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The Subtle El Primero
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WillsA
·Here's mine with little brother....
Great watch.
Great watch.
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ConElPueblo
·Wrote a seller on Chrono24 about the one he had for sale - got no reply and two days after, the advert was pulled. It had probably been gone for some while 
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speedy57
·Mine looks almost the same as the OP and the sapphire case back is marked 03.0510.400. So they are not identical twins, but close. Mine has the "half numbers" at 3, 6 & 9 instead of the triangles. My hands are just slightly different also. My dial is what I love. It's blue/black. Generally it looks black but in the right lighting it flashes navy blue! I so love it. It's light on the wrist and I enjoy the beat of 36,000 Vph. The red tipped second hand is curved at its tip following the curvature of the dial. I've had mine since Jan 2016 (found unmolested on eBay) and still enjoy. Great watch, but I know nothing about it. Anyone who knows Zenith numbers, please feel free to enlighten me. I don't even know it's year of manufacture. But, I'm keeping it !!!
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WillsA
·Mine looks almost the same as the OP and the sapphire case back is marked 03.0510.400. So they are not identical twins, but close. Mine has the "half numbers" at 3, 6 & 9 instead of the triangles. My hands are just slightly different also. My dial is what I love. It's blue/black. Generally it looks black but in the right lighting it flashes navy blue! I so love it. It's light on the wrist and I enjoy the beat of 36,000 Vph. The red tipped second hand is curved at its tip following the curvature of the dial. I've had mine since Jan 2016 (found unmolested on eBay) and still enjoy. Great watch, but I know nothing about it. Anyone who knows Zenith numbers, please feel free to enlighten me. I don't even know it's year of manufacture. But, I'm keeping it !!!
I believe yours to be the 'Class Sport' as opposed to the OP being the 'Class'.
The 'Class Sport' was first seen in the 2002 'Collection II' catalogue of the Netaf era. Although this dial variation with the large lumed numbers was first seen on an El Primero HW version that made its appearance in the 2000 catalogue.
Safely date your automatic 'Class Sport' to c. 2002 until 2004.
The OP watch is earlier. My 1999 catalogue shows this 'Class' dial version.
After 2004 both these watches disappear from the catalogues replaced with a much simpler, plainer dial in both 'Class' and 'Grande Class' versions including a big date variation.
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speedy57
·A couple of points... I thought my watch was polished stainless steel since it is shiny stainless color. It is certainly not yellow/rose gold. Could it be white gold? Are you sure the 03 is gold? Second point... Does anyone have the catalog page to share? I'd be interested to understand how my class sport compares to class and grande class. I don't really know the zenith rankings.
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Stewart H
·03 and 04 are gold plated - and yes, Zenith did do white gold plating.
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speedy57
·Really? I always thought it was polished SS. Plated in white gold explains why it is so shiny and elegant. Matches my white gold Daytona. Any chance it's not plated but solid? Or did they only do plated? Thanks for the info!
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Stewart H
·Really? I always thought it was polished SS. Plated in white gold explains why it is so shiny and elegant. Matches my white gold Daytona. Any chance it's not plated but solid? Or did they only do plated? Thanks for the info!
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trama
·"...a warm, old fashioned quality feeling..."
I must say you make a strong case for this with your pics as a lovely looking watch! I think in no small part to the broken in leather straps. Like anything leather, it looks like shite until worn in (IMHO). So many spanking new sparkly pics on this forum, let's all take a lesson from the threadkiller and post follow-up pics of our watches with some wabi-sabi!
I must say you make a strong case for this with your pics as a lovely looking watch! I think in no small part to the broken in leather straps. Like anything leather, it looks like shite until worn in (IMHO). So many spanking new sparkly pics on this forum, let's all take a lesson from the threadkiller and post follow-up pics of our watches with some wabi-sabi!
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WillsA
·A couple of points... I thought my watch was polished stainless steel since it is shiny stainless color. It is certainly not yellow/rose gold. Could it be white gold? Are you sure the 03 is gold? Second point... Does anyone have the catalog page to share? I'd be interested to understand how my class sport compares to class and grande class. I don't really know the zenith rankings.
Catalogue pages of the Class Sport....
'03' in this case is stainless steel.
These are from Collection II from 2002.
I will photograph the other models (post 2004) later when I dig out the catalogue!
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WillsA
·1999 catalogue showing the OP 'Class' or 'Class 4' model....and some prices that will make you weep! Prices doubled with the LVMH buy out and have continued to rise since. Hope you bought your EP's before the millennium!
2004 catalogue showing Class El Primero...
Also came in 'Sport' version with big date and panda dial.
If my memory serves me correct the price of basic EP Class was now c. £3500 gb sterling.
2004 catalogue showing Class El Primero...
Also came in 'Sport' version with big date and panda dial.
If my memory serves me correct the price of basic EP Class was now c. £3500 gb sterling.
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Stewart H
·Thank you. I'm happy to stand corrected on this. Another thing that contradicts Rossler.
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styggpyggeno1
·I believe my watch (in OP) to be "pre Class". I have come to believe that Class as a name came with the 1999 catalogue but it would be interesting to see a 1998 catalogue - and I have searched... Mine has a different reference number than Class. And as I wrote earlier with the reference number 90/01 0500400 there seem to be no difference in the ref.no. to if the watch has a black or a white/silver dial as with the later. Anyone having a 1998 catalogue?
From a 1999 catalogue with Class name and reference numbers explaining - with and without bracelet and dial colour:
From a 1999 catalogue with Class name and reference numbers explaining - with and without bracelet and dial colour:
Edited:
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WillsA
·I believe my watch (in OP) to be "pre Class". I have come to believe that Class as a name came with the 1999 catalogue but it would be interesting to see a 1998 catalogue - and I have searched... Mine has a different reference number than Class. And as I wrote earlier with the reference number 90/01 0500400 there seem to be no difference in the ref.no. to if the watch has a black or a white/silver dial as with the later. Anyone having a 1998 catalogue?
From a 1999 catalogue with Class name and reference numbers explaining - with and without bracelet and dial colour:
I have heard these watches referred to as 'Class 4'....Don't know were that fits in?
Sorry. Can't help with 1998 catalogue.
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styggpyggeno1
·Maybe, and I found this on the net:
http://www.watchprosite.com/?page=wf.forumpost&fi=1123&ti=895988&pi=6126318
But it is still not my reference number... And corresponds more with the refs in the 1999 catalogue.
http://www.watchprosite.com/?page=wf.forumpost&fi=1123&ti=895988&pi=6126318
But it is still not my reference number... And corresponds more with the refs in the 1999 catalogue.