Zenith Montre d’Aeronef Type 20 Pilot’s Watch

Limited Edition 250 pieces

57.5mm titanium case, manual-wind Zenith Caliber 5011 (pocketwatch caliber, 50mm diameter, 48+ hrs power reserve, COSC cert.), brown leather strap with titanium pin buckle

close-up of the dial:

Zenith Captain Winsor Annual Calendar Chronograph (Westime Exclusive)

42mm rose gold + stainless steel case, MIH-annual calendar module on Zenith El Primero automatic mechanical chronograph caliber, rubber-lined blue alligator strap

close-up:

Price-wise, the Zenith Winsor Annual Calendar will set you back $8,700 for the steel model (silvered or midnight blue dial), $18,800 in rose gold — a nice price for such a compelling combination. One steel case/silver dial model, please!

Zenith Captain Winsor Annual Calendar

42mm steel or rose-gold case, automatic mechanical El Primero 4054 caliber, oscillating weight with côtes de genève pattern; ; fitted on black or brown alligator strap with protective rubber lining and matching buckle

Looking closely at the dial, you can see nicely contrasting finishes – a centre section of guilloché and a broad, satin-finished outer ring.  Note also the 2-chronograph sub-dials, “annual calendar” notation at the top of the dial, and the calendar functions (day, date, month):

Just about a week to go until ONLY Watch 2011 and my previews continue.  Today we look at Zenith and the two unique pieces that they have created for the event.  Both these watches are what are known as “destro” style (Italian word), meaning that the crown and chronograph pushers are located on the left side of the case (usually they are on the right side) which makes the watches are suitable for a left-hander to wear on his right wrist.  Zenith says that “Like Leonardo da Vinci, one in ten people are left-handed, and the proportion varies considerably between various countries, reaching as much as one-quarter of the population in some cases. It is for them that these two models are specifically designed.”  Both models house the legendary El Primero calibre which was launched by Zenith in 1969 and is now one of the most famous movement families in horological history.

See my comprehensive coverage of all of the special ONLY Watch 2011 pieces >>>

Zenith “Captain Chronograph”

Unique Piece

42mm gold case, automatic mechanical El Primero 400B chronograph caliber,

Zenith “Pilot Chronograph”

Unique Piece

42mm stainless steel case, inverted bezel, automatic mechanical El Primero 4002 chronograph caliber

The hot new pieces from Zenith in 2011 are the Zenith El-Primero Stratos Flybacks.  Consiting of the Stratos Flyback, the Stratos Flyback Striking 1/10th, and the Stratos Flyback Johan Nilson special edition, the watches feature a tough black ceramic bezel and what I would describe as a nice blend of “rugged”  “adventure” and “military” looks.  The case is 45.5 mm diameter, avail. in a variety of metals, and with Zenith’s El-Primero 4057B caliber (precise to 1/10th of a second) or the simpler El-Primero 405B column-wheel chronograph movement.  Personally I’d go for the Stratos Flyback with the black “Alchron” steel case (Alchron is similar to a DLC finish).  Prices for the Zenith Stratos Flybacks start at around $10,000.  The special edition done in partnership with Explorer John Nilson (also picutred below) looks particularly awesome.  Nicely done, Zenith, nicely done!

Zenith Stratos Flyback

Alchron coated-steel case

Steel and Red Gold/Alchron Cases

Zenith Stratos Flyback Johan Nilson Pole2Pole Special Edition

black Alchron-coated steel case, special subdial – limited edition of 500

Zenith Stratos Flyback Striking 1/10th

I’ll wrap this up with a few more thoughts on Zenith in general.  I started covering Zenith at Baselworld 2010, when it introduced some fantastic new watches such as the El-Primero Striking 1/10th watch and the Ultra Thin 681.    Introduced under the guidance of CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour, these watches (among others) marked the beginnings of  Zenith’s very wise move back to its heritage and playing to its technical capabilities such as that exemplified in the legendary El-Primero movement.  Just a couple years into this move back to its roots, Zenith continues to show us that it is 100% focused on becoming a real powerhouse in the industry.  In summary, I think that Zenith is really on the up-and-up right now, and I think that the time is now right to look at putting a Zenith on your wrist, or at adding one to your collection.

Zenith Captain Power Reserve

40mm case (white gold or stainless steel), guilloche patterned dial with power reserve (2 o’clock) and small seconds (9 o’clock), Zenith Elite 685 Automatic Mechanical movement

Zenith Captain Power Reserve Steel	Zenith Captain Power Reserve Rose Gold

The 2011 Captain Power Reserve models leave behind the prior Elite Class Power Reserve models which were similarly styled and powered (Elite 685 caliber).

