Aaron Charles Rodgers (born Dec. 2, 1983) is a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He has been a brand ambassador for Swiss watchmaker Zenith since January 2021. Rodgers is the second player ever to win four MVPs (NFL’s Most Valuable Player), and is a four-time winner of the Best NFL Player ESPY Award. He has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history at 4.83, holds the league’s lowest career interception percentage at 1.3 percent and the highest single-season-passer rating record of 122.5. Unsurprisingly, Rodgers is considered to be one of the greatest and most talented quarterbacks of all time and led the Packers to win Super Bowl XLV, completing 24 of 39 pass attempts for 304 yards and three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

WatchTime met Rodgers during his first visit to the Zenith manufacture in Le Locle to talk about precision, goals and his passion for watches.

WT: What attracted you to join team Zenith in the first place?

AR: I always wanted to work with a Swiss watch company, and Zenith’s story was really interesting to me, like, for example, how they were making components for Rolex. I just found that really fascinating, because it’s just one of those things about watches you wouldn’t think about or know or question who’s making the timepieces. When I read that story, I was like, ‘There must be something to this.’ And then reading the story about one guy who basically saved the company by hiding a bunch of the tools to make the chronograph [movement], I thought was really interesting. And just the precise nature of the watches. When I got to meet Julien [Tornare], especially, I just enjoyed his personality and kind of how he looked at the business and treated people, creating an environment that was collaborative. I think when you endorse a product, just like when you invest in a product, you’re investing, not just in a product, but you’re investing or endorsing people. And I like the people.

WT: This was your firstmanufacturevisit in Le Locle. What were your impressions?

AR: I was watching [the watchmakers]. It’s pretty incredible how tiny those pieces are and the preciseness; they’ve got to get them on there. I think there is something therapeutic about it, almost meditational. I saw a lot of people with headsets. It takes a special type of person, you’ve got to be an artist doing this the whole day. And, the thing I learned today was, it’s never going to be fully automated. In the end, it takes that human ability to make adjustments and figure out a way to make it just right. I think there’s something special about that in an ever-increasing automated world where robots are going to take over at some point. There is such a human element to the watchmaking process, that I didn’t quite understand.

One thing that hit me, because I’m such a math person, I was looking at this one specific piece of paper, and it had these numbers and a range on it. And I was asking what these numbers were, relating to this micro piece of the watch, right? One of 300-plus pieces of the watch. And I said, ‘What is this in relation to?’ And he said, ‘That’s the standard deviation allowed on these specific, tiny parts,’ that they do to allow for a variation up to a certain number of microns, or whatever. I thought that was really fascinating, that they allow for a slight deviation in the parts, on certain parts. Now, at certain parts, there was like two microns was the deviation allowed. On others, it was up to like 10, and I was interested by that fact that there is so much difference in the way that the watches are made and the allowance for the human element to come in as it’s put together. And that some watchmakers have a stamp almost to where someone who’s been around the business for a long time and run around in this for a while, can actually look at certain watches and tell you who probably put that together. And I found that fact really fascinating, because I love the individuality of it. And the fact that there is so much human creativity that goes into each specific watch. That’s the first thing.

And the second is Charles Vermot. We were just talking about our love of books and biographies and just how one person can change the course of history by doing something daring or courageous, or in this case, what they thought was the right thing to do and not let this technology be thrown out or ruined or sold off or disappear. I found that to be rather fascinating that he decided to say, you know what, screw it. I’m going to come in at 9 o’clock at night and have my wife worrying about things and I’m going to hide this stuff away because I think at some point it’s really going to make a difference. And then in 1984, you got the opportunity to come back and be a part of doing something really special because of what he had done a decade and a half before. And I think that’s just a fascinating part of the history of Zenith that makes it such a unique company. 

WT: Julien Tornare’s vision for the brand is summarized with the ‘Time to Reach Your Star’ philosophy. How does this align with your own values?

AR: Reaching your star is an acknowledgement that everything that you need to achieve success is inside you. I think that Zenith would say that about the brand, that the ability to expand the brand, grow the brand, involves a great understanding of the people there and the ability to make a product that’s at the top of the market. And for me, my success hinged on harnessing my own confidence in the player I could be inside and knowing that I didn’t have to go outside of myself or look elsewhere to achieve success. I just had to be the best version of myself. I think I just knew, deep down, I was always going to be good enough. That’s what I tell young kids who have dreams about playing sports at the highest level: it starts with a deep confidence in your own abilities and also, good perspective, an attitude of gratitude that allows you to stay present, and then not be thinking too much in the past or too much in the future.

And I think that’s what is cool about the brand is that they make a unique product, that is good enough, just how it is. And they don’t have to look outside of themselves to achieve success. They just have to believe that they have what it takes. 

