1969-1975 : PITTING CREATIVITY AND INVENTIVENESS AGAINST ELECTRONIC PRECISION
These six years resembled a losing battle. Despite the fact that the El Primero chronograph was equipped with the world’s most accurate mechanical calibre, it simply could not fight the quartz chronograph on equal terms. At that particular time, watchmakers and movement design engineers had not yet grasped that they had much more to offer than merely a means of telling the time. Between 1969 and 1975, no less than 34 versions of the model were created, housing the two base calibres: the chronograph with date under reference 3019 PHC; and the chronograph with triple date and moon-phase display, reference 3019 PHF.
The case evolved and was interpreted through variations on the circle theme, occasionally extended by lugs or extended to form a hexagon. Whether in terms of its materials, dial and hand colours, or straps and bracelets, the timepiece lent itself to all manner of interpretations. While El Primero was a fairly masculine watch, a white gold and diamond model issued in a ten-piece limited edition offered a subtle blend of elegance and technical sophistication. This approach actually represented a poten¬tial solution to the problem in hand, achieved by teaming creativity and inventiveness and placing them in the service of mechanical passion in its struggle against electronic precision.
