Zenith revamped its Pilot collection last year. In fact, rather than calling it a revamp, it would be better to call it a “cancel and replace.” In any case, Zenith can’t be blamed for making its offering complicated. At the end of the 2023 edition of Watches & Wonders, the Pilot collection consisted of only two models (three hands and chronograph) and two case materials (steel or black ceramic). Only one dial color was available: black, knowing that depending on the case, the details of the chronograph dial could vary. In short, a simple and effective collection of 4 watches all powered by an El Primero caliber, including for the Pilot Automatic three hands.
The Chronograph is my favorite model in the Pilot collection:
A few months later, the time has come to bring a touch of diversity by offering a new dial color only available with steel cases: unsurprisingly, it is blue. Black is the most natural color for pilot-type watches, favoring the strongest contrast between the dial and the luminescent hands for optimal readability. However, blue is essential from a commercial point of view because it is one of the customers’ favorite colors. What surprised me is that this new dial color is only available through boutique edition watches when its popularity could have justified bringing it into the collection as a “normal” watch.
In any case, the result works well from an aesthetic point of view because Zenith has found the right shade. Contrary to popular belief, it is difficult to make a pretty blue dial because behind this notion of blue lies a complete palette of diverse and varied shades, some of which are rather to be avoided. The blue is felt well, in an intense way, without the color being too light. The difference is therefore marked compared to the black dial while maintaining the good contrast between the hands and the dial.
In this context, it is, once again, the chronograph version that I prefer for the same reasons as with the black dial: I find the treatment of the date particularly well done, with this large window and this pleasant sensation when the date jumps. I am less seduced by the date window of the three hands that I find crushed at the base of the dial, overlooked by a horizontal line that seems to constrain it against the bezel.
The Pilot Big Date Flyback chronograph with blue dial is therefore a very beautiful watch with a steel case measuring 42.5 mm in diameter. It is powered by an El Primero caliber with a 60-hour power reserve and a frequency of, of course, 5 Hz. However, despite the appeal of its blue dial, I still have a slight preference for the steel version with black dial because the latter offers subtle colorful nods to the dial of the Zenith Rainbow.
The three-hand Pilot Automatic is also very well made. Its steel case is 40mm and it is powered by an El Primero caliber whose performance is similar to that of the chronograph (60 hours of power reserve for a frequency of 5hz).
Whatever the light conditions, the blue color remains clearly visible and contrasts with the black:
The price of the chronograph is 12,300 euros and that of the three-hand is 8,100 euros. Zenith has logically kept the same prices for the steel watches, whether the dials are blue or black. The black ceramic versions are more expensive (14,500 euros for the chronograph and 10,300 euros for the three-hand).
With the introduction of this new dial color, the Zenith Pilot collection now consists of 6 watches. The question is whether new complications will be added in the coming months. I am thinking in particular of the display of a second time zone, which would be very much in keeping with the spirit of the collection.
