ZENITH Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Tourbillon
The Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Tourbillon also makes a noteworthy appearance in the new Pilot collection. This titanium and rose gold tourbillon model features a rotating carriage in the upper left-hand part of the dial, as well as incorporating a date indication.
This asymmetrical aesthetic serves to highlight the tourbillon mechanism that is visible through the dial opening, while preserving the slender proportions and elegant lines of this watch. The date driven by a patented system is displayed by means of a disc surrounding the carriage.
This model is powered by the automatic El Primero 4035 D chronograph calibre, while the side of the case bears the letters HB followed by a figure referring to the watch’s series number.
Technical details
Model: ZENITH Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Tourbillon
Movement
4035, automatic
Calibre: 13½ “` (Diameter: 37 mm)
Thickness: 7.66 mm
Components: 381
Jewels: 35
Frequency: 36,000 VpH – (5 Hz)
Power-reserve: min. 50 hours
Functions
Hours and minutes in the centre
Tourbillon:
–– The carriage is positioned at 11 o’clock
–– The carriage makes one turn per minute
–– The small seconds is on the carriage
–– The date is positioned around the carriage
Chronograph:
–– Central seconds hand
–– 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock
–– 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock
Case, Dial & Hands
Material: Titanium case, 18-carat rose gold bezel, lugs, pushers and crown
Diameter: 48 mm
Diameter opening: 40 mm
Thickness: 15.80 mm
Crystal: Box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
Case-back: Zenith Flying Instruments logo
Water-resistance: 10 ATM
Dial: Matt black
Hour-markers: SuperLuminova SLN C1
Hands: Gold-plated rhodium, satin-brushed
Reference
87.2430.4035/21.C721
Strap
Brown alligator leather strap with beige stitching and titanium pin buckle
About Zenith Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Collection – 2013
The Manufacture Zenith, which has remained in the very same spot for almost a century and half, was an integral part of the early days in the amazing saga of aviation and was one of the first to supply onboard watches and instruments. Six new Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 watches, including a special series paying tribute to the Red Baron, echo the fundamental role played by Zenith in the conquest of the skies.
Since the pioneering days of aviation Louis Blériot and Léon Morane were acquainted with each other. The two famous pioneering aviators took part in the conquest of the skies in the early 20th century. On July 25th 1909, at the age of 37, Blériot flew across the Channel in a plane he had built: a world-first accomplishment. Less than a year later, 25 year-old Morane flew at more than 100 km/h at an air show in Reins, France – an unbelievable speed for the time.
His aircraft was a Blériot XI. The two men shared a passion for aviation as well as a taste for risks – and of course for competition. Not only that, but Louis Blériot and Léon Morane also owned an instrument that was a must-have for pilots, a Zenith watch that they regarded as the most accurate on the market.
Zenith thus made a decisive early entrance into the extraordinary adventure of aviation. First partnering some of the greatest pioneers, the Manufacture subsequently became one of the first onboard instrument manufacturers. Altimeters and onboard watches (montres d’aéronef ) intended for inflight use were supplied both to the military and to civilian airlines. Known among aeronautical industry manufacturers and professionals for its reliability, its sturdiness and its precision, the famous Zenith Type 20 appeared as of 1938 on the instrument panels of a number of planes – including the Caudron Simon C.635 used by the French Air Force as a training aircraft. Today’s Pilot collection is a worthy heir to these years of airborne glory and conquests.
The French term “montre d’aéronef” (onboard watch) is an apt name for these instruments specially developed for aviation, a field in which the conditions of use were considerably more demanding than elsewhere and severely tested the mechanisms.
The latter had to withstand sudden fluctuations in temperature, magnetic fields given off by the engines and the other flight instruments, occasionally violent vibrations, humidity, as well as changes in atmospheric pressure. Impeccable readability was also a must, and a large matt black dial provided the best possible contrast for the white luminescent-coated hands and other time indications.
The latter featured characteristic Arabic numerals and an oversized font. As far as wristwatches were concerned, operating them was considerably facilitated by a distinctive crown enabling gloved handling of the winding and setting functions.
All these requirements were part of the technical specifications developed in the mid- 1930s and which have evolved over the years in step with aviation technology. As of 1938, the specifications became known as “Type 20”. These professional watches regarded as survival instruments were regularly checked and maintained. In France, for example, they were supplied to the Air Force, the Naval Aviation and the Test Flight Centre.
Today, the Type 20-approved instruments produced at the time by only a handful of stringently selected manufacturers belong to the flight instrument hall of fame.
