S01E25: The Guardian of the El Primero: Charles Vermot and the Movement Hidden Behind a Wall

What's on Your Riste? A Watch Podcast · Jul 21, 2026 · 29m

*This episode is dedicated to Nick Meijer - THANK YOU for the support and suggestions!!!*

TITLE

The Guardian of the El Primero: Charles Vermot and the Movement Hidden Behind a Wall

DESCRIPTION

Zenith’s El Primero should not exist.

During the quartz crisis, the American owners of Zenith ordered the company’s mechanical tooling destroyed, including the presses, dies, plans, and machinery needed to produce the legendary El Primero automatic chronograph movement.

One watchmaker refused.

Charles Vermot secretly carried nine crates of equipment and meticulously organized technical drawings into an…