WT: That sounds like there are a lot of similarities.

AR: I mean, I think there’s a lot to be said about running a business, that is similar to playing quarterback. You’re the CEO of the football team. So, as far as Julien and I go, I think there’s a lot of understanding about what it takes to lead people and the fact that great leaders have to be authentic. They have to have a great pulse on the team and their workers, on the morale. And then, learning when to defer. You can’t always be the guy talking. You have to empower people around you to step up and to play a role and to contribute to the organization or the team.

And that’s one thing I think is really important. It’s about the culture. We talk about it a lot in Green Bay, but it’s same thing with Zenith. The culture is the people and having the perspective that I have, that I know Julien has, that just like Zenith has been around since 1865 in various forms, the Green Bay Packers have been around since 1919. They were around long before I got there. They’re going to be around long after I’m gone. And, I think Julien understands that as well. Zenith was around a long time before we got there. It’s going to keep on going when he’s done. But while he’s here? What kind of impact can he have on the brand, on the product, on the environment, on the people that can make a lasting impression and leave the brand better? Just like I want to leave the team in a better position than when I found it. I think he’s like me. He takes a lot of pride in making a difference and also what it means to lead people and to breed a culture of inclusion and cooperation and collaboration. 

WT: You picked a Chronomaster Sport with a white dial. What made you choose this watch?

AR: I had a few options, but this was my favorite one. I’ve always enjoyed the shape of watches like this. I think watches can be for various occasions. There are watches that feel a little classier than other ones. There are ones that feel a little more casual. This one, I feel like, can kind of do both. But, honestly, it’s the aesthetic. It’s just a really pretty watch. I wear a lot of blacks and whites and grays, so it fits kind of my color palette that I’m usually wearing.

WT: How did you get interested in watches?

AR: There’s something to family heirlooms that I’ve always been attracted to because our family didn’t have any. We didn’t have anything we could pass down. My grandfather on my dad’s side fought in the Second World War. He had some possessions that were very important, and I believe my grandmother threw some of those out, which was crazy. But, there was never anything that we knew would be going to get passed down. I can’t tell you a specific moment that made the biggest impact on me, but I always wanted to have watches and jewelry and sentimental things that I could pass down to the next generation. So, I’ve had various watches over the years that were important to me. Some were ridiculous and gaudy. I had one with diamonds that I wore to the draft. I haven’t worn it in a long time, but it has a sentimental value and I’ll pass that on, I think, one day to my children. There’s a special heirloom nature to them, it has a story. And that story can last as long as the piece does. 

WT: When do you take your watch off?

AR: When I walk into the locker room, I kind of have a process I go through. I’ll kind of go in, and the first thing I do is I get my pads down. I put my jersey over my pads, put my pads back on top of my locker. I get my pants out, put on my pads and my pants. I get my cleats out, set them out so they can get new cleats in them. Then I read the program, the game day program. And that’s about like 40 minutes since I’ve been at the stadium. And then I’ll start to get into my outfit and grab my smoothie and take my watch off and put it on the top of my locker. And then, we hopefully win. And then after the game, kind of reverse the process, shower, get dressed, and then put it back on, head out.

To learn more about Zenith, click here, and to subscribe to the WatchTime print magazine, click here.    

Magnetism has been the mechanical timekeeping’s nemesis through the years. It is to the mechanical watch what Prof. Moriarty is to Sherlock Holmes.  Though the watch industry has responded to this threat with many innovations through the years, we’ve always been asked this question by readers and budding watch enthusiasts: just how real is the threat of magnetic fields in our daily lives?

The industry has used everything from soft-iron shields to silicon escapements in their fight.

Before we set out to answer that questions, let’s examine what happens to a mechanical watch when it is exposed to a magnetic field. The simple truth is that certain parts of the escapement like the balance wheel and hairspring, become magnetized upon such exposure. For example, the concentric circles of the hairspring may bunch together, thus leading to friction. This could ultimately affect the escapement’s amplitude and accuracy. In most cases, once the magnetic field is removed, the watch might start running as normal again but in the case of a particularly strong magnetic field, it may stop working altogether.

In 1915, Vacheron Constantin created an anti-magnetic pocketwatch and in 1930, Tissot produced its first amagnetic watches. In both cases, palladium was used in the construction of the escapement.

Pilots’ Watches like the IWC Mark XI used an anti-magnetic soft-iron cage.

During World II, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) was supplied with Pilots’ watches that had movements encased in a soft iron case, known as a Faraday cage, to withstand the effects of magnetism at high altitudes. Longines supplied the Czech Air Force in the Thirties with watches that had ‘antimagnetique’ markings on the dial.

