Hands-On The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A384 "Tropical"

Photos by TanTan Wang

We watch lovers romanticise aging… Sometimes too much. What some might call degradation, we call patina. My hot watch take is that we love it when watch dials go ‘tropical’, but that on some level, we’re just celebrating slightly shoddy manufacturing.

Massive off-topic note: I recently learned from a Pokémon card collector that one reason American-made cards tend to be more valuable or collectible than Japanese-made cards is that American cards have a higher rate of manufacturing errors or inconsistencies. That is, they’re more valuable because the quality control is worse in the US than it is in Japan. Isn’t that nuts? To bring it back to watches, are tropical dials just the same thing – we’re getting excited by a strictly inferior product?

All that commentary aside, I have to admit, I’m still a fan of watches that have tastefully aged, especially if they’ve got interesting tropical dials. But the other big issue about (good) tropical dials is that they’re typically quite fragile, not to mention expensive to collect. So, when I saw this new Chronomaster Revival A384 at Watches and Wonders in Geneva a few weeks ago, the thought process behind its design, and its appeal, was immediately apparent.

In comparison to the Zenith Chronomaster Sport, which has a pretty timeless look but is more identifiably a modern watch (largely thanks to its solid ceramic bezel), the Chronomaster Revival A384 – which is also powered by the iconic El Primero movement – really looks like a watch from the late 60s, in a way that few retro revivals really do. This is a strength of Zenith’s, actually: the Defy Revival models that have come out in recent years also uncannily nail that time capsule feeling.

The Chronomaster Revival stands out, however, largely because it feels so different to other retro-inspired chronographs. Firstly, it’s properly small by modern standards at 37mm in diameter. (For comparison, the standard Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch has a case diameter of 42mm). Its boxy tonneau case is quite unusual, compared to contemporary chronographs. Its "Gay Frères" ladder bracelet is also something of an anachronism – in a good way.

So, this is already a watch that feels like it’s from the past. And this is just a new dial colour for it. But it’s a dial colour that makes an awful lot of sense. The Chronomaster Revival A384 “Tropical” pairs a thick white lacquered base with subdials and a tachymetric scale in a rich, sun-bleached chocolate brown – emulating panda-dial El Primero references that have aged over decades, just in a much more consistent fashion.

The retro touches don’t stop there. Another touch of faux-aging is the ‘old radium’-coloured Super-LumiNova that adorns this Chronomaster Revival’s dial, as well as its red chronograph seconds hand: a truly vintage Zenith probably wouldn’t have a hand that’s so vividly red, but it’s an adroit colour choice that works harmoniously with the white, cream and brown elements of this model’s dial.

So, here you have a watch that really looks like it’s been worn to death and has aged gracefully, yet retains all the robustness and reliability of a modern timepiece. Owning a vintage watch isn’t for everyone, and finding a great tropicalised watch is hard. This Zenith solves those problems.

But Zenith hasn’t completely committed to the retro bit – and that’s no bad thing. For example, this Chronomaster Revival has a sapphire crystal, which is a concession to modernity that I’m sure no consumer will really complain about. The movement within, however, is neither a creation of 1969 nor 2026. The El Primero 400 that powers this watch is described by Zenith as “the most faithful descendant of the original El Primero 3019 PHC introduced in 1969”. Specifically, the 400 made its debut in 1987 and is more shock-resistant than the original 3019 PHC. So it’s kind of a retro movement?

The one old-school element of this watch that could do with changing, however, is its clasp. The ladder bracelet is very comfortable (especially in warmer climates, like those we find Down Under), but the clasp feels slightly inadequate. It does have five positions of micro-adjustment, but these require a tool, and I can’t help but feel that the integration of an on-the-fly micro-adjust (like was recently introduced on the Chronomaster Sport Skeleton at Watches and Wonders last month) would be a welcome change. It also feels a bit insubstantial. The bracelet feels a little jangly, too, which I think captures the feel of vintage watch bracelets quite nicely, but the part that actually secures the watch to one’s wrist should be a little more confidence-inspiring. But this might be nitpicking.

Brand: Zenith
Model: Chronomaster Revival A384
Reference Number: 03.A384.400/69.M384

Diameter: 37mm
Thickness: 12.6mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Colour: White and brown
Indexes: Applied
Lume: Old Radium Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Gay Frères ladder bracelet revival

Caliber: El Primero 400
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph, date
Power Reserve: 50 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)
Chronometer Certified: No

Price: 15,600 AUD
Availability: Zenith retailers
Limited Edition: No

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