Zenith gets the edge on Rolex with their new Chronomaster Sport Titanium
Jamie Weiss- Zenith follows up their strong slate of LVMH Watch Week 2024 releases with a titanium take on the Chronomaster Sport.
- This extra-sporty chronograph goes for a monochromatic look, with a titanium bezel, nickel grey dial and chronograph counters in anthracite, grey and silver.
- Available on either a titanium three-link bracelet or a black rubber strap, this might just tickle your itch for a titanium Rolex Daytona.
LVMH Watch Week in Miami this year saw Zenith unveil two rather eye-catching takes on the Chronomaster Sport: a steel model with a green ceramic bezel, and a blingy rose gold model with a meteorite dial and gem-set bezel. Good things come in threes, and fittingly, Zenith has now just introduced another exciting Chronomaster Sport, the first-ever titanium take on the popular chronograph.
Unsurprisingly, the Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium is significantly lighter than its stainless steel siblings. It shares the same 41mm case as other Chronomaster Sports but weighs 30% less than its steel equivalent. To bring the weight down even further, the Chronomaster Sport Titanium is also available with a black rubber strap: Zenith has only just started offering rubber straps for the Chronomaster Sport, and they’re particularly nice, with robust folding clasps and an integrated look.
Crafted from grade 5 titanium, the Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium goes for a distinctly monochromatic look. Not only does it feature a titanium tachymeter bezel, but it also boasts a galvanic nickel grey sunburst dial with chronograph counters in anthracite, grey and silver. They’ve even colour-matched the date window at 4:30 to the dial’s shade of grey. There are some subtle pops of red found on the central chronograph hand, 60-minute and 60-second chronograph hands as well as the frequency text at 12 o’clock, which add to the watch’s extra-sporty vibe.
The Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium is finished to a high standard, with the tops of the lugs and bracelet featuring straight satin brushing while the bezel features a sunburst satin-brushed finish. The case and bracelet’s chamfers as well as the rim of the bezel and the caseback are polished, which is only possible when working with higher grades of titanium. Unlike stainless steel and gold Chronomaster Sport references’ bracelets, which feature a polished centre link flanked by brushed outer links, the Chronomaster Sport Titanium’s bracelet features uniformly brushed links; a subtle visual differentiator.
Under the hood beats the El Primero 3600 common to just about all Chronomaster Sports. The latest version of Zenith’s venerable high-beat chronograph movement, it beats at 5 Hz and offers a true 1/10th of second chronograph indication, meaning that its chronograph hand makes a full rotation of the dial in 10 seconds. It features a 60-hour power reserve and gives the Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium 100 metres of water resistance, even without screw-down pushers.
The Zenith Chronomaster Sport inevitably gets compared with the modern Rolex Cosmograph Daytona for a variety of reasons – and it’s a comparison that I don’t think is particularly fair on the Chronomaster Sport, with the Chronomaster Sport sometimes seen as a “poor man’s Daytona” (even though El Primero movements used to power Daytonas – a cruel irony). However, to date, Rolex has never produced a titanium Daytona… This makes the Chronomaster Sport Titanium particularly special, and gives Zenith an edge over Rolex.
Not only does the Chronomaster Sport appear in a metal that the Daytona doesn’t appear in, but you can also get it with a rubber strap if you’re so inclined (Rolex doesn’t currently offer non-precious metal Daytonas on an Oysterflex strap) – and the Chronomaster Sport Titanium’s El Primero 3600 is arguably superior to the Daytona’s calibre 4131 thanks to its higher frequency and date window. The Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium is also almost A$6,000 cheaper than an Oystersteel Daytona at retail. Much to ponder.
Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium pricing & availability
The Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium is available now from Zenith retailers and online. Price: A$17,500 (rubber strap), A$18,300 (bracelet).
| Brand | Zenith |
| Model | Chronomaster Sport Titanium |
| Reference Number | 95.3100.3600.39.M3100 |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 13.8mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Grade 5 titanium |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Nickel grey |
| Strap | Three-link titanium bracelet, folding clasp or black integrated rubber strap with folding clasp |
| Movement | El Primero 3600, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | A$17,500 (rubber strap) A$18,300 (bracelet) |