Zenith

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Zenith Coffee House Tales (vii): Back to the Future - the El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow

The design of bezel and dial are such that the important information is always visible at a glance: the numerals pronounced, a strong contrast between hands and the dial. Note how the deeper rims at the 5 min indications of the bezel provide a tactical guide to the user! Less important information such as the date, the permanent seconds or the hours counter move to the background. 

Note the flat crystal with its typical (for the turn of there century) antireflective coating:

A closer look at the minute counter reveals a fascinating detail: the yellow, green and blue segments look almost radially brushed whereas such pattern is absent from the remaining white areas - are they hand-painted? It occurs to me that this might provide another visibility aid:

Overall, the entire front face of the watch gives a flat appearance throughout which is only penetrated by a step flange carrying a telemeter scale. Very tool-like, very appropriate!

Contrast this to the current Stratos Flyback Rainbow:

Zenith has opted to keep the overall colour scheme, however, I cannot deny the notion of 'function follows form': Numerals are smaller, the permanent seconds received as much importance as the minute counter (now both 3 and 9 o'clock indices are 'bitten') which certainly helps designed achieving a more 'balanced' layout, but at the expense of technically more appropriate indications. Also the date stands out more.

Strikingly the watch does almost completely away with the original flatness in favour of a strong relief-like design. Moreover, if you look carefully at the numerals it appears as if they carry something like a Sabattier effect:

"This effect is create by re-exposing film negative or plate to light again part way through the development process. The resulting image is given both positive and negative qualities. The effect was not described correctly by Sabattier until 1862. 

However it wasn't until the 1920's, the Surrealist Man Ray was to perfect the technique to create an oneiric dream-like state for his portraits and nudes. The process had been accidently discovered by his assistant Lee Miller, who later became the famous American surrealist photographer, in his darkroom..."

"... For Man Ray, the important characteristic is the Mackie line, which marks the boundary between adjacent highlight and shadow areas. Most early photographers who accidently created this effect would have thrown the print away, but for Man Ray, this was a way of making the photographic image strange and bizarre by creating a new order of reality." [Alastair Wallace about Man Ray's usage of the Sabattier Effect]

If the 1997 originally was born probably in the Netherlands, the Stratos version is certainly a child of the alps! Just imagine the numerous 3D elements at the subdials, but particularly at the bezel. Its concave like a theatre mezzanine. It lacks the concise minute segments as well (but thankfully retains the groves for the 5 min positions).

The detailed images below show the care Zenith applied when designing the minute counter: as with the original watch there are alternating coloured segments. Even in the modern version the signal colours stand out also in terms of surface treatment. Here in a literal sense as they are realised with an extra thick layer of paint:

The entire case of the original Rainbow is presented with a matte finish which extends to any detail including the lugs, the pushers and the crown guards.

Note how Zenith has tried to achieve a uniform design with pushers and crown:

On the back we see a solid cover, which is adorned with a very nicely executed engraving and which sports two different finishes: polished centre surrounded by a brushed main section.

Contrasting to that in the literal sense is the case finishing of the Stratos version: polished, very clean lines, with pushers doubling as crown guards. The streamlined design is not without intriguing detail-work as exemplified with the star on the crown.

The overall case appears much flatter in construction than its ancestor, however, it is indeed 2mm thicker (14 vs. 12mm). Of course Zenith chose to exhibit its landmark movement, the Zenith El Primero Flyback Cal. 405 B:

Wearing the pieces:

After my description above it would come as a surprise if the wearing experience would be (close to) identical. Indeed, the two watches wear like totally different animals. First the original:

Its sits almost tender and tiny (by today's tastes) on your wrist, but at the same time does not fool you about its made-for-purpose technical character. 

Its legibility from almost any angle is remarkable and largely due to the excellent contrast and a low propensity to flare. 

The modest dimensions of the 1997 Rainbow are most charming in the sense that they are recognised as a 'condensed sexiness' - at least by me! 

While the style and execution of the brushed steel bracelet identifies it certainly as a child of turn of the century, it is indeed very comfortable on your wrist and carefully to your hair ;-)

Judging from what outstanding bracelet we are used these days the design is a but rough, but it matches nicely to the watch. 

17 years alter, a descendant exercises its seducing power... as a fundamentally changed watch which still thrives on the merits of the original one.

Large diameters are the norm, but who would have thought that the same movement with the same position of the subdials would still 'work'?

The Zenith Stratos Rainbow perfectly reflects on how the industry conceptualises a 'tool-watch' in the modern luxury watch market: emphasis shifted from tool to luxury, without neglect of the tool-like specifications. they are there, fully usable, but clothed in finest drapery.

I cannot deny that I really love the outcome, something I was not so sure about. There is just one thing...

... which I already mentioned: the bracelet. In terms of style and finishing well above of what the 1997 model has to offer, but still out of earshot of the very best.

If you carry at least as much hair in your wrist as I do, you will be reminded that there are better ones on the market - you know what I mean!

I really would urge Zenith to address the hair-eating behaviour of the bracelet - then it would be perfect, particularly since it is such a nice complement to the watch!

So there we are - again with a time warp experience. This time spanning only 17 years, but with a much more fundamental change in conceptualisation than with the El Primero 36000 BPH 1969 we considered recently. 

With this pair here one cannot simply opt for one or the other, in principle you need both to have a complete collection (as far as the Rainbow goes, that is ;-)). They are very much the same but fundamentally different likewise.

I was quite skeptical whether the Stratos would work for me, but I have to admit that I am seduced. The manufacture had a much more difficult task to look back and develop the future compared to the 1969: A classic and elegant timepiece can more easily be modernised (its a classic after all!), but sports (or tool) watches a much more designed in their respective societal, design and preference context. 

Thus, what worked a decade ago might be totally inappropriate today. The fact that Zenith modified so much in only 17 years is a testament to this.

The fact that they (in my opinion) succeeded is a testament to artists in Le Locle and the management which apparently has well understood to identify the essence of a timepiece and transform it into something contemporary and desirable!

Thanks for reading,

Magnus

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Our location: Café Drechsler, Vienna

The Café Drechsler is a famous (and very lively) institution in Vienna. The current interior was designed after extensive renovations in cooperation with Sir Terence Conran and features polished marble bar and table tops, Bauhaus light fixtures and whitewashed timber panels – stylish yet still distinctly Viennese.

It used to be a melting pot for all sorts of patrons, from actors of nearby theatres, business people or simply the city's street wipers - all sit on the same table, no questions asked.

The Café Drechsler used to close each night for only 1h - so you most likely met those who were still awake and those who were already awake...

  

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