This post raises a good question for the watch enthusiast - New vs. Vintage. I guess the answer is determined by which camp you are in and I suspect that the majority are firmly placed in one or the other. It is highly unlikely that I personally would ever buy a new watch let alone a re-issue. I once owned the Autavia re-edition (now sold) and although it was a fine piece (and far more original than most re-editions) it lacked the spirit of the age that is inherent in a vintage timepiece. It is no wonder that these design classics have made a comeback - the mini, Carrera, El Primero, Monaco, Silverstone and the list goes on and on. Fashion is like that these days with far more re-design than new design. I prefer to invest in originality and the thought process that went into designing it. The original Zenith A386 is a perfect example of this. It is a contemporary of the Heuer Calibre 11’s and a rare foray for me into a brand other than Heuer. No guess which one I would vote for.

I am a fan of Hodinkee as he/they bring an enormous amount of interest to the watch enthusiast with the quality and variety of posts. I have little knowledge of most of the content so it’s a great learning experience. In this comparison of the Zenith tri-colour (new vs. vintage) it was a little disappointing to note that the vintage A386 has a new replacement dial from the 2009 version and not the original 1969/1970 versions. I only know this because when searching for an original example I did a fair amount of research and it is shocking to see how many of the new dial versions are being passed off as original. I guess they are so close to the original that they fool many, including Hodinkee. Here is my example and the main tell tale sign is the tail on the letter “o” in El Primero – short on the original, elongated on the new dial.

Regards
Paul
www.heuerworld.com

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