Zenith El-Primero Pilot/Diver 3019

Posts
105
Likes
292
Quarantined by my family to the house I grew up in. Didn't have anything better to do so I did a photo-session with some of my watches in the basement. Most of the stuff down there is way older than me. The gun is from the Indiana Jones pinball that's occupying my old garage.
 
Posts
25,981
Likes
27,609
Pilot diver you say?

planesunk.jpg
 
Posts
105
Likes
292
The chronograph is reference 01-0190-415 from 1972. The case is unpolished and in pretty good condition and matches the dial.The bezel is a original Zenith replacement and the lobster bracelet is perfect. The hands and the inner tachy scale are in a very sorry state, you could see it from the pictures. The crown is with the old 4 point Zenith star and there's no stainless steel text on the back, only the reference number.
I prefer much smaller watches, but I just love these 70's unloved chronographs with lobsters bracelets.
 
Posts
347
Likes
2,336
Those are great photos!

I've recently gotten a similar watch. I also like the bracelet, but it sure is big and heavy.
 
Posts
423
Likes
1,804
Hi Heypacha

Really beautiful photos:thumbsup:

There are three kinds of the Zenith Sub Sea Pilots.

All have different bezels.

1. Hour bezel with big teeth
2. Minutes bezel with big teeth
3. Hours bezel with small teeth

The hour bezel with small teeth was produced exclusively for the limited edition with glass bottom (50 pieces).

A replacement bezel is easy to recognize on the triangle. The triangle has sharp edges. The original version has round edges.

Here my Zenith Sub Sea pilot with minute bezel.

Zenith Sub Sea Pilot.JPG

I call them the "Hammer" because you could use it to hit nails into the wall:cool:
 
Posts
576
Likes
856
[...]There are three kinds of the Zenith Sub Sea Pilots.

All have different bezels.

1. Hour bezel with big teeth
2. Minutes bezel with big teeth
3. Hours bezel with small teeth

The hour bezel with small teeth was produced exclusively for the limited edition with glass bottom (50 pieces).
[...]

I understood that the ones with the small teeth are always replacement parts?
Is there any confirmation that the glass bottom version should have small teeth?
I know that it should have the hour bezel:
Mag_elprimero_pilot_diver.jpg

so mine has the wrong one:

SAM_0659.JPG SAM_0869.JPG

@heypacha: You should have yours serviced as soon as possible. The gasket of the crystal has melted and already messed up the inner bezel (as you noticed). This is not getting better.
Mine is currently in service for the same reason but I noticed it in an earlier stage, so I'm hoping it can be saved.
 
Posts
423
Likes
1,804
@Georgieboy58

Three years ago I was on a watches exchange event for buying watches.
A man ask me there whether I sell my Sub Sea Pilot (I wear it on this day).
I said no and we started a conversation about the Sub Sea Pilots.
He told me his father was one of the designers of the Sub Sea Pilots.
After a time we came to the limited edition.
He explained that the limited edition have a glas bottom and a different bezel.
I asked what's the different between the normal bezel and the limited bezel.
He said the limited edition was more a pilot watch instead a diver watch.
Due to this the glas bottom (nobody wants a real diver with glas bottom) and a bezel with small teeth for more grip in the cockpit.

I believe him because he was an expert on this watches but i have no confirmation for you:unsure:
 
Posts
28,715
Likes
34,938
I'd like more photos of that AMG - looks like an old 80's bruiser!
Seconded, show us the AMG
 
Posts
105
Likes
292
@ConElPueblo, @nicolas07, @dsio It's not really an AMG, I just like the size of the steering wheel. The car originally had a small ugly wood wheel to match the aftermarket wood veneer. The original wheel is too big, the aftermarkets are too small, the AMG is just right.
The car is a swiss market Mercedes 190e 2.3 -16 that I bought two years ago from the first owner. Now it's my family car, it has 4 doors, self-leveling suspension, an AC and it's a automatic. Still don't know how my wife approved it, but now I'm driving around with my son in a transporter in the back seat.
Has just the right amount of tackiness you expect from a German bruiser from the 80's. As I mentioned, the owner added the wood veneer (it was a homologation special so Mercedes said "you can't have wood"), he also added a moonroof and SEC front hood. He probably wore a two tone gold Rolex. I knew something was missing so I just had to add the BBS wheels to make it perfect. Just had to get fatter tires(in profile, not width) to get that 80's tuner balloon look.
 
Posts
105
Likes
292
Thanks for the info @Adri, there's very little info about this model.
My watchmaker doesn't even touch el primeros, so I'll definitely have to take it to Zenith @Georgieboy58. Hopefully they'll have a replacement inner bezel.
 
Posts
418
Likes
896
@Georgieboy58

Three years ago I was on a watches exchange event for buying watches.
A man ask me there whether I sell my Sub Sea Pilot (I wear it on this day).
I said no and we started a conversation about the Sub Sea Pilots.
He told me his father was one of the designers of the Sub Sea Pilots.
After a time we came to the limited edition.
He explained that the limited edition have a glas bottom and a different bezel.
I asked what's the different between the normal bezel and the limited beze
l.
He said the limited edition was more a pilot watch instead a diver watch.
Due to this the glas bottom (nobody wants a real diver with glas bottom) and a bezel with small teeth for more grip in the cockpit.

I believe him because he was an expert on this watches but i have no confirmation for you:unsure:

Zenith's Patrimoine in Le Locle wrote to me a different story about this rare bird....
and all our conversation was published on OM Magazine some years ago.

Adri, there are some engraving around the ss part of your glass bottom?

GIGI
 
Posts
576
Likes
856
Thanks for the info @Adri, there's very little info about this model.
My watchmaker doesn't even touch el primeros, so I'll definitely have to take it to Zenith @Georgieboy58. Hopefully they'll have a replacement inner bezel.
Replacements for the inner bezel are no longer available :-(
 
Posts
423
Likes
1,804
Hi GIGI

I found nothing on the net. Do you have a link to this interview/conversation or what's the main message of Patrimoine to this mystery of different bezels?

I haven't a limited edition. My SS is a normal ref. 01.0190.415

I researched a little bit this morning in other forums and found a owner of a "limited edition" with pictures (quick research because i had not much time during my work).
He write the same as I heard/know that the bezel should have small teeth .
Here the pictures:

SS1.png

SS2.png


The glass bottom looks different instead the glass bottom of Georgieboy58.

I really can't say what's 100% right or original because I have no confirmation.
I can only say that I spoke to the man and he told me a lot about the SS and everything made sense to me.

Adri
 
Posts
576
Likes
856
I see yours has the famous number on the back that GIGI @papaebetu is always asking for.
And what does the front (and the bezel) look like?