Hvilken kronograf var den første automat

[hannover_dk]

Det er et ret ofte diskuteret emne på internationale fora. Jeg lavede lidt check-up på det for et par år siden, og lagde det så i øvrigt på min blog - som jeg bare vil bruge til at samle nogle af de for mig mere interessante emner jeg har rodet med. Da det meste foregik på udenlandske fora, er den på engelsk, men det er jo ikke så svært fattet, så jeg roder ikke her med oversættelse - kopierer bare fra http://mine-ure.blogspot.dk/
Problemet opstår ud fra, at Heuer/buren/hamilton og Zenith begge præsenterede den på samme Basel messe i 1969 og at Seiko faktisk helt samme år kom med deres automat kronograf. Indtil 1969 havde man ikke sat automatik på kronografer, da de ville blive for høje, og der var tvivl om hvorvidt en automatik ville kunne stå godt nok for optrækket, hvis kronografen var i brug.

It is often discussed, which company produced the worlds first automatic chronographic movement:

I made some research using many different sources - and direct correspondence with vintage people in the three companies.

Zenith on the 10th January 1969 presented, as the first company, an automate chronograph (ElPrimero) at a separate press-conference in a hotel in Geneva prior to the Basel exhibition same year.

Heuer/Buren/Hamilton/D&D would therefor wait for the Basel exhibition with their presenation, but had a conference - at the same date as the opening of the exhibition, in New-York and Geneva, on the 3rd March 1969.

Seikos files are not complete from the time, and they have difficulties in giving exact information, but they did deliver the first calibre 6139, single sub-dial automatic chronograph to shops (in Japan most likely only) - and the fist know calibre 6139 watch, was sold from a shop to a consumer in May 1969. The first two sub-dial auto chrono from Seiko 6138, was prepared before 6139, but not released until 1970

As an extra information, it can be added, that an astronaut (I only have name as W.R.P.) carried the Seiko in open space as the first automatic chrono in open space - with Skylab 4 as part of his personal equipment.

Conclusions about the first automatic chronograph:
First presentation: Zenith Jan 1969 - Fully integrated automatic rotor chronograph - high beat
First sold on the market: Seiko May/June 1969 -
First planning of production of an automatic chrono: With all likeliness, the Heuer group of companies - Modular based automatic chronograph


The Zenith ElPrimero is still in production on basically the same platform, and is without doubt the first fully integrated automatic rotor chronograph – and with column wheel. It is by far the longest living of the three contesters.

br John H