The new models in Zenith's Pilot collection are heirs to a long tradition of precision and adventure. As a true pioneer in the field of watchmaking, Zenith has consistently rolled back the boundaries of innovation, creating watches that reflect the daring spirit of the explorers of yesteryear. The new models in the Pilot collection embody this adventurous spirit, offering wearers the feeling of taking to the skies.
The Pilot collection bears living testimony to the evolution of watchmaking through a harmonious blend of tradition and contemporary aesthetics. Every detail is carefully designed to celebrate Zenith's heritage while adapting to the tastes of today's enthusiasts.
The models in Zenith's Pilot collection epitomise absolute freedom. Their sleek design and easily legible dial inspire unparalleled confidence, allowing wearers to live each moment in total serenity. Whether for a flight, a wilderness adventure or simply everyday life, these watches are the ideal companion for those seeking to conquer their own destiny.
Discover the new models in Zenith's Pilot collection and embark on a journey through time. These watches will embody your passion for watchmaking excellence and elegantly accompany you in all your explorations.
Pilot Automatic
The Pilot Automatic, crafted in a 40mm case in either stainless steel or black ceramic, features an entirely new case design with a distinct flat-top round bezel fixed on top of the rounded case. In the steel version, the surfaces are vertically satin-brushed with polished chamfers, while the black ceramic version is entirely microblasted for a stealthy matte finish. The oversized crown, a defining feature of Pilot watches, takes on a more modern, angular form, while remaining easy to operate – even with gloves on.
The black opaline dial, with its horizontal grooves, mimics the look of corrugated metal sheets that make up the fuselage of many older aircrafts. The oversized luminescent Arabic numerals, a signature feature of ZENITH Pilot watches and dashboard instruments since the early 1900s, take on a more modern font and are applied as metal markers filled with white Super-LumiNova. At 6 o’clock above the date window, the luminescent hour marker takes the form of a flat white line, recalling the artificial horizon instrument in plane. Here, it allows the wearer to instantly understand the orientation of the watch and read the time without second-guessing.
The dial is signed “Pilot”, as ZENITH remains the first and only brand to hold the rights to mark its dials with the term. Visible through the sapphire display back, the Pilot Automatic is powered by the El Primero 3620 high-frequency manufacture movement, which delivers a power reserve of 60 hours when fully wound. The winding mechanism’s open and blackened oscillating weight recalling the archetypal and essential “artificial horizon” dashboard instrument, which informs the pilot of the aircraft’s orientation relative to the Earth’s horizon.
The supplied straps are also perfectly matched to the different characters of the two versions of the Pilot Automatic: The black ceramic version is delivered on a stealthy black cordura-effect rubber strap with a newly designed folding clasp developed specifically for the Pilot, as well as a more utilitarian khaki cordura-effect rubber strap. The steel model is also fitted on the same black cordura-effect rubber strap, but its second strap is crafted in brown calfskin leather, recalling typical vintage aviator’s paraphernalia like the flight jacket, gloves and hat. The straps can be easily swapped with the quick-release mechanism integrated directly into the back of the straps, requiring no tools to detach from the spring bars holding them in place.
Pilot Big Date Flyback
The ZENITH Pilot collection simply wouldn’t be complete without a chronograph reference. And for this latest iteration, ZENITH has gone a step further by developing a new version of its El Primero 3600 calibre, with a host of new functions that have been specifically conceived for the Pilot. The Pilot Big Date Flyback comes in two distinct versions, both in a 42.5mm case. The stainless steel version takes a page from one of the most distinguished El Primero Flyback chronographs, the aptly named “Rainbow Flyback”. The chronograph’s minutes totalizer is done in alternating colours to more easily distinguish between the five minute marks. The central chronograph seconds as well as the chronograph minutes hands are done in a bright orange tone, another nod to the iconic El Primero Rainbow from 1997. The black ceramic version takes on an achromatic, utilitarian look with luminescent white markers and hands contrasting boldly against the opaline black corrugated dial.
