperature, as well as vibrations and magnetic fields.  

The brand with the guiding star now draws inspiration from this high-precision instrument in presenting a new sporty version: the El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow – a 250-piece limited edition exclusively available in Zenith Boutiques.


El Primero Stratos Flyback

 Zenith El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow ref.24.2063.405-21.R515
The El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow is driven by the El Primero Calibre 405 B automatic movement built around a column wheel. The chronograph beats at the frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour enabling 1/10th second precision. It is equipped with a date display, a telemetric scale, and above all with the famous flyback function. Closely bound up with the world of aviation, the latter enables pilots to stop, start and restart the chronograph at a single press on the push-piece, compared with three presses required for a standard chronograph.

Made of black Alchron – a light and resistant titanium and aluminium alloy – the case with its 45.5 mm diameter is topped by a rotating bezel bearing a scratch-resistant aluminium ring. The rounded sapphire crystal is shaped like an astrodome – the dome located on the fuselage’s dorsal ridge to enable astronavigation. The movement can be seen through the transparent engraved sapphire case-back.

 Zenith El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow ref.24.2063.405-21.R515
On the dial side, the minutes counter at 3 o’clock appears in colours enabling night-time readings in infrared-lit cockpits, exactly like the first model developed in cooperation with a fighter pilot, while the hours are displayed at 6 o’clock and the small seconds at 9 o’clock. The white superluminova hour-markers create a striking contrast with the black of the dial and case, while the chronograph sweep seconds hand stands out in red. The inner bezel ring bearing a telemetric scale creates an overall depth effect.

The El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow comes on a sporty rubber strap fitted with a black PVD-coated folding clasp.

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