kronos twin Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 I'm no veteran when it comes to reviewing watches. In fact, this will be my very first one. It's poetic that it begins with a watch that has the moniker "El Primero" right smack-dab on the dial. Well, regardless of all that, I will commence with my thoughts on this fine timepiece. Initial thoughts: The look: Many people would be turned off by this beast. In some ways, it's a watch that has to add more pieces in order to compliment the already complicated structure it has to deal with. The bezel's gearlike structure calls for embellishments on the markers. I think that the addition of stars and markers placed intermittently between the main enumeration is a great way to call attention to the different textures on the dial. Bezel: As far as the rep is concerned, this watch applies those perfectly, and there is no doubt that they feel secure. Furthermore, the watch feels like it turns at 120 clicks. This thing moves like butter, and is by far the best rep bezel I've ever turned. I've turned a gen bezel, and this one is comparable in feel and integrity in every way. Coating: The DLC coating is awesome. I accidentally bumped the desk the other day, and hard, and nothing happened to this monster. I baby my timepieces, and I felt a jerk when I struck it, but nothing happened. I'm impressed. Weight: This watch feels similar in weight to the gen. The titanium structure feels the same as the gen. Disclaimer: this is only my opinion having held both watches in my hand. Dial: Everything seems to have great emphasis on clean, crisp construction. The paint is applied evenly to all markers, and the "fan" sub-dials are well constructed if not a micron uneven. This is also a critique of the lettering on the carbon fiber part of the dial. It appears to be a fraction of a millimeter lower than the gen, but is really trival in relation to everything else. I found the thickness of the upper portion of the dial to be similar to the gen, but the color is slightly more gray-silver. The gen has a lighter tone, almost as if it has a white in it, something similar to what a Rhodium alloy does to gold. All in all, this is one of the most interesting dials I've ever encountered, and under natural light, it really stands out. Lens and AR Coating: I actually like the blue hue on it. I think it compliments the red and the silver on the dial and makes the carbon fiber take on interesting qualities. For such a thick crystal, it's got a lot of perspective, and the mag on this bad boy is gorgeous. I love it, and it really screams quality at every level. Strap: This is one of my favorite rubber straps of all time. it is beautifully constructed, with a good smell (yes, this matters these days), and the knurled aspect really captures the rugged essence of the watch. The buckle is an added bonus. Beautifully constructed, and with a high polish that makes the knurled features really sing. I am also a huge fan of the steel keeper, and although it is slightly uncomfortable when sliding the watch through it, I feel it is one of the things that makes Zenith really innovative and careful about their attention to detail. movement: I'm not going to try to go there. it's an el primero movement in the gen. The rep's not going to catch this... ever. forget about it. You're getting this because getting an EP is not in the budget. I think the subdial spacing is great, and that's all we can hope for. it's a closed caseback, so things look good. Turn on the chrono (which had very good security on the screw on [censored]s) and you'll know right away that this isn't an EP... for those who know what an EP is anyhow. overall: You're getting this watch because it's unique, like most Zeniths of this era are. Aside from the movement and it's own place in watch history, Zenith has made a name for itself as a great designer of unique and avant-garde watches. You can wear this and feel edgy without being over the edge, and that's what makes this watch both rugged, sporty, and trendy. You won't find this in most companies, at least not so powerfully balanced. Hublot comes close, but I think Zenith earns more respect IMHO. Here's the wrist shot to end it off. I love this watch, and I've worn it everyday for two weeks. My suggestion: Make more Zenith's. The Defy Classic is untouched yet, and you still haven't made a larger chronomaster. Even with the manual movements, I'd buy any of these models in a heartbeat and so would others. In the meantime, thanks for reading this. I hope it helped some people on the fence take the dive. Totally worth it. More than totally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverworn Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 thanx for this awesome review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Interesting review of a lesser known watch. Good to have you participating on the board like this. A suggestion would be to size the images to about 800x600 or so...host them on an offline service (e.g. Photobucket) and then link to the images. The size will make it readable on most computers without massive scrolling, and the offline hosting will allow the larger images to stick right into the review for better visual impact and lower bandwidth cost for the RWG servers!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sql_pl Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Yeah, great review but I hate scrolling such huge pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjenk Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 (edited) I saw this rep on the bracelet at a GTG in King Of Prussia, PA on Sat. Big but because it is made of titanium not very heavy. The watch is pretty impressive. Edited November 17, 2009 by jjenk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kronos twin Posted November 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 any suggestions on how to make the pics smaller. i don't know how to do this. Live and learn I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiker01 Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 Be a member here Imageshack and upload your pictures in 800x600 format! And welcome to RWG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samurai Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 I have one that I got from Josh last month. It is a very very well made rep indeed. However, tried it on and the Mrs. shot it down ....so it's been lying in the watchbox since then. May put it up for sale soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 Great review and a nice watch. I am impressed in both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sql_pl Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 Or download a very basic photo ed program like Irfanview and use Image->resize option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gioarmani Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 Holy jesus, those are big... I'd recommend photobucket if you're not willing to go the imagehosting.com, imagevenue.com, or imagebam.com route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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