Aptly named the “Blueprint,” Zenith has unveiled a special edition of its Pilot Type 20.
It comes after the team at the Zenith Manufacture came across a blueprint of its historical building.
In doing so, it immediately reminded them of the blueprints they had seen of earliest Aeronefs, the earliest aircraft conceived by the pioneers of flight, most notably Louis Blériot and his Type XI aircraft that he flew across the English Channel.
As the preeminent watchmaker that accompanied the earliest aviators, Zenith sought to highlight their ingenuity in a surprising way with the Pilot Type 20 Blueprint.
Typical of production and engineering plans in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, each element was carefully calculated and precisely drawn as the basis of a project.
Now a relic from a bygone era, the blueprint continues to fascinate, and is synonymous with thorough planning and ingenious vision.
Limited to 250 pieces, the Pilot Type 20 Blueprint remains true to the legacy of Zenith’s ubiquitous Pilot watch.
The oversized steel case, finished with a mix of polished and satin-brushed surfaces, features the signature oversized “onion” shaped crown that allows the time to be adjusted even while wearing flight gloves.
The side of the case features a screwed plaque bearing the unique limited edition number of the watch. Powering this wearable flight instrument is the Elite manufacture automatic movement, providing a minimum autonomy of 50 hours.
In a nod to the earliest years of aviation, the blue calfskin leather strap recalls the classic shearling leather flight jacket, with rivets and a titanium pin buckle as well as a distinctive tab one would find on a vintage pilot’s helmet.
