“The gradient dial, which is replicated exactly on the Revival, was very much ahead of its time in 1969, and it was considered crazy and very cool at the time,” says Marietta, who adds, “the contrasting polished and satin finishes were also a novelty, and really emphasized all the angles, including the 14-sided bezel.” The movement is the Zenith-made Elite 670, an automatic caliber with a normal frequency of 28,800 vph and a 50-hour power reserve. The new model is also a 37mm, steel three-hand, with the same minimalist dial, but with modern Super-LumiNova lighting up the hands and markers (the original used tritium), along with a tighter case that allows 300-meter water resistance.

The new edition is exactly the same as the original, apart from a modern movement and sapphire crystals front and back.

The Revival, a limited edition of only 250 pieces, was in fact directly inspired by an original model that Zenith product manager Romain Marietta tracked down from a dealer he found on Instagram – a buying process which in itself is a neat example of vintage meets modern.

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