What’s LVMH Watch Week 2021 without a good ol Zenith Pilot? This week Zenith unveiled its first ever Pilot Chronograph model crafted from precious 925 sterling silver.
Revisiting its iconic and historical Pilot aesthetic while drawing inspiration from vintage aircraft design, the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Silver combines the beauty of its 45mm silver case with a brushed silver riveted dial which is inspired by the fuselage of an aircraft. The riveted details resemble metal panels of an aircraft and the large onion shaped crown adds a nice antique note.
You’ll hardly ever hear of silver being used in watchmaking, for the simple reason that the material is soft, brittle to a certain extent, prone to discolouration, and all in all isn’t the easiest to work with. Against all odds, Zenith has managed to overcome some of these challenges and come up with the material to create one of the most remarkable renditions of the Pilot line.
For maximum legibility at all times, the signature Pilot oversized Arabic hour-markers and “cathedral style” rhodium-plated hour and minute hands feature white luminescent paint. The Bi-Compax layout offers a small seconds counter at 9 o’clock and a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock.
Under the hood of this aviation tribute is an El Primero 4069 Automatic movement, beating at 36,000vph, which provides an impressive power reserve of 50 hours. Water-resistant to 100m, the Zenith Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Silver is presented on a brown calfskin leather strap with a rivet and polished steel pin buckle with a distinctive tab, recalling vintage pilot helmets.
Technical Specifications
Reference: 05.2430.4069/17.I011
Key points: Genuine Silver 925 case: Limited Edition of 250 units. Case-back engraved with Zenith flying instruments logo. Inspired by the legendary Zenith aviation watches. Arabic numerals entirely made of SuperLuminova
Movement: El Primero 4069 Automatic
Frequency: 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)
Power-reserve.: min. 50 hours
Functions: Hours and minutes in the centre. Small seconds at 9 o’clock. Chronograph: Central chronograph hand, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock.
Price: 9900 CHF
Material: Silver 925
Case back: Silver case-back engraved with the Zenith flying instruments logo
Water-resistance: 10 ATM
Dial: Brushed riveted dial with shiny reflections
Hour-markers: Arabic numerals in SuperLuminova SLN C1®SLN
Hands: Rhodium-plated, coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1®SLN
Bracelet & Buckle: Brown calfskin leather strap with rivets. Polished steel pin buckle