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Zenith continues to reinforce my notion that it can again be taken seriously (Bye-bye Defy).  Starting last year with the impressive 1/10th Second Chrono, Zenith has been focused on nicely designed watches that reinforce the core heritage of the brand.  Of course, it’s desire for a bit of flair to demonstrate its technical prowess still exists, too — a la the Zenith Christophe Colombe I showed a few months back, but it is clear that the focus is back to the brand’s strong heritage.  And for that, Zenith is becoming LOVED again!

Anyway, this new El Primero Tourbillon definitely caught my eye — sharp looking watch, eh?  Price is $49,700 for the steel version and $66,800 for the 18k rose gold version.

Zenith El Primero Tourbillon

44 mm rose gold or stainless steel case, comes on alligator leather strap lined with rubber

Steel version:

The Zenith El Primero 4035 D movement with 60-second tourbillon is visible through the caseback:

You can see what a couple of my fellow watch bloggers thinkg about this watch, HERE (Ariel Adams) and HERE (Jason Pitsch/PW).

More Zenith watches I have covered, HERE.

Like the Zenith Elite Ultra Thin 681 that I showed you back in March, these new Zenith “Captain” watches are the latest offering in Zenith’s Elite collection.   As you can see the watches are, well, plain.  The $3,000-$4,000 price tag is not out of line for a watch with an in-house movement (as is the case here), but I’m just not feeling the love for this watch at such a price.  Perhaps there is a subtle sophistication that I am missing.  Or not.  Feel free to weigh-in with a comment.

Zenith Elite Captain Central Seconds

40mm case (stainless steel or rose gold), sapphire display back, water resistance 50 meters, automatic Zenith caliber Elite 670.

If I were going to buy a Zenith, I’d much prefer something like the Zenith El-Primero Striking 1/10 Chronograph. Granted, the Striking 1/10 is at least 2x-3x the price of the Elite Captain, but I find it many times more interesting than the watch shown here.

Here’s a special look at the new Zenith Christophe Colomb — an absolutely stunning new limited edition, high-horology piece from Zenith.  Named after the famous world explorer Christopher Columbus, the design of this watch is phenomenal as it prominently features a glass globe which encloses a gyroscope-balanced regulator.  The globe, or double-bubble as see it, protrudes above both the top and bottom of the case in a visually captivating manner.  With a price of $209,000 and limited production of 25 250 pieces, this watch is all about Zenith showing off its horological skills, and I think it has succeeded on this one.  Have a look:

Zenith Christophe Colomb

side view:

As I alluded to above, the watch’s regulating mechanism features prominently beneath a protruding dome both on the dial and caseback.  The mechanism is kept horizontal at all times through a clever Cardan suspension system, a mechanism commonly found in gyroscopes whose origins date back to the early 1500s – history buffs can read more about Gernolamo Cardano here.  The Cardan suspension allows the rotation of an object in multiple dimensions.  This will surely provide its owner with hours of entertainment in hands-on exploration of the laws of physics.

Available in a 45mm rose or white gold case, the watch dial features the hours and minutes (12 o’clock), the self-regulating gyroscopic module (6 o’clock position), a small seconds subdial (9 o’clock), and a power reserve indicator (3 o’clock) — seen here on the white gold version:

The movement is the manual wind Zenith Academy 8804 with a unique gyroscopic system that ensures perfect horizontal positioning of the regulating organ housed in a gyroscopic cage made of 166 components, 10 conical-geared wheels (with 6 spherical wheels) & 6 ball bearings.  Power reserve is 50 hours.

The watch is available in two metals — Rose Gold (Reference 18.2210.8804/01.C631 ) and White Gold (Reference 65.2210.8804/01.C630).

The only thing I am uncertain about is how exactly does this watch sit on the wrist?  Does the double-bubble design cause trouble in this regard?  I admit, I’m quite curious.

Overall an exciting watch that continues Zenith’s successful 2010.  By the way, if you haven’t already seen them, you will want to have a look at two other exciting watches introduced by Zenith this year in a “return-to-the-roots” strategy for the brand — the Zenith Ultra Thin Elite 681 and the Zenith El-Primero Foudroyante Chronograph.

Two new Zenith watches presented at Baselworld this year really made a fine impression on me and many other watch enthusiasts collectors.  Seems that Zenith has made a bit of a return to the “classic” and “timeless” designs that it is known for, and I think the brand will be handsomely rewarded in the marketplace for these new watches.  The first watch is the El Primoro 1/10th second foudroyante – which you can check out here.  The second model is this new “ultra-thin” watch.  Simple and elegant, it is an ideal dress watch:

Zenith Elite 681 Ultra Thin

40mm case housing ultra-thin (3.81 mm) Elite 681 self-winding calibre with 50 hrs power reserve

18 carat rose gold (pictured) or stainless steel with sapphire crystal display back.  comes on an alligator strap with matching metal buckle