Reply With QuoteClose call...
Ok - I love the navitimer, but the Zenith, to me, is the better-looking watch and has that legendary movement.
Plus Im a big fan of the brand and miss the Zenith I sold.
We have a winner, but not by a huge margin.
two chronographs, both in house, similar sizes, both classics (the breitling maybe more so)
which would you go for?
Zenith El Primero 42mm
Breitling Navitimer 01 43mm
Close call...
Ok - I love the navitimer, but the Zenith, to me, is the better-looking watch and has that legendary movement.
Plus Im a big fan of the brand and miss the Zenith I sold.
We have a winner, but not by a huge margin.
Zenith for me, I feel its more of a 'WIS' brand and I love the heritage. Also, the Navi is a big 'un.
Might be a good poll topic ?
poll added!
Zenith for me, an El Primero will be a future purchase, but a Breitling Navitimer will not be
not even close...the zenith by a landslide.
the zenith has it in spades - craftmanship, movement uniqueness, cleaner dial and design, etc.
Zenith for me also. A much better looking watch and an iconic movement.
Another Zenith vote here! Those 1969 versions are simply stunning.
Probably my favourite Breitling but no competition for that Zenith in the eyes of this WIS
The Zenith for me too. The Navitimer wouldn't even be close.
I'll buck the trend and vote for the Breitling. The Zenith is lovely, but the Navitimer is such an iconic design and I love mine.
I'll add my vote for the Breitling - that dial is beautiful
Unfortunately for the navitimer, it has inspired a lot of clones
Zenith all day long.Breitling is just a brand I've never warmed to and if you ask me i have no idea why.
The Superocean and the Emergency at a push i could possibly wear.
Don't all iconic designs?Originally Posted by Eamon
The Zeniths a lovely watch, with a great little movement ticking away, but for me the Navitimer walks this.
Zenith for me too ... But I would say that...
Apart from the WIS justifications, I just prefer the design - with the intersecting sub-dials being a really elegant, pleasing design, compared to the Breitling. IMHO.
z
Last edited by zelig; 3rd September 2015 at 20:18.
Zenith for me......funnily enough I was checking out the 42mm one just today, but don't discount the 38mm version, with the date at 4:30..... I tried on both, and the 38mm on a bracelet, was very very nice..
Definitely the Zenith
Another vote for Zenith, a classic movement. Mind you I might be biased owning a Captain Winsor annual day date. Looked at Breitling in the past but just to fussy for my taste.
I have and love Breitlings but Zenith here. A more echt WIS choice, as is said above.
Zenith. Although I may well opt for a different colour dial
Gray
I like both but prefer the Zenith.
As much as i love - and own - a Navitimer, the Zenith is the superior watch in this pair, they`re not even in the same league so are an unlikely twosome on which to compare in my mind.
My CTO has a Zenith, it exudes quality that can be seen from the other side of the room, and on close inspection the dial and general finish is exemplary.
I`d go for the Rattrapante, though..
Last edited by E_2_Right-Force; 3rd September 2015 at 21:41.
What model is that? I love it!Zenith for me too ... But I would say that...
Apart from the WIS justifications, I just prefer the design - with the intersecting sub-dials being a really elegant, pleasing design, compared to the Breitling. IMHO.
z
Zenith every time for me.
James
Zenith for me
Both nice watches can't make me mind up
Another vote for Zenith here.
Zenith for me too - I love the sub-dials
Brietling is cool, zenith is fantastic.
Zenith for me here.
Now were it the original ones (vintage) in question the Breitling would have been my choice....
Last edited by RyanBK; 4th September 2015 at 07:08.
Last edited by zelig; 4th September 2015 at 07:23.
I really don't like to sub dials on the Zenith, far too cramped for my liking, so in this contest I would chose the Breitling.
Zenith again from me, I'm on the look out myself for one. They are beautiful.
I'm lucky enough to own both of these (although my El Primero is the 1969 original at 38mm rather than the 42mm you're looking at) and you've set yourself a tough choice here!
They're both iconic watches and I don't think you'll be disappointed with either. The Navitimer is one of those watches that just doesn't photograph terribly well; it's much more beautiful in the flesh than any picture I've yet seen. However, it is a big watch that tends to catch on shirt cuffs due to its shape. People say the dial is too busy to be easy to read, but I've never found that to be the case. In a funny way it's less obtrusive than the Zenith because it doesn't have the coloured subdials and the black face tones things down a bit. The Zenith can be a bit "shouty" face wise.
The Zenith has the movement though. Even Breitling 's in house B01 is no match for an El Primero. Plus the Zenith has a clear case back so you can see it. I think the 38mm captures the original look a bit better than the 42mm but that's purely personal choice.
I love them both so all I can really suggest is that you try both on. They are different enough that one of them will sing to you on the wrist more than the other. Buy the one that sings.
Don't know if these will help, but hopefully they illustrate what I'm saying
Zenith, all day long.
Another Zenith fan here.
The Zenith, definitely. The Breitling dial a too busy for me.
Breitling deserves credit for being among the very few companies that, like Zenith, can independently produce a chronograph movement. I don't think it's fair to say that they're not in the same league; if anything, the B01 is the better movement, as it ought to be for something forty years more recent in design.
They're both fine choices. While I prefer the 38 mm to the 42 mm version of the EP, for me, the angular Vintage 1969 is the one to have. I tried a friend's 18K version, and it gives the impression of being a solid brick of gold. Considering that the used price is similar to what a steel Navitimer or EP goes for new, I'd say it's a bit of a bargain, too.
Zenith, no contest.
Zenith for me, by a country mile.
A thing of outstanding beauty.
Zenith, every time!
The Zenith, but in 38mm form as posted above. Both wear too large for my tastes.
Surprised at the kicking the Breitling took for a design that's often lauded as "iconic", although this is not a Breitling-friendly forum.
Even I voted for the Zenith, although I have to be careful which one to take. Some of them have overlapping subdials that mean you can't count elapsed time if it happens to be where the scale is overlapped, which is moronic. A chronograph that can works for certain time periods belongs in the bin. I'd never buy one of those in a million years. But without that limitation, it would be a better all-round watch.
Pretty meh on the El Primero movement. 36k bph is a bit of fun, but not important (nothing Omega or Rolex makes beats that fast and no-one cares, so obviously it's not a big factor), it doesn't hack and the power reserve isn't great. As a movement, the Breitling walks it, but per the point above, the movement really isn't that important to most people, regardless of what they might say
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
Zenith all the way.
Superior movement with great history, the benchmark for auto chronographs. The case is the 'right' size in diameter not too thick either, display back, greater water resistance.
Both are icons of their respected brands, and either is a good choice, aah these first world problems!!
I love the look of the Breitling, I had a Navitimer, sold and never really missed it. Spoted a picture of a El Primero Rainbow Flyback, and wanted one there and then, until I found out the price ha ha.
A few years later I bought this one and still have it:
So it's a Zenith vote from me.
Genuinely curious why some consider the El Primero movement to be superior to the B01. As far as I can see, the only advantage one might give it is the higher beat rate — and I'd easily take Rolex's 28800 bph EP-based 4030 calibre over the 36000 bph versions.
maybe some are comparing to the pre B01 navi?
Definitely the Zenith. Primarily on aesthetic grounds.
Zenith for me too.
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