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Zenith Grande Chronomaster XXT El Primero Tourbillon 45mm Rose Gold
Ref. 18-1260-4005
Thierry Nataf's tenure at Zenith in the early 2000s produced some of the most architecturally ambitious watches the brand had ever attempted, and the Grande Chronomaster XXT sits at the top of that period. The calibre 4005 takes the El Primero's already exceptional 36,000vph movement and folds a one-minute tourbillon into it — visible through a generous aperture at eleven o'clock — without abandoning the high-frequency chronograph. That the result runs from a single winding for 50 hours, with a 22-carat gold rotor doing the work through a sapphire display caseback, says something about the engineering behind it. For all its complication, the case carries itself with more restraint than the 45mm diameter might suggest. At 14.5mm the profile is flatter than most tourbillon chronographs manage, and the downturned, fluted lugs pull the watch close to the wrist rather than projecting it away from it — which is why, despite the solid rose gold construction, it still clears a cuff. The guilloché silver dial is two-tone and engine-turned, with the date handled not by a conventional window but by a revolving outer ring tracked by a small triangular pointer, keeping the layout legible without interrupting the dial architecture. The deployant clasp is solid 18-carat rose gold to match the case, and the black alligator strap is the correct weight of leather for the watch it carries.
- Reference
- 18-1260-4005
- Brand
- Zenith
- Collection
- Chronomaster
- Case size
- 45mm
- Case thickness
- 14.5mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Rose gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- El Primero 4005
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 53.5mm
- Power reserve
- 50 hours
Learn more about Zenith
Georges Favre-Jacot founded Zenith in Le Locle in 1865, aged twenty-two, with an idea that was radical for the Swiss industry: bring every trade needed to make a watch — movement, case, dial, hands — under one roof and one management. The integrated manufacture was largely his invention, and the Le Locle site he built is still in use.
The approach produced results at observatory trials, where Zenith accumulated more precision awards than any other manufacture. The name itself came from a calibre Favre-Jacot considered the summit of his work.
Its defining achievement is the El Primero of 1969, developed over seven years and announced in the same year as the Heuer-Breitling consortium's Calibre 11 and Seiko's 6139. It was an integrated automatic chronograph beating at 36,000 vibrations per hour, allowing measurement to a tenth of a second — a frequency almost nothing else matched for decades.
It nearly did not survive. When American owners ordered the mechanical tooling scrapped during the quartz crisis, a watchmaker named Charles Vermot hid the plans, presses, and cams in a walled-off attic. When demand for mechanical chronographs returned, Zenith could restart production because of him. Rolex used the El Primero in the Daytona from 1988 to 2000.
LVMH acquired Zenith in 1999.
- 1865
- Georges Favre-Jacot founds the integrated manufacture at Le Locle.
- 1969
- The El Primero automatic chronograph debuts at 36,000 vph.
- 1975
- Charles Vermot hides the El Primero tooling from destruction.
- 1988
- Rolex adopts the El Primero for the Daytona.
- 1999
- Acquired by LVMH.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Zenith Chronomaster range (19), Back in Stock (4,847), Automatic Watches (1,736), Chronograph Watches (1,234), Leather Strap Watches (1,049), Watches 44mm and Over (849) and Silver Dial Watches (718).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- 45mm is a large watch with real presence
- 14.5mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
Zenith Grande Chronomaster XXT El alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 18-1260-4005 | 116688 | 26405CE.OO.A002CA.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £34,950 | £40,550 | £26,950 |
| Case size | 45mm | 44mm | 44mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 50 hours | 72 hours | 50 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 50 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 53.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 18.5cm (7¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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