In 2009, Manfred Rössler wrote a book about Zenith’s history. On the cover, it featured the watchmaker’s pretty-rare ref. A3818 from 1971. While not as iconic as some of the other watches featuring the Swiss brand’s legendary El Primero movement, only around 1,000 units of the A3818 were ever produced, with its newfound fame earning it the nickname “Cover Girl.” Well, this watch has been a point of fascination for watch enthusiast magazine Revolution, who has just helped Zenith release its third version of the “Cover Girl” Revival as part of the Chronomaster line.
The Third in a Series
In 2020, the first Chronomaster Revival was a more faithful reinterpretation of the original A3818, which was built like the A384 and A385 chronograph references from the late-’60s but was differentiated by its blue shark-tooth dial. This first stainless steel reissue was then followed by a lightweight titanium version in 2022, dubbed the “Airweight Cover Girl.” However, for this third variant for 2025, Revolution and Zenith have gone even lighter in weight, using titanium for the main case material and even the crown and pushers. Forged into solid blocks by a “supplier that comes from the aerospace industry,” the high-modulus carbon is then CNC-machined by Zenith itself, making this the brand’s lightest automatic chronograph ever and one of the lightest currently available by any watchmaker.
According to Zenith Chief Product Officer Romain Marietta, “From a performance perspective, there is no material that is stronger, lighter and more shock and fatigue resistant. The objective was to create the very lightest and most shock resistant A384- and A3818-style watch we’ve ever made. The end result is a watch that is 55 grams (on a carbon fiber Velcro strap), which literally feels like you’re wearing nothing.”
From Ocean Blue to Carbon Weave
Fans of the original might be a bit disappointed that the “Cover Girl Carbon” eschews the emblematic blue dial of the original for a more all-black aesthetic with the carbon weave extending to the dial. While you can’t complain much about the 55-gram weight (that’s just under 2oz), the ocean-esque blue color that made the progenitors such superb summer watches is gone entirely.
Luckily, nothing else has changed, including the triple-register configuration, two-tone register tracks, and shark-tooth effect inside the outer minute track. Specs-wise, you have an identical 37mm case diameter, 12.5mm thickness, and 47mm lug-to-lug with 50m of water resistance. Behind the see-through window in the PVD-coated titanium caseback is the El Primero Caliber 400 automatic chronograph movement from Zenith, a 5-Hz caliber with 50 hours of power reserve.
This time around, however, the watch is equipped with two different band options. Considering this watch is a limited edition, 150 examples will be given a Velcro strap with carbon fiber elements. Meanwhile, only 10 examples will get a very cool ladder-style “Gay Frères” bracelet made from carbon fiber and adding just 4g to the Velcro strap version of the watch.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 37mm
Lug-to-Lug: 47mm
Case Thickness: 12.5mm
Case Material: Carbon fiber
Water Resistance: 50m
Movement: Zenith El Primero Caliber 400 automatic chronograph
Band: Velcro strap with carbon fiber or carbon fiber Gay Frères ladder bracelet
Limited Edition?: Yes, 150 (Velcro) and 10 (bracelet)
Pricing & Availability
Limited to 160 pieces in total (150 of the Velcro and 10 of the bracelet), the Zenith x Revolution Chronomaster Revival A3818 “Cover Girl Carbon” will be priced at either $12,320 or $27,210, depending on your strap option. Head over to Zenith’s website to learn more.
Recap
Zenith x Revolution Chronomaster Revival A3818 Cover Girl Carbon
Zenith and watch magazine Revolution introduce their third Chronomaster Revival based on the ’70s-era A3818 “Cover Girl” watch, this time given a carbon watch case and dial.
