Zenith draws on its tradition in aviation watches to revisit the Pilot collection from scratch. A tradition legitimised by its pioneering role in this sector, which saw the company register the French brand name "Pilote" in 1888, followed by the English version "Pilot" in 1904, and shortly afterwards become one of the most important brands supplying specialised watches and on-board instruments for pilots.
The result is modern, durable, readable pilot's watches, no longer with a vintage look but with a completely contemporary, everyday aesthetic. The collection comprises two models, Pilot Automatic and Pilot Big Date Flyback, in steel or black ceramic.
The changes in terms of design concern first of all the flat bezel on the round case, which in the Automatic has a diameter of 40 mm. In the steel version, the surfaces feature vertical satin-finishing and polished bevels, while the black ceramic one is entirely micro-sandblasted for a matt finish.
The crown is oversized but more angled, a modern version of the onion-shaped ones on old pilot's watches. In the dials, the aeronautical inspiration remains dominant: a black background with horizontal grooves reminiscent of the corrugated metal sheets that made up the fuselage of many vintage aircraft, and oversized luminescent indices in a more modern font. On the Automatic, the white line at the top of the date window refers to the artificial horizon of aircraft.
Same design cues for the Pilot Big Date Flyback with a 42.5 mm case. While the ceramic version retains the monochrome black look with white indices, the steel version refers to the 1997 Zenith Rainbow Flyback: the minute counter features alternating coloured sectors to better distinguish the 5-minute markers and the chrono hands have a vibrant orange hue.
In addition to the flyback function, which allows the chronograph to be reset and restarted with the push and release of a single pusher, it features a large date display with a quick release: a patented mechanism that animates and stabilises both discs in less than 0.03 seconds.
For both, the heart is a high-frequency automatic El Primero calibre with a 60-hour power reserve: the 3620 for the Automatic and the new 3652 for the Big Date Flyback. They come with double interchangeable straps with a quick-release system: in Cordura-effect rubber. black and khaki. for the ceramic versions; in black Cordura and brown calfskin for the steel versions.
PricesPilot Automatic - €8,100 in steel, €10,300 in ceramic; Pilot Big Date Flyback - €12,300 in steel, €14,500 in ceramic.
