Sure, coming out with a cool, new watch is pretty great—but coming out with a new watch that pays tribute to the Rolling Stones? Freaking phenomenal. Playing on the parallel that both Zenith and The Rolling Stones have been at forefront of their prospective art forms for so long, the luxury watchmaker announced the debut of the El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Tribute to The Rolling Stones. Lead by Jean-Claude Biver, Director of the LVMH Group Watch Division (and Stones superfan), this timepiece is meant to be the first in a limited-edition collection; five others are slated to follow.
Drawing from the original designs of the 1969 El Primero model, the new watch mimics the navy blue and grey theme, but is outfitted with updated accents, and of course, The Rolling Stones tongue-wagging logo. “Disruptive thinking gave birth in the 1960s to the first (El Primero) chronograph movement timing to one-tenth of a second. The same outside-the-box thinking gave birth to the new blues and rock n’roll music. Both Zenith and The Rolling Stones are today living legends. No wonder that they are now teaming up,” Biver explained. The watchmaker is meant to follow the group on their new tour and connect with fans of both the band and the brand around the world. “We are delighted to be teaming up with such a wonderful brand as Zenith for our 14 On Fire tour,” The Rolling Stones said.
Housed in a steel, 42mm case, the timepiece offers an automatic movement of 282 parts with 31 jewels and a 50-hour power reserve. The face shows the small seconds at the nine o’clock hour, a 30 minute counter at three o’clock, a 12 hour counter at six o’clock and features an aperture through which the movements can be seen. The dial holds the iconic Rolling Stones symbol, while hours around the face are lit with Superluminova. Finished with a black, alligator-leather strap, the watch is limited to 250 pieces and will be available for purchase this fall.
