Zenith Designs Chronograph Watch Inspired By The Range Rover Velar

Swiss watchmaker Zenith took the challenge to produce the watch. One of the few watch manufacturers that still produces its own movements in-house, Zenith went with a 42-millimeter diameter ceramised aluminum case for the Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar Special Edition. It’s true the name is a bit of a mouthful, but look at it! It’s a pretty special timepiece, alright.

A brushed slate gray dial ups the visual ante, joined by three chronograph sub-dials, copper color-plated hour markers, a date indicator located at six o’clock, and a robust winding crown. The underside reveals engravings of the Range Rover and Velar names on the oscillating weight and retaining ring of the caseback. The strap, meanwhile, combines black rubber with dark gray diamond-perforated calfskin. The latter is the same Scottish leather as featured in Range Rover interiors, and it’s secured with a titanium clasp.

Velar is a nameplate that goes back to 1969, when Range Rover used ‘Velar’ to denominate pre-production prototypes of the original Range Rover. That same year, Zenith presented a fully working prototype of the El Primero, the world’s first self-winding chronograph movement. In other words, the partnership between Range Rover and Zenith is a match made in heaven.

“Zenith stands for art, tradition, culture and precision timekeeping,” said the watchmaker’s chief executive officer, Jean-Claude Biver. “The Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar shows how both companies share a determination to find a harmonious way of connecting our tradition to the future, while showing respect for our iconic products,” he concluded.

Zenith didn’t bother to provide availability or pricing information on the Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar, but don’t expect this watch to be exactly cheap. After all, the El Primero series starts from about $5,000.