This week, we enter the wonderful world of the El Primero movement. As most of you know, Zenith introduced its famous El Primero trio of perfect replica watches in 1969. The brand was part of the illustrious race to release the first automatic chronograph, competing with Seiko and the consortium of brands formed by Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton-Buren, and Dubois Dépraz. Over time, several different brands used El Primero calibers. Most famously, Rolex bought El Primero movements to power its first generation of automatic Daytonas. But many more examples of El Primero-powered US 1:1 fake watches are worth checking out. For this list, we picked our favorite watches.

Replica Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16520 Watches

Another classic powered by Zenith’s El Primero movement is the high quality fake Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16520 watches. Most of you will know that Rolex placed a large order of El Primero calibers to power the first generation of the automatic Daytona. This watch was in production from 1988 to 2000 with either a black or a white dial. Despite there being only two dial colors, collectors distinguish no fewer than five dial variants. The famous “Patrizzi” dials with discolored sub-dial rings and the “Porcelain” dials were among them.

Inside the Swiss made copy Rolex Daytona watches‘ case, you will find the Rolex caliber 4030. The original El Primero movement was heavily modified to fit Rolex’s production standards. The most important modification was the reduction of the operating frequency to 28,800vph. Additionally, the Rolex watchmakers removed the date complication and fitted a new escapement with a free-sprung Glucydur balance wheel, Microstella regulating screws, and a Breguet overcoil. With these modifications, half of the original parts were replaced. But the result was a caliber that is generally considered a great and reliable first automatic chronograph movement from Rolex.

Finding an El Primero-powered Daytona ref. 16520 is not hard, but prepare to pay some serious cash for one. The prices for one start at around €17K and move up to €80K for some of the rare dial variants. Most importantly, though, this generation of best 2024 replica Rolex’s famous chronograph watches will forever be known as the “Zenith Daytona.”

Fake Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM00121 Watches

Our last pick is another rare luxury replica watches. As some of you will know, starting in the early 2000s, Panerai also used Zenith’s El Primero movement for some of its releases. The PAM00072, PAM00121, and the PAM00122 were all powered by Zenith’s famous movement. We picked the Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM00121 from 2002.

Apparently, Panerai was supposed to produce 1,500 pieces of the reference, but the brand never made more than 250. The super clone watches wholesale features a 40mm brushed titanium case with a 15mm thickness, a 22mm lug spacing, and a 200m depth rating. The case was combined with a stainless steel bezel with the tachymeter scale engraved in black.

This reference features a dark gray dial with silver sub-registers. The date window at 4:30 is an easy giveaway that an El Primero-based movement lies within. A quirky detail is the “Automatic Chrono” text right above the sub-dial at 6 o’clock. Panerai replica watches for men could have easily left that off the dial to make it look better.

Inside the case, you will find the Panerai caliber OP IV, which started life as the Zenith El Primero caliber 400Z. AAA Panerai copy watches fitted the movement with a branded rotor visible through the sapphire window on the back. As mentioned, the PAM00121 is rather rare, so you won’t see it pop up for sale regularly. If you do, expect to see a price of roughly €5K–9K.