In 1949, Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC produced the Mk11 pilots watch for Britain’s RAF pilots. These watches were made to the strictest conditions set by the Ministry of Defence and required that the movement be enclosed in a soft iron case. IWC famously produced the Mk11 from 1949 to the early Eighties.  

The Fifties was the “tool watch era,” in which a clutch of watches celebrated man’s spirit of adventure and exploration. These included Universal Genève’s Polerouter (initially called the Polarouter) made for the pilots and crew of SAS (Scandinavian Air Services) Airlines flights, who flew over the North Pole in an attempt to reduce flying times between Europe and New America.

These watches, which had to withstand the strong magnetic fields present around the North pole, were initially issued only to SAS crew and were designed by a young Gérald Genta, who would go on to design classics like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus.

Universal Genève Polerouter

In 1955, IWC launched the Ingenieur (Ref: 666A), the brand’s first automatic, anti-magnetic watch. The handiwork of IWC’s technical director Albert Pellaton, the watch was supposed to be the civilian, automatic version of the famous Mk11.

It was also famous for featuring the first bidirectional rotor in an automatic movement. Early advertisements of the Ingenier (“Engineer” in French) claimed that the watch could withstand a magnetism up to 1,000 Oersted (1,000 Gauss). This was at a time when most mechanical watches could withstand magnetic fields up to 100 Gauss only.

ISO 764 standard states that, to be considered antimagnetic, a watch must resist a magnetic field of 4,800 A/m (60 Gauss) and its accuracy must stay within +/- 30 seconds per day.

In 1956 Rolex introduced the Milgauss (Ref: 6541), a watch capable of withstanding a magnetix flux density of 1,000 Gauss and was supplied to scientists at CERN and technicians at power plants. The Milgauss would go on to become the most famous anti-magnetic watch of our times.

Omega launched the Railmaster (ref CK2914), capable of withstanding magnetic fields, and produced these watches until 1963 before they were discontinued. Omega did revive the Railmaster a few years ago, but it’s the early models that are collectible now.

In 1958, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Geophysic chronometer to commemorate the International Geophysical Year. The Geophysic was created for engineers and scientists and was capable of withstanding the magnetic fields of the North Pole. (More details here.)

The legendary Rolex Milgauss

Patek Philippe came to the tool watch party in 1958 as well, with its first anti-magnetic wristwatch, the Amagnetic (Ref. 3417 in stainless steel). It was produced for two years and featured a soft-iron cage and, in some cases, beryllium components to additionally thwart magnetics.

Most modern watches use non-ferrous metals in the escapement, so unless they are subject to very high magnetic fields, they should be able to withstand with any magnetic fields they encounter on a regular day. 

In 1989, IWC introduced a rare iteration (Ref. 3508) which was tested to withstand magnetic fields up to a strength of 500,000 A/m (6,250 Gauss), the most anti-magnetic watch of its time.

Ulysee Nardin made a significant leap in 2001 when it launched the Freak, the first production wristwatch to use a silicon escape wheel, it was the first time silicon parts were used in a wristwatch. Designed by Ludwig Oechslin, the Freak heralded the use of silicon in watch movements.

The Ulysse Nardin Freak was the first watch to use silicon parts.

Boutique watchmaker Christophe Claret created a stir in the horological world with the introduction of the X-TREM-1, a timepiece that used magnetic fields to display time, in 2012. The watch featured two spherical balls enclosed in clear sapphire tubes attached to the caseband of the watch to display the time. The bi-retrograde display of the watch was unique and revolutionary. You can read about the new Christophe Claret X-Trem-1 – Sting HD here. 

In 2013, Breguet delivered the first Classique Chronométrie 7727, a high-beat wristwatch with magnets (yes, magnets) holding the balance. These magnets do no harm to the movement because its in-line Swiss lever escapement and double balance springs are made of silicon.

This Breguet watch uses magnetic pivots in its movement. With the introduction of silicon in the moving parts of a watch’s movement, the battle against magnetism received a big boost, and in 2013, Omega took the next step, introducing the Master Co-Axial movement (Calibre 8508) that was capable of withstanding up to 15,000 Gauss. That’s a long way from when watches withstood a 1,000 Gauss in the late Fifties.

The use of silicon and anti-magnetic materials in the movement ensured that the movement did not need a soft-iron cage, so the watches could benefit from having see-through sapphire crystal casebacks. Omega hopes to roll out this technology across all its movements by 2020.

In 2017, Zenith unveiled the Defy Lab, which used a new oscillator to replace the traditional sprung balance first used in 1657 by Christiaan Huygens. The result is an incredibly precise (to within 0.3 seconds) mechanical timepiece. The movement is impervious to temperature gradients, gravity and magnetic fields — all bugbears in the current balance-and-spring assemblies that are subject to deformation and/or dilatation, thereby leading to diminished precision.

