enith’s fascination with the world of aviation goes as far back as the late 19th century: in 1888, the brand filed a trademark for the French term “Pilote”, followed by the English version “Pilot” in 1904. In the years that followed, it would become one of the preeminent makers of specialised watches and dashboard instruments for pilots. Among the most notable of its countless adopters was Louis Blériot, who made history by making the first flight across the English Channel in 1909.

Entirely redesigned from scratch, the all-new Pilot collection forgoes the vintage aesthetic for something that draws inspiration from the entire span of aviation – past and present. The template for the new generation of Zenith Pilot watches, the Pilot Automatic revisits the collection’s aesthetic codes in an outstanding silhouette full of subtle details. Crafted in a 40mm case in either stainless steel or black ceramic, it features an entirely new case design with a distinctive flat-top round bezel fixed on top of the rounded case. The Pilot Automatic is powered by the El Primero 3620 high-frequency manufacture movement, visible through the sapphire display back, which delivers a power reserve of 60 hours when fully wound.

The Pilot collection is Zenith’s longest-standing line, balancing heritage and modernism in many different versions over the years. Today, the brand continues to uphold and build upon this unparalleled heritage with the latest generation of the Pilot collection.

The Pilot Big Date Flyback comes in two different versions, both in a 42.5 mm case. The stainless steel version takes a page from one of the most distinguished El Primero Flyback chronographs, the aptly named “Rainbow Flyback”. The black ceramic version takes on an achromatic, utilitarian look with luminescent white markers and hands contrasting boldly against the opaline black corrugated dial.

In terms of performance, the new El Primero 3652 automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre brings two functions to the 5Hz chronograph that are a perfect fit for the Pilot: the big date and the flyback function. Beyond its easy readability, the oversized date display in the Pilot Big Date Flyback features a next-gen patented compliant mechanism that advances and stabilises both of the big date’s discs in less than 0.03 seconds.

Price range: CHF 7,500-13,400

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