Renewed about a year ago, the Pilot collection of Zenith underlines the strong link that has always existed between the Swiss watchmaker and the world of aviation. Zenith recently unveiled its first Boutique Editions, the Pilot Automatic and the Big Date Flyback, both of which feature a beautiful midnight blue dial structured with grooves, reminiscent of the corrugated metal sheets that made up the fuselage of many vintage aircraft.
The Pilot Automatic Boutique Edition has a 40.5 mm case in polished and satin-finished steel, combined with a circular bezel and an oversized crown. The dial features diamond-shaped hands and oversized, SuperLuminova-luminescent Arabic numeral hour markers.
At 6 o'clock is the date window, above which is positioned a horizontal index recalling the artificial horizon of aircraft. Artificial horizon also recalled on the skeleton winding rotor fitted with the El Primero 3620 calibre that animates the watch (36,000 vibrations per hour, 27 jewels, power reserve of around 60 hours), visible from the back side.
The Pilot Big Date Flyback, on the other hand, is a chronograph in a 42.5 mm steel case, equipped with the so-called 'flyback' function. This function (originally conceived precisely for aviators) allows the chronograph, which has already started, to be reset and restarted by pressing the start button alone, thus offering the possibility of recording consecutive times without having to stop, reset and restart the measurement. On the blue dial, at 6 o'clock, is the large double-window date display, equipped with a patented new-generation mechanism that moves and stabilises both discs in less than 0.03 seconds. The date discs are the same shade of blue as the dial.
The Pilot Big Date Flyback is driven by the El Primero 3652 calibre (36,000 vibrations per hour, 35 jewels, power reserve of around 60 hours, column-wheel), again equipped with a skeleton rotor reminiscent of the artificial horizon and visible from the back. Both of the new Pilot Boutique Edition from Zenith are water-resistant to a pressure of 10 atmospheres and fitted with two straps, one in blue rubber with a "Cordura" effect and the other in brown calfskin with a folding clasp, which can be easily changed thanks to the quick-change mechanism. Finally, the Pilot Automatic Boutique Edition and the Pilot Big Date Flyback Boutique Edition are available exclusively from Zenith boutiques around the world and on the company's website.
Prices8,100 euros (Pilot Automatic); 12,300 euros (Pilot Big Date Flyback).