The new oscillator used on the Zenith Defy Lab

A version of this article first appeared on WatchTime Middle East.

ZENITH EL PRIMERO CHRONOMASTER TOUR AUTO EDITION

As the official timekeeper for the Tour Auto Optic 2000, one of France’s most important car rallies for old timers and young timers alike, Zenith released a special model in a limited edition of 500 pieces that will delight aficionados of historical cars. (Steel, 42 mm, manufacture Caliber El Primero 4061, automatic, $9,600; for more on the watch, click here.)

Zenith: El Primero ChronoMaster Tour Auto Edition

ERWIN SATTLER CHRONOGRAPH II CLASSICA SECUNDA

This Munich-based manufacture is mainly a clockmaker. Like those larger timekeepers, each Sattler watch has an elegant, tidy face with a classical subdial arrangement and a railway minutes circle. Blued poire hands and a serially numbered silver dial fastened with four screws also recall this maker’s domestic clocks. (Steel, 44 mm, ETA 7750, automatic, 6,900 €)

TUTIMA SAXON ONE CHRONOGRAPH

Tutima, based in Glashütte, Germany, has modified the automatic movement that powers its chronograph, which boasts the brand’s characteristic cushion-shaped case. Now this caliber animates the elapsed-minutes counter from the dial’s center and also supports a 24-hour display. The dial follows the arrangement dictated by Lemania Caliber 5001, whose production was discontinued in the 1990s. (Steel, 43 mm, modified ETA 7750, automatic, $6,500; for a review of this watch, click here.)

l-r: Erwin Sattler Chronograph II Classica Secunda, Tutima Saxon One Chronograph

ROLEX EXPLORER II

Rolex launched the Explorer II in 1971 as a watch for adventurers and mountain climbers. Since then, this model has remained nearly unchanged and has become a design icon. Rolex’s own automatic movement is regarded as one of the most robust and precise calibers. When its wearer flies to a vacation destination, he can adjust the hour hand in hourly increments to show the time in the new zone. (Steel, 42 mm, manufacture Caliber 3187, automatic, $8,100)

IWC INGENIEUR CHRONOGRAPH EDITION “RUDOLF CARACCIOLA”

IWC dedicated this chronograph to the legendary race car driver Rudolf Caracciola, who first piloted a Mercedes to victory in 1926 and went on to win many other races. Released in a limited edition of 750 timepieces, this watch references automotive history with its dashboard-inspired look and saddle-stitched leather strap. IWC’s new automatic caliber is its high performance engine. (Steel, 42 mm, manufacture Caliber 69370, automatic, $7,150)

l-r: Rolex Explorer II, IWC Ingenieur Chronograph Edition “Rudolf Caracciola”

UNION GLASHÜTTE BELISAR CHRONOGRAPH

With an ivory-colored dial and counters hosting radially arranged numerals and needle-like hands, this watch recalls the instruments on the dashboards of vintage cars. The tachymeter scale is an automotive reference, too. The mushroom-shaped push-pieces, the conical crown and the shrunken leather strap similarly allude to classic watches. (Steel, 44 mm, ETA 7750, automatic, 2,350 €)

GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL SEVENTIES PANORAMA DATE

The Seventies Panorama Date is patterned after a model from the 1970s. Its forebear was manufactured in East Germany by VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe, which evolved into the Glashütte Original brand. The square case with rounded corners and the blue dial with sunburst pattern give this watch its distinctive character. (Steel, 40 mm by 40 mm, manufacture Caliber 39-47, automatic, $10,100)

l-r: Union Glashütte Belisar Chronograph, Glashütte Original Seventies Panorama Date

Save

Save

Save

Save

Accounting for the new color option, consequently all other elements, including the date display in the trapezoid window at 04:30 and the 1/10th of a second and 10-second chronograph scales, had to be inverted from white to black and vice versa.

While seamlessly preserving the unique aesthetics of the A386 with its multiple scales, the Chronomaster Original ingeniously incorporates a 1/10th of a second chronograph into its design. It showcases a central red chronograph second hand that completes one full rotation of the dial in 10 seconds.

Sharing the same overall silhouette and proportions as its historical predecessor from 1969, the Chronomaster Original comes in a 38mm round steel case with a raised and domed crystal. Naturally, it features the mushroom-style chronograph pushers, the faceted lugs and the mix of radial brushed and polished surfaces that have already distinguished the first Chronomaster. However, the steel bracelet presents a new design replacing the open “ladder” style of 1969 with solid links. 

