FROM FICTION TO REALITY

Only available in Japan, this limited series bears the features of the first automatic chronograph and brings to life the watch of imaginary character Rupan Sansei.

A Japanese version of Arsene Lupin in a soap opera manga, Lupin the Third, takes up the myth of the French gentleman burglar from 1967 under the pen name Monkey Punch (1937-2019). An animated series that began to be broadcast in 1971 allowed the fictional character to meet an international audience. In the first episode of Rupan Sansei, Lupins partner Daisuke Jigen wears a Zenith watch. As the model did not exist, the Manufacture decided to mark the 50th anniversary of the El Primero caliber by bringing it to life in the form of a 50-piece limited edition called the A384 Revival Lupin the Third Edition. It is presented in a special case with a counter-box decorated with a mosaic of images from the series.

The chronograph is inspired by the original 1969 A384 model with a 37mm-diameter steel case and piston-shaped pushers. The matte black dial contrasts with the 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers, useful for measuring short times, and the small seconds counter at 9 oclock, all three dressed in mouse gray. A coating of Super-LumiNova cream allows the golden hands and hour-markers to stand out even more.

The time information and the date at 4:30 am are powered by the El Primero 400 caliber with a rate of 36,000 vibrations per hour. The self-winding movement ensures a 50-hour autonomy. Its oscillating weight with a C?tes de Geneve finish is revealed through the sapphire crystal caseback on which the silhouette of Daisuke Jigen is drawn.

Price: EUR7,000?zenith.com

By Dan Diaconu