It is a fairly discreet cuvée for Zenith. But on closer examination, the few novelties unveiled by the brand during Watches & Wonders 2023 are much deeper than it seems. In the middle of a set of materials, an entirely redesigned collection slips, repositioning the link between the Le Locle manufacture and the world of aviation at the center of the table.
Zenith Pilot Automatic
The founder of the brand known for its El Primero caliber, Georges-Favre Jacot, sensed that the man was about to conquer the air in filing the trademarks “PILOT” and “PILOTe” in 1888. Aviation has punctuated the history of the manufacture and many models of its kind have emerged in the last century. We think in particular of the Type 20 which was still recently in the catalog. Zenith is starting from scratch, well almost, by drawing inspiration from its archives to unveil two 3-hand models with date anchored in a more contemporary style. In steel or ceramic, the 40mm housings accented with an oversized crown house the caliber El Primero 3620 equipped with 60 hours of power reserve with a cut-out mass inspired by the artificial horizon, a gyroscope found on aircraft dashboards to determine the vertical location of the aircraft. On the dial side, there is a pattern reminiscent of wavy fuselages of the first airplanes. A superb execution that will certainly meet with great success!
Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback
Impossible to create a pilot’s watch without turning it into a chronograph. We are talking about Zenith all the same! It is also the most legitimate place for a caliber bearing the name “El Primero”. On the menu : a flyback function and a large patented date advancing and stabilizing the two discs superimposed (and not side by side) in 0.03 seconds – either instantly. We had the watches in hand, and it seems that the information disclosed by the brand through its press releases is not complete. From memory, it seems to us that the sound produced when the date changes has been studied to recreate that of terminal displays, then that the caliber is equipped with a special system allowing the push-buttons to be pressed much more gently than any competition for an ultra-smooth experience. Useful for a watch with flyback function. Finally, the steel model is equipped with a 30-minute totalizer inspired by the 1997 El Primero Rainbow Flybackallowing the 5-minute intervals to be well separated while adding a touch of charm.
Zenith Defy Revival Shadow
The Defy Revival is a very special watch. A dream for lovers of the vintage style paying homage to the steel style with integrated bracelet, in 1969, i.e. before the fashion was launched by the late Gérald Genta with the Royal Oak in 1972. This year, Zenith declines it in titanium with a microblasted finish for a stealthy, almost industrial rendering, obviously offering a surprising lightness to wear. An effect accentuated by its “ladder” bracelet removing material around the wrist. This novelty logically inaugurates a matte black dial but retains the proportions of 37mm in width and then the Elite caliber.
Zenith Defy Skyline Ceramic
Between the Pilot collection and these two new Defy Skyline, ceramics are in the spotlight this year at Zenith. This allows the brand to position its timepieces in modernity with a material that provides much more than a simple surface treatment, in particular with a much higher hardness than steel and above all a scratch resistance so that your watch does not take a wrinkle. The 1/10th of a second counters remain, fortunately, given that they showcase the El Primero caliber clocked at 36,000. This allows Zenith to stand out from all its competitors. On the other hand, the price overweight compared to the steel version is not insignificant.
To find out more, visit the official Zenith website.
