Zénith 3019 PHC

A bit of history

The brand began development of its automatic chronograph in 1962, in the hope of unveiling the watch in 1965, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.

The question is, we know how to make automatic movements, but how to add it on top of a chronograph system?

Another great difficulty arose, with a high frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour, the oils of the time were not suitable, and there was too great a risk that the oil on the pallets would splash onto the escapement wheel or the balance-spring. In 1967, they designed a new exhaust with a lubrication system based on molybdenum carbide and the application of dry treatment with a low friction coefficient. It was not until December 1968 that Zenith obtained its first prototypes.

In 1969 the consortium, (holding company), MZM, Mondia-Zenith-Movado was founded. Movado for the American market.

The brand plans to present its automatic chronographs in 1969 at the Basel Fair. However, on hearing rumours about the presentation of an automatic chronograph before the Basel Fair by the main competitor group, Zenith decides to make a public pre-announcement on 10 January 1969. Zenith held a small press conference in Switzerland at which it presented a prototype of an automatic chronograph.

To establish its title of "first", Zenith christens its model "El Primero" (the "first"). But unfortunately this was a local press conference, a small event only covered by regional newspapers in Switzerland. The automatic chronograph therefore did not receive the attention the brand wanted.

Moreover, despite this public announcement and the demonstration with supporting work samples, these models did not become available to the public until October 1969. This made Zenith-Movado not the first, but the third to enter the automatic chronograph market.
In 1972, the American company "Zenith Radio Corporation" became the majority shareholder. Three years later, they struggled to recoup their investment and decided to stop producing any mechanical calibre. The number of employees rises from 1,000 to 150.
In the same year, Lemania brings out its automatic chronograph calibre 1340 and Valjoux, in 1973, the famous 7750 still produced today.
With the arrival of quartz and the resulting crisis, the El Primero was put out of business in 1975.

A major turning point in 1978, Paul Castella, head of the DIXI company, saved the factory by buying it from the Americans.
Pierre-Alain Blum, then director of the Ebel brand, was looking for chronograph movements with moon phases. In 1981, he bought a stock of unfinished parts from Zenith, of the calibre 3019 PHF.

In 1983, resale of the Movado brand.

Through the intermediary of Ebel in 1984, the house Rolex approaches Zenith, in order to buy their calibre to equip their Daytona model, a financial aid and a request to modify the El Primero, 200 modifications in total, including :
Elimination of the date, to match the design of the dial, a Glucydur balance with Microstella regulation system, 28,000 vibrations per hour, a Breguet balance-spring, automatic reversing wheel, among others. All calibres are produced in the Zenith workshops. Rolex calibre 4030, presented in Basel in 1988. 10-year contract.

Since 1987 the name 3019 PHC becomes the calibre 400.

Other brands also used this calibre :
Movado first, Ebel, Ulysse Nardin, Concord, Rolex, Daniel Roth, Dunhill, Panerai, Boucheron, Chaumet, Dior and Tag Heuer.

The LVMH group bought the brand in 1999 and no longer delivers these calibres.

It should also be noted that this famous calibre has many derivatives and various complications.