The Chronomaster Original is equipped with the latest version of the El Primero caliber, dubbed the El Primero 3600, which boasts a high frequency of 5 Hz, enabling the 1/10th-of-a-second indication. This manufacture movement offers an extended power reserve of 60 hours. The sapphire display back provides an unobstructed view of the contemporary architecture with a sleeker and more open design, with the open-worked rotor adorned with the five-pointed Zenith star taking center stage. 

The bracelet model retails for $10,000, while the one on strap is $9,500.

To learn more, visit Zenith, here.

In this picture from the 1970s, Jack Heuer (left) shows Formula 1 racing champions Niki Lauda (second from left) and Clay Regazzoni how their golden automatic chronograph is made.

While reading his daily newspaper on the morning of Jan. 10, 1969, Jack Heuer, general director of the Heuer watch brand, suffered such a shock that he almost dropped his coffee cup. A short article announced that Heuer’s competitor Zenith had developed the world’s first automatic chronograph and was already showing functional prototypes of El Primero. How could this be true? Jack Heuer’s company was part of a consortium that had been working on this very same task under tremendous time pressure and the strictest secrecy for the past three years. The launch of Caliber 11 was scheduled for March 3. How could Zenith have beaten them to the punch?

This story is one of the most fascinating narratives in the history of the modern watch industry. It took place in a year that, like the entire previous decade, was characterized by technical progress and profound social change, including the first manned landing on the moon, the maiden flight of the Boeing 747 jet and the flower power movement. The whole decade was supercharged by the economic boom, especially in the automotive industry, and by spectacular auto races, whose champions thrilled large crowds. The zeitgeist of new mobility and communication was omnipresent. The world was ticking to a steadily accelerating rhythm: more and more powerful cars rolled off the assembly lines and more and more people could afford to buy them.

Brand ambassador Steve McQueen with the Heuer Monaco, which encased the new Caliber 11.

The Swiss watch industry, which cultivated centuries-old traditions, tried to keep pace with the innovation of this new era: they knew that their industry had no choice but to renew itself if it hoped to keep up with the faster pace of the times, particularly with the looming specter of competition from the Far East. In retrospect, we can see that the Quartz Crisis, which would jeopardize the very survival of Switzerland’s watchmaking industry a decade later, had already begun to cast its shadow toward the West. Faultfinders would later claim that technological progress had caught the Swiss napping. Developing a modern automatic chronograph became a kind of Holy Grail for big-name manufacturers in the elite world of short time measurement.

Considering the wide selection of self-winding chronographs available today, it’s difficult to imagine how great a challenge this threefold problem posed. Never before had anyone succeeded in coaxing the practicality of an automatic winding system and the popular functionality of a chronograph into the narrow confines of a wristwatch’s case.

The “first” automatic chronograph in the world: Zenith premiered El Primero with great pride and pomp.

Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, who was employed by Heuer at the time and would later found the Chronoswiss brand, recalls the situation. “The automatic chronograph was the greatest horological invention of the 20th century, which had otherwise produced nothing genuinely groundbreaking in this field. Switzerland’s chronograph manufacturers hoped it would give them access to new markets and serve them as an innovative and sales-boosting bestseller – if they could launch it before Omega, which led the chronograph market at the time.”

Jack Heuer, former general director of the Heuer Swiss watch brand, was one of the key players in the development of the automatic chronograph.

A Complex Construction
Chronograph fans had no choice but to wear hand-wound models because the thorny technical dilemma of a self-winding “time writer” remained unresolved. The first hurdle was to overcome the energy problem. When a chronograph is switched on, its seconds hand and its counters for the elapsing minutes and hours consume much more energy than a classic time display, so they demand much greater performance from the self-winding mechanism. Watchmakers also had to leap a high bar by devising a design that would intelligently combine the two complex mechanisms, deploy the various additional components (especially the rotor) in an optimally space-saving arrangement, and provide the necessary “passageways” to accommodate the numerous drive shafts. All of this, it should not be forgotten, had to be accomplished within the diminutive volume of a wristwatch’s case. These ambitious goals occupied the brightest minds at R&D departments in the 1960s, where they pursued their quest for solutions while preserving the utmost secrecy.

We now know that the first company to begin developing a self-winding chronograph wristwatch was Zenith, which started the project in 1962 and planned to launch the world’s first automatic chronograph to coincide with the company’s centennial in 1965. But this ambitiously early date could not be kept: four more years would come and go before the project could be completed and the first prototype could be made available.

The joint development of Caliber 11 was advanced under the aegis of Willy Breitling (left). The Breitling Navitimer Chrono-Matic from 1969 (right) had a bezel that was marked with the characteristic slide rule.

