Classic Watch- Zenith Pilot Type 20

It is Christmas again, the time of the year when our hearts get flooded with love and compassion. Time to get together with family and friends, and that jazz, but it is also the time of the year when we dream about all the pretty things money can buy.

I know, I should not mix heartwarming Christmas feelings with the horrible commercial side of the holidays, but sometimes I just can’t help.

Wristwatches are on the top-five list of objects I dream about. I am not an expert in this tiny universe of horology, I just enjoy reading about it and staring at the watches through the jewelry store windows.

A couple of years ago I came across the amazing Zenith Type 20 Pilot watch series and I was immediately struck by it. They are inspired by the watches used by military pilots from the 1920s, and the vintage and rugged character of the original ones is present in every element of their design.

The connection between Zenith and aviation is long-standing, it stretches all the way back to 1909 when the French aviator Louis Bleriot became the first man to cross the English Channel in a flying machine. Strapped to his wrist was a Zenith watch.

The model pictured above is called Type 20 Extra Special Chronograph, and features a case made of solid brass. Absolutely gorgeous.

During the 2016 edition of the Baselworld, Zenith released the Pilot Cafe Racer. The watch is a true homage to those British bikers from the 1950s and 1960s, that used the country’s motorways as race tracks, challenging each other with their noisy, stripped-down Triumphs, Nortons and BSAs.

The Cafe racer movement definitely deserves a post here at TCM.

The Type 20 Pilot is a gorgeous timepiece, doesn’t mater which model we are looking at. Zenith did a superb job recreating the spirit of the vintage pilot watches in every detail. They even applied an artificial patina, giving the cool appearance of an old, weathered watch.

By its nature, a pilot watch must be easy to read; arabic numbers and hands are big and usually painted in clear colors to contrast on a dark dial, and the Type 20 follow this rule perfectly. Unfortunately it is not a watch that will fit gracefully on every wrist, at 45 mm in diameter and sitting very high above the cuff (14.25 mm), it doesn’t go unnoticed. On a tiny arm like mine, it would look like I stole a wall clock from the local library and strapped it around my wrist. Thankfully Zenith also makes them in 40mm.

The only part of the watch that didn’t go down well on me is the oversized, onion-shaped crown, but then again, it wouldn’t be a deal breaker.

The heart of the Type 20 is El Primero 4069, an impressive high-frequency movement beating at 36,000 vph and one capable of delivering a solid 50 hours of power reserve.

Zenith is a well know luxury watch brand and that means its products can be a bit pricey. The average price for the Type 20 is above $6,000.00.

This is the kind of toy that most of the average Joes around the world can only dream about, but if you have the means, it can be a very nice option for a Christmas gift for yourself. It fits perfectly with a leather jacket and if you don’t have a vintage airplane, a classic British bike will do it nicely.