Zenith just did something it has never done before with the modern Chronomaster line. It took the chronograph away. The new Chronomaster Solo Sport is a three-hand, time-only watch built on the high-frequency El Primero architecture, and it is the first Chronomaster since the collection's 2021 relaunch with no stopwatch function at all.
The short answer: Zenith released the Chronomaster Solo Sport in September 2026 across four references: white, black, and brown ceramic dials with a date window, plus a black no-date version. All run the automatic El Primero 3620 CS at 36,000 vibrations per hour (5Hz), with a 60-hour power reserve and 200m water resistance in a 40mm steel case. Prices run CHF 8,900 to CHF 9,900, and the watch enters the permanent collection rather than shipping as a limited run.
The white ceramic dial reference, 03.5000.3620/69.M5000. The red "36'000 VpH" callout marks the movement's high-frequency beat rate.
Why a Time-Only Chronomaster Is a Real Story
The Chronomaster name has meant a chronograph since Zenith revived it in 2021 with the Chronomaster Sport, the Daytona-alternative that made the El Primero 3600 a fixture on this site. Stripping the chronograph out is not a small styling choice.
It is Zenith betting that the El Primero's real selling point was never just the stopwatch function. It was the high-frequency movement underneath it.
The Case and Dial
The Solo Sport carries a 40mm stainless steel case with a unidirectional rotating bezel, a ceramic insert in black, and sapphire crystals front and back. Water resistance holds at 200m, more than double what the chronograph Chronomaster Sport offers.
The dial is ceramic too, sunray-finished, with a repeated 45-degree "Z" pattern meant as a visual nod to the movement's beat rate. A shark-tooth minute track and faceted, Super-LumiNova-filled hour markers keep it legible.
Three of the four references add a date window at 3 o'clock. The fourth, a black dial, skips it entirely.
The El Primero 3620 CS Movement
Under the caseback sits the automatic El Primero 3620 CS, a caliber Zenith has already used in the Chronomaster Sport vs Defy Skyline comparison we ran last month, here stripped down to time-only functions.
- Frequency: 36,000 vibrations per hour (5Hz)
- Power reserve: approximately 60 hours
- Escapement: silicon, with a stop-seconds mechanism
- Winding: bi-directional automatic, openworked oscillating weight
The El Primero 3620 CS through the sapphire caseback: openworked rotor, blued screws, and the five-pointed Zenith star.
Removing the chronograph module means the 3620 CS runs simpler and thinner than the chronograph-equipped 3600, with the same 5Hz beat rate that has defined the El Primero since 1969.
Every Reference and What It Costs
| Reference | Dial | Date | Price (CHF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03.5000.3620/69.M5000 | White ceramic | Yes | 9,900 |
| 03.5000.3620/22.M5000 | Black ceramic | Yes | 9,900 |
| 03.5001.3620/72.M5000 | Brown ceramic | Yes | 9,900 |
| 03.5000.3620/21.M5000 | Black ceramic | No | 8,900 |
All four share the same case, movement, and 18mm three-link steel bracelet with a Zenclasp folding clasp. The clasp includes tool-free micro-adjustment across a 10mm range in 2.5mm steps, a detail that matters more day to day than the spec sheet suggests.
The black no-date reference, 03.5000.3620/21.M5000, the cheapest of the four at CHF 8,900.
The No-Date Black Is the One to Watch
Drop the date window and Zenith drops the price by CHF 1,000. That is a real discount, not a rounding error, and it buys the cleanest dial of the four.
For a buyer who wants the Z-pattern dial with nothing interrupting it, the no-date black is the honest pick. Everyone else is paying a grand for a date window most people set once a month and otherwise ignore.
Case profile on the brown dial reference: screw-down crown at 3 o'clock, no chronograph pushers anywhere on the case.
How This Fits the Rest of the Chronomaster Line
Zenith now sells the El Primero three ways inside one collection name: the chronograph Chronomaster Sport, the integrated-bracelet Defy Skyline, and now the time-only Solo Sport. Our Chronomaster Sport buying guide covers the chronograph original this watch is stripped down from, and our Chronomaster Sport vs Defy Skyline comparison covers the other El Primero 3620 sibling already on the market.
The El Primero itself has a longer story than any single reference. It powered the Rolex Daytona from 1988 to 2000, and it remains one of the best-value manufacture movements in Swiss watchmaking. Our deeper look at why the El Primero is still undervalued covers that history in full.
White, black, and brown, side by side. All three date references share the same CHF 9,900 price.
FAQ
What movement is in the Zenith Chronomaster Solo Sport?
The automatic El Primero 3620 CS, running at 36,000 vibrations per hour (5Hz) with a silicon escapement and approximately 60 hours of power reserve.
How much does the Chronomaster Solo Sport cost?
The three date references (white, black, brown) retail at CHF 9,900. The black no-date reference is CHF 8,900.
Does the Chronomaster Solo Sport have a chronograph?
No. It is a time-only, three-hand watch. It is the first Chronomaster reference since the 2021 relaunch without a stopwatch function.
What is the water resistance of the Chronomaster Solo Sport?
200 meters, more than double the water resistance of the chronograph Chronomaster Sport.
Is the Chronomaster Solo Sport a limited edition?
No. Zenith is releasing it as part of the permanent collection, not as a limited run.