A Coalition of Competitors
Project 99 was the code name under which some of the most important specialists in short-term measurement joined together: Breitling, Heuer-Leonidas and Hamilton-Buren. The establishment of this illustrious circle was preceded by a request from a highly specialized movement designer and true specialist of his era, Gérald Dubois, who directed the technical department at Dépraz & Cie. Founded in 1901 and based at Le Lieu in the Vallée de Joux, this company ranked among the biggest suppliers of chronographs and owed its reputation to numerous developments in the field, including the column-wheel mechanism and the first adjustable module chronograph (Caliber 48), which debuted in 1937. Gérald Dubois was the grandson of the company’s founder and had long been in favor of developing an automatic chronograph, but its realization required an investment that was too large for his company to finance on its own.

Gérald Dubois contacted Willy Breitling in 1965. Breitling, who was head of the Grenchen-based watch brand, was immediately enthusiastic about the project. The duo asked Jack Heuer, general director of Heuer-Leonidas, to join them. Heuer agreed because he shared their belief that the future belonged to the automatic chronograph. The fourth member of the group was Buren, the movement manufacturer that was acquired by the American brand Hamilton in 1966. The same year, after the costs had been contractually allocated and the patent rights had been granted, the consortium kicked off the development, which took place in secret. Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, who joined the Heuer company as a watchmaker in 1968, recalls that no one on the staff had the slightest inkling of the secret project.

Heuer Monaco Ad – 1969

This coalition of competitors marked the beginning of a unique collaboration among rival brands and suppliers. Their alliance bore fruit with the debut of Caliber 11 three years later. Breitling designated this movement as the Chrono-Matic. Heuer’s dials bore the same name, albeit with a slightly different spelling – Chronomatic.

An Unexpected Opponent
But a Japanese giant was not asleep. Seiko, which had been in the premium segment with its Grand Seiko models since the early 1960s and now competed with Swiss manufacturers, also began a similar development in the mid-1960s. Seiko’s secret project was code named 6139. A year earlier, when the world was watching the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Seiko had presented its first chronograph wristwatch, which still relied on manual winding. Meanwhile, the brand had also begun developing a totally different technology: quartz. But that, as they say, is another story.

Three Different Technical Approaches
All three competitors were striving to achieve the same goal, but each pursued its own technical approach. The magic number 36,000 came into play at Zenith. This figure needs no explanation among chronograph enthusiasts, who are well aware that it specifies the number of semi-oscillations completed per hour by the balance in automatic caliber El Primero. Its fast-paced balance vibrated at the previously unattainably speedy frequency of 10 beats per second, which enabled this automatic chronograph movement to accomplish the unprecedented feat of measuring elapsed time to the nearest 1/10th of a second. Another distinctive feature of this technology was the integrated architecture of the chronograph mechanism. El Primero was a self-contained ensemble with a ball-borne central rotor and a column wheel instead of a cam. An especially clever detail was that the movement needed neither a module nor an additional mechanism. And notwithstanding its high frequency, El Primero offered a remarkably long 50-hour power reserve and had been miniaturized so its innovative technology could fit into a space measuring just 6.5 mm by 29.33 mm. Each characteristic was a success and the entire ensemble was nothing short of spectacular. Moreover, El Primero was also aesthetically pleasing: the harmony embodied by the original construction, which still distinguishes El Primero calibers today, has raised the pulse rates of generations of chronograph fans.

The original El Primero had a tricompax dial and displayed the date between 4 and 5 o’clock. This layout has remained unchanged.

Many large watch manufacturers subsequently equipped their chronograph wristwatches with Zenith’s trailblazing masterpiece. Probably the best-known example is the Cosmograph Daytona: Rolex began encasing a modified version in its chronographs in 1987. This transformed the Daytona into a self-winding chronograph. The Daytona continued to encase Zenith’s movement until the year 2000, albeit with a reduced oscillating frequency of only 28,800 hourly vibrations and a balance wheel equipped with Microstella adjusting screws. Other brands, including Bulgari, Daniel Roth and Ebel, also relied on El Primero. Ebel launched a perpetual calendar wristwatch based on Zenith’s movement in 1989.

