Zenith Pilot, the watch that traversed the Channel

The Zenith Pilot‘s story begins in 1909, when Louis Bleriot became the first man to fly an aircraft across the Channel. As he made the historic journey – demonstrating for the first time that such long-distance flights were indeed possible – Bleriot was wearing a Zenith timepiece on his wrist.

This enormously significant event placed Zenith firmly in the public eye, ensuring it would forevermore be associated with Bleriot and his spectacular achievement. The Swiss watchmaker was quick to seize the opportunity, and began producing timekeeping instruments for air travel, including the Zenith Pilot Type 20 wristwatch, launched in 1939.

The story continues to this very day, with the new Pilot Type 20 Adventure timepiece, also available in a chronograph version, the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Adventure, powered by an automatic column wheel El Primero chronograph movement. The Pilot Type 20 Adventure, on the other hand, features an automatic Zenith Elite 679 caliber, endowing it with exceptional reliability and a 50-hour power reserve.

As we have come to expect from the Pilot range, both watches are very easy to read, making them ideal for adrenaline-boosting sporting pursuits and more elegant outings alike, thanks also to two fully interchangeable straps.