Teddy Baldassarre
Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow Review
There are some watches that kind of stay with you. They may not be in your wheelhouse as far as taste is concerned (or at least what you think your taste is), but something about them just resonates. This is how I feel, and have felt, about the Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow, a watch that has been in production for some time, one that I have reviewed in the past, and one that I still do not own but which continues to take up valuable real estate in my brain. The version of the watch that I got turned onto was the only one available until recently - a blasted-finish, black-coated titanium chronograph in the retro A384 case format that plays on the past but brings a decidedly modern design sensibility to the overall package. The dial is a matte, flat black and the text on it is well thought-out in terms of the vintage effect, down to the printing of the logos and numerals. It’s as if you’re looking at a museum artifact, except that it's packed with one of the best modern automatic chronograph movements in the game, Zenith's own El Primero, and at 37mm it fits perfectly on my 6.25-inch wrist. If you have been paying attention to Zenith over the past half-decade or so, you are sure to notice that the brand has done quite a job in balancing vintage revivals with innovative new releases. It’s the only brand I know that revives a watch and keeps everything true to form down to the clasp on a bracelet. I recall handling another Shadow model – the Defy Shadow ...