Introducing The Zenith A384 Revival Liberty

Zenith has introduced a new take on their popular A384 revival called the Revival Liberty, and it’s being offered exclusively for the North American market. The watch marks a continuation of what has become a trend at Zenith, joining editions such as the Shadow released earlier this year, each of which stem from the initial launch of the 50th Anniversary El Primero A384 Revival last year. The Revival Liberty brings some new details to a familiar package, and breathes new life into an old favorite.

The most prominent feature of the Revival Liberty is the blue fume dial, that works very well in this application. The white subdials pop off the dial with red accents filling in the accent details. The timing second hand receives red and white stripes throughout its length, providing a striking contrast to the rest of the dial. It’s an unexpected detail that will likely be the only point of contention for potential buyers. A solid white or red hand certainly would have been the safer route here, but the stripes make an impression for better or worse. 

Another splash of red comes courtesy the date numerals printed upon the white date wheel appearing through the aperture at 4:30. Highlighting this often maligned component of El Primero watches brings some confidence to its placement, and it works way better than you might have expected. Leaning into this complication feels more effective than hiding it away on the dial, which can make it look like an interruption to the design. Here, it compliments everything else going on and I’d like to see more of this attitude on new watch designs.

The whole attitude of the Revival Liberty is a play on the more colorful components of 1960s culture. Fashion, freedom, and expression were all jumping off points for Zenith in creating this watch. It’s clear they are speaking to an American audience with these themes, and with good reason as all 150 examples slated for production are limited to North American markets exclusively. 

Inside the A384 Revival is the automatic El Primero 400 beating away at 36,000 VpH. That impressive stat is one we’ve come to take for granted when it comes to this particular movement, but it’s worth a reminder. The movement sits within the wonderfully wearable 37mm case with squared lug ends, and comes mated to a blue cordura-like strap with red stitching. This is a lot of watch and comes with an $8,700 price tag to prove it. With just 150 examples being made we suspect it’ll retain much of that value in the long haul as well. See more of this watch from Zenith right here.