So let's hope you will enjoy the great looks of your Carrera, that it will
provide years of faithful service, and that you will not suffer from the
awareness that there may be "better" movements out there.

Jeff,
Funny you should say that. I held off purchasing a vintage 70's El Primero rectangle casing which eventually sold for apprx. 1,010 USD. Needless to say, I did not realize the El Primero movement was the pinnacle of movements at the time. I knew it was good but didn't know it set the standard so to speak. However, I am happy with my Carrera. Although the cal. 12 is not what the El Primero is, the Carrera does have a nice history behind it and the dial is much more interesting than that of the Zenith I almost purchased. The Carrera is also more sporty than the Zenith, which sported a more formal dial IMO.

I personally don't care whether or not mine has a 'microrotor' or the standard full sized rotor, so long as it keeps time accurately. Perhaps the el primero would be more attractive on a watch featuring an exhibition back but since neither my Carrera nor the Zenith I passed up feature this, the issue is irrelevent. I was also told that the El Primero is a fortune to service. On the other hand, I don't know what service runs for a Cal. 12.

Regardless, while I don't have the "Ferrari" of the automatic watch world, I will be content knowing I have purchased what some might consider the Porsche or Benz of the automatic world. Which leads me to my next post....

DC