A Modular Construction with a Micro-rotor
In contrast to Zenith’s integrated architecture, the Project 99 consortium pursued an approach based on a modular concept similar to one used in early pocketwatches with complications. The chronograph mechanism was mounted on a plate in Caliber 11 (the Chrono-Matic) with oscillating pinion coupling. Three screws affixed this independent unit to the bridge side of the movement. The oscillating pinion coupled the chronograph to the gear train. To provide sufficient space, the team abandoned the concept of a central winding rotor positioned above the movement and opted instead for a “planetary rotor,” which Buren had developed under the leadership of technical director Hans Kocher in 1954. One consequence of the movement’s architecture with its integrated micro-rotor was that the crown had to be positioned on the left side of the case. This feature was later marketed using the slogan: “The chronograph that doesn’t need winding.” Simpler assembly and maintenance were the perceived advantages of the sandwich-style construction as “an independent frame that can be easily removed and replaced.” As at Heuer, this covert project was declared classified at Breitling. Everything related to the development of Caliber 11 was discussed in encrypted form during clandestine meetings in back rooms. Only a few confidants of watchmaker Marcel Robert and Willy Breitling were privy to the confidential endeavor.

The Heuer Monaco from 1969 not only set standards with Caliber 11, but was also one of the first square watches with a waterproof case.

Seiko chose a third path. The brand had secretly developed a watch that demonstrated Seiko’s high degree of technical sophistication and would prove its precision three years later when this timepiece with its yellow dial ticked on the wrist of American astronaut William R. Pogue in outer space. The 6139 also relied on an integrated construction with column wheel, central rotor and energy-efficient vertical coupling, as well as the “magic lever,” a specialty that Seiko had used since 1959 to increase the efficiency of the winding mechanism. Mounted directly on the rotor shaft, the magic lever tapped all the energy of the oscillating weight, regardless of the rotor’s direction of rotation. A date display and a day-of-the-week indicator with quick correction were also installed.

The Tension Mounts
Let’s go back to Jan. 10, 1969, the date on which Zenith’s press release announced, “The merit of this outstanding creation makes the entire Swiss watch industry shine on the world’s major markets, where the competition is growing increasingly fierce.” Jack Heuer called a breakfast meeting to decide how to proceed. The partners agreed to stick with their plan of simultaneous press conferences in Geneva and New York on March 3, 1969. In the presence of Heuer, Willy Breitling and Hans Kocher, the Caliber 11 Chrono-Matic was presented with great ceremony to the world’s journalists. Judging by their enthusiastic response, the reporters apparently weren’t bothered by the fact that the consortium had crossed the finish line nearly two months after its arch rival. Gérald F. Bauer, president of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), opened the event in Geneva at 5 p.m. local time. Praising the technical masterpiece, Bauer highlighted the team spirit that had made it possible to “launch this new high-performance product for the Swiss watch industry.” Heuer had prepared answers to questions about Zenith’s El Primero, but was surprised that the journalists didn’t ask any. The simultaneous press conference in Manhattan, which began at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, was also attended by high-ranking Swiss industry representatives, including the President of the U. S. Foreign Office of the Swiss watch industry and Switzerland’s Consul General in New York. The international edition of the Journal suisse d’horlogerie et de bijouterie dedicated its front page and a 16-page supplement to the event. The magazine’s headline declared: “Three Swiss companies worked behind closed doors and launched a watch that doesn’t really exist: the automatic chronograph.” Willy Breitling emphasized the importance of innovation for the industry in general and especially for the company that his grandfather had founded saying, “Certain stages in the development of a brand are decisive for its future. Today we are witnessing an event of capital importance, and I am sure you realize that it is a source of great joy for us.”

Heuer Caliber 11: Each company in the consortium encased the Chrono-Matic caliber in one of its best-selling watches.

Three Premieres
Each member of “Project 99” selected its best-selling watches to encase the Chrono-Matic. Breitling ensconced it in the Navitimer and Chronomat; the first collection also included a cushion-shaped model, a new interpretation of the square chronograph from 1966 and a tonneau with a divers’ bezel. Heuer put Calibre 11 inside the Carrera, the Autavia and the new Monaco. The Monaco blazed new trails not only with its modern self-winding movement but also with the world’s first water-resistant square case. Hamilton launched the elegant Hamilton Chrono-Matic with a legendary “panda” dial, which is available today in a nearly identical look. An unmistakable feature of all these models was the crown on the left side of the case, where it demonstrated that this automatic chronograph no longer needed manual winding.

Automatic Caliber 11 debuted inside Hamilton Chrono-Matic A from 1971, with a 37-mm stainless-steel case and a “panda” dial, which is enjoying popularity again today.

