The Swiss luxury watchmaker unveiled the CHRONOMASTER Sport Skeleton at Watches and Wonders 2026.
When ZENITH introduced the El Primero in 1969, it did more than launch the world’s first automatic, integrated high-frequency chronograph. It established a new standard of precision in mechanical watchmaking. Beating at 5Hz, 36,000 vibrations per hour and capable of measuring 1/10th of a second, the El Primero became the technical foundation of the Maison’s identity.
At Watches and Wonders 2026, ZENITH unveiled a new expression of this legacy: the CHRONOMASTER Sport Skeleton. Through its open-worked architecture, the Manufacture reveals the mechanical complexity of its most emblematic calibre while introducing a new patented folding clasp, a new ergonomic development reflecting ZENITH’s holistic vision of performance, where movement engineering and functional innovation evolve together.
The CHRONOMASTER and the Living Legacy of the El Primero
The CHRONOMASTER collection carries forward the legacy of the El Primero, the world’s first automatic, integrated high-frequency chronograph calibre.
From its inception, the movement distinguished itself by operating at 5Hz, or 36,000 vibrations per hour, a frequency that set it apart in the landscape of mechanical chronographs and established high-frequency precision as a defining element of ZENITH’s watchmaking identity. Over the decades, this architecture has evolved while remaining faithful to its original principle: enhancing chronometric stability and precision through elevated frequency.
Today, the CHRONOMASTER Sport continues this lineage with the El Primero 3600, regulated at 5Hz. This elevated frequency enables the precise measurement of 1/10th of a second as a direct mechanical consequence of its architecture.
Unlike conventional chronographs, where the central chronograph seconds hand completes one rotation per minute, the El Primero 3600 drives a hand that circles the dial every 10 seconds. Each increment corresponds precisely to one tenth of a second and is read directly against the 10-second graduated ceramic bezel, making high-frequency performance both measurable and visible. This technical approach has consistently defined ZENITH’s chronographs for more than half a century.
A Transparent Architecture of Performance
With the CHRONOMASTER Sport Skeleton, ZENITH pushes this mechanical expression further by bringing the movement to the forefront.
The sapphire dial, subtly tinted from black at the periphery to transparent at its centre, reveals the open-worked architecture of the calibre beneath. The skeletonisation has been executed with careful attention to structural integrity and chronometric performance, ensuring that the movement’s high-frequency precision remains uncompromised.
The signature tri-colour overlapping counters, grey, anthracite and blue, remain an unmistakable reference to the original El Primero of 1969. Baton-style applied markers and faceted hands coated with C1 Super-LumiNova guarantee optimal legibility, preserving the functional clarity that defines the CHRONOMASTER collection.
Visible through both the sapphire dial and caseback, the El Primero 3600SK reveals its column wheel, finished in blue, and its horizontal clutch architecture. The movement incorporates a silicon escape wheel to enhance precision and durability, as well as a stop-second mechanism for accurate time-setting.
Despite its high-frequency operation, it delivers a power reserve of 60 hours. The open-worked rotor, engraved with the ZENITH star, maximises transparency while maintaining winding e
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