Zenith’s El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow takes much of its form from the Rainbow Flyback developed in 1997 for the French Air Force. In 2013, Zenith revisited this classic piece making it sportier, slightly more rugged, and renaming it the El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow. This model is limited in production to only 250 numbered pieces worldwide and is available only at Zenith boutiques.
The El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow is constructed from black Alchron – an alloy consisting of titanium and aluminum (TiALum) and has been proven to be very sturdy and resistant to corrosion. The bezel is unidirectional and features red indexes with the 10 and 20 in Arabic numerals. The bezel is notched allowing for easier and quicker handling. Unidirectional bezels are used as secondary timers and are staples of most sporty watches. The bezel also holds the dial window in place which is made from Sapphire crystal and has anti-reflective coating which allows for the seamless observation of time under any conditions.
The crown is ridged for the quick modification to the time and date. The chronograph pushers on this model are of the lever variety which is very stylish and above all practical as they offer a greater surface area when the wearer is seeking to activate the chronograph. The case back on this piece is also made from sapphire crystal which shows off the movement – the El Primero 405B.
The El Primero movement has won the hearts of many and many coveted awards in Horology for its precision. The movement beats at 36,600 vph which allows the watch to be as accurate as 1/10of a second. In 1969 when this movement was released it shook the watchmaking world to its core with its ingenuity and sheer innovation. This El Primero movement in the Stratos Flyback Rainbow has a minimum power reserve of 50 hours.
The dial is black and carries Arabic numeral hour markers which are made entirely out of Superluminova SLN C1. The hands have been rhodiumed and are also coated with Superluminova SLN C1 optimizing night time readability. The chronograph seconds and minute hands are both in red for an at-a-glance readout of the elapsed time. The chronograph minutes subdial is bordered by white, yellow, green, and blue which is in keeping with the Rainbow theme and are, indeed, the original colors of the piece from 1997. The continuous seconds hand is located at 9, while the chronograph hours can be found at the 6 o’clock position just above the large date aperture. The El Primero Stratos is water resistant to 10 ATM (100 meters). Competing this timepiece from Zenith is a vulcanized rubber strap outfitted with a triple folding clasp.
TAGS: Automatic Watches, Chronographs, Exhibition Case Back, Flyback, Mechanical Watches, Men's Watches, Rubber, Selfwinding Watches, Swiss Made, Unidirectional Bezel, Water Resistant