The Zenith Pilot Big Date Special - Well you would, wouldn't you?

Continuing the trilogy of Pilot watches unveiled by Zenith this year here's the Zenith Pilot Big Date Special.  Zenith describe this one as "Modern, balanced, classic, masculine..." and they're right.  There are many fine Pilot-styled watches out there, but if you were given the chance to slip this one into your collection, well - you just would, wouldn't you?

Zenith's boss Jean-Frédéric Dufour ordered his design department to create a limited edition aviation-inspired watch for release in 2011, and the 500 piece edition was snapped up so readily that you would have to question the wisdom of a brand who were canny enough to trademark the term "Pilot" so no other watchmaker could use it, but who were daft enough not to make a "Pilot" watch since the 1960's.

Of the three Pilot watches produced by Zenith this year, the Big Date has been singled out for special attention and would appear to be the most popular.  It certainly has all the required aviation-inspired attributes - the clarity of  white numbers and counters against a matt black dial, in-proportion counters and of course that "Big Date" aperture at 6 o'clock .... but there's more.  There is a little quirkiness in the style of those white numerals, a little extra character in the deeply recessed date window and just a little extra diligence given to the contrasting finishing on the case.  It would appear that despite the years of discontinuity, that when it comes to creating a Pilot watch, Zenith still have the knack.

The Zenith Pilot Big Date Special is powered by the selfwinding El Primero Calibre 4010 movement with 50 hours of power reserve housed within a 43mm steel case and comes presented on a hand-stitched leather strap or a mesh bracelet.

More Zenith?

The other two Zenith  "Pilot" watches of 2012, the Zenith Pilot Doublematic World Timer and the Zenith Pilot Montre d’Aeronef Type 20

................ or just something superbly sporty.