Silence Is Golden
All brands in the consortium presented the innovation in March 1969 in Basel at the Mustermesse, the “Sample Fair” that would later become Baselworld. Jack Heuer received a compliment from an unexpected source: Shoji Hattori, Seiko’s president, visited Heuer at the stand and congratulated him on his technical breakthrough. Heuer said, “Naturally, I was very flattered. But Mr. Hattori didn’t divulge even the slightest hint that Seiko was showing its 6139 at the fair.” Heuer subsequently expressed his admiration for Seiko’s “rather clever product strategy.” Before the international launch of a new watch, its maker typically tests it first on the domestic market to solve any remaining problems. As in the fable of the tortoise and the hare, Seiko’s apparent slowness ultimately paid off. According to Jack Heuer, the Japanese company brought sales of Heuer’s product almost to a standstill on the U.S. market a few years later, a disappointment that he also attributed to an unfavorable exchange rate. Heuer nevertheless ended the 1969 financial year with record-breaking results: the brand increased sales by 34 percent thanks to the Caliber 11 Chrono-Matic. The original caliber was manufactured until 1970 and afterward further developed into Caliber 12. Heuer continued producing the movement until 1985. The Autavia was the last model to encase Caliber 11. Breitling used it from the end of 1968 to 1978.

The Seiko 5 Speedtimer from 1969 was an integrated automatic column-wheel chronograph with vertical coupling and “magic lever.”

The Present
El Primero is the only one of these pioneering movements from 1969 that has been uninterruptedly manufactured from its debut to the present day, except for a brief hiatus during the Quartz Crisis. El Primero received a boost after Zenith was acquired by the LVMH Group in 1999. The high-frequency movement served as the basis for a flurry of new developments. These included additional modules to support diverse displays, as well as modifications with a partially skeletonized base plate so the escapement could be viewed through an aperture in the dial. El Primero Caliber 4021 was introduced with an additional power-reserve display and even with a tourbillon. Caliber 4031 combined a minute repeater with chronograph, alarm and second time zone. El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th kept time during an extraordinary adventure on Oct. 14, 2012, when Felix Baumgartner jumped from the stratospheric altitude of 39 kilometers with this watch strapped to his wrist. His plunge made him the first human being to outpace the speed of sound. Baumgartner and his timepiece survived the acceleration, altitude, pressure and temperature differences unscathed. The watch worked just as well after landing as it did on take off.

The stopwatch function and the time display each have their own escapement system in the Zenith El Primero 9004, which enables the Defy El Primero 21 to measure elapsed intervals to the nearest 1/100th of a second.

Half a century after its premiere, El Primero remains the world’s most accurate serially manufactured chronograph thanks to its ability to measure brief intervals to the nearest 1/10th of a second. It also has won more awards and commendations than any other chronograph. Zenith set another record in 2017 with the debut of the Defy El Primero 21 chronograph, which can clock elapsed intervals not merely to the nearest 1/10th, but to the nearest 1/100th of a second. This mechanical feat is made possible by El Primero 9004, in which the stopwatch function has its own movement with a separate escapement that oscillates at a frequency of 360,000 vibrations per hour (50 Hz).

Although the original Caliber 11 is no longer manufactured, the brands that participated in its development are still justifiably proud of their innovation. TAG Heuer’s Product Director Guy Bove said, “TAG Heuer has presented numerous precise timepieces during the past 150 years, but probably none of them has left as an indelible a mark on watchmaking as the Chrono-Matic.” The Monaco, which once encased Caliber 11, soaked up some limelight in 2019, its 50th anniversary year. A different limited-edition Monaco was unveiled at each of several commemorative events in Europe, the United States and Asia. The historical and technical highlights of this icon are chronicled in the book Paradoxical Superstar, published in May 2019.

Monaco Calibre 11, the successor to the famous square timepiece that premiered in 2015, features automatic Sellita Caliber SW300 with a Dubois Dépraz module. Price: $5,900.

Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive Chronograph GMT SBGC231 in a titanium case is one of the Japanese manufacturer’s highlights this year. Price: $12,900.

Seiko’s Chairman and CEO Shoji Hattori says that the launch of the automatic chronograph movement was part of the success story that led “to the development 30 years later of Spring-Drive technology, which plays a central role in the launch of new versions of the Grand Seiko in 2019.”

The Winner
Now let’s return to the conundrum of who, in fact, developed the first automatic chronograph. Which brand stands on which step of the winners’ podium cannot be answered unequivocally from today’s vantage point. What is certain is that each brand achieved a success of its own. While the first prototype of El Primero was introduced at the beginning of 1969, Breitling, Hamilton and Heuer didn’t unveil their development until three months later, but they were able to present the largest number of functioning prototypes at the Mustermesse in Basel. And Seiko premiered its first self-winding chronograph wristwatches in May of the same historic year. How it was possible for several manufacturers to present the most important watch innovation of the postwar era all in the same year remains puzzling even today. From a purely horological perspective, El Primero has been “Number One” for 50 years: “It set standards not only in technical terms, but it was also a feast for the eyes, almost poetic in its beauty,” said Gerd-Rüdiger Lang.

This article was originally presented in the August 2019 issue of WatchTime.