1969 Zenith Chronograph 18k ref. ref. G171, manual winding cal. 146 DP, 35mm. gold case, around 2500 made.

Yes, Zenith still made classic hand-wound chronographs in 1969/70, although they launched the world’s first automatic chronograph el Primero that same year! The 146 were the last manual wind chronographs movements used prior to the introduction of the el Primero automatic, Zenith stopped making manual wind chronographs.

Since gold watches tend to be expensive when new, the price of this classic 18K gold chronograph in 1969/70 was about the same as the new steel automatic el Primero ref. A 386.

Zenith is a luxury Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1865 by Georges Favre-Jacot at the age of 22. Zenith was purchased by LVMH in November 1999, becoming one of several brands in their watch and jewellery division.
Zenith has a long reputation for the quality and precision of their watches. It is one of the few Swiss watch manufacturers that still produces their own movements in-house, including the Zenith el Primero – one of the first automatic chronograph movements from 1969.