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Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Mens Automatic Watch
Ref. 4990009004/78M9000
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Stepping up in Zenith's range
The El Primero name has belonged to Zenith since 1969, when the manufacture introduced the first automatic chronograph movement. The 9004 calibre inside this watch carries that lineage into territory that movement could never have reached: two entirely separate oscillating systems sharing one case, one running at 36,000 vibrations per hour for the time, the other at 360,000 — fifty hertz — for the chronograph alone. At that frequency the central seconds hand completes a full sweep every second, which is what measuring to a hundredth requires. No interpolation, no averaging; the hand is simply where the time is. Full ceramic construction keeps a 44mm, 50.4mm lug-to-lug case noticeably lighter than steel of equivalent dimensions, which matters at a size where steel starts to announce itself on the wrist. The skeleton dial earns its openworking honestly here — with two independent gear trains running simultaneously, there is something worth watching through the grey dial, the blue-rimmed sub-dials giving the eye a point of contrast against the black case without breaking the monochrome logic of the piece. At 14.6mm the watch sits proud of the wrist, as any honest account of it should acknowledge, but the ceramic bracelet integrates flush with the case in a way that distributes that presence rather than concentrating it at the lugs.
- Reference
- 4990009004/78M9000
- Brand
- Zenith
- Collection
- El Primero
- Case size
- 44mm
- Case thickness
- 14.6mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- El Primero 9004
- Functions
- Chronograph, Small seconds, Power reserve indicator, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Ceramic bracelet
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Ex-display
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 50.4mm
- 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 6 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,324), Chronograph Watches (1,211), Watches 44mm and Over (928), Grey Dial Watches (230), Skeleton Watches (210) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (100).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 50.4mm lug-to-lug keeps the 44mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 44mm sits at the larger end
- 14.6mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 4990009004/78M9000 | PAM01441 | 1533-320LE-3A-175/1B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £10,950 | £9,675 | £11,380 |
| Case size | 44mm | 44mm | 44mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Ceramic bracelet | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 50 hours | 72 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How 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.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 50.4mm, which suits wrists from roughly 17.5cm (7 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £10,950, ex-display. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as ex-display only, at £10,950 from Goldsmiths. Ex-display watches are unworn shop stock rather than second-hand — sold below the recommended retail price, and with the manufacturer’s guarantee intact.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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