Zenith's fascination with the world of aviation goes as far back as the late 19th century. Zenith wanted to be alongside the brave pioneers who saw a world of freedom and infinite possibilities above the horizon. In 1904, Zenith filed a trademark for the English term "Pilot" making them the only watch manufacturer with the ability to put "Pilot" on the dial of their watches.
The all-new Pilot Big Date Flyback is featured in a 42.5mm black ceramic case which takes on an achromatic, utilitarian look with luminescent white markers and hands contrasting boldly against the opaline black corrugated dial.
The black opaline dial with its horizontal grooves, mimic the look of the metal sheets that made up the fuselage of many older aircrafts. The oversized luminescent Arabic numerals take on a more modern font. At 6 o'clock on the dial, just above the date feature, the hour marker takes the form of a straight white line, recalling the artificial horizon instrument in a plane. The dial is signed "Pilot" as Zenith remains the first and only brand to hold the rights to mark its dials with the term.
The watch is powered by the El Primero 3652 automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre movement. The oversized date display features a patented compliant mechanism that advances and stabilizes both of the big date's wheels in less than 0.03 seconds. The flyback function allows the chronograph to be reset to zero and restarted by the single push of a button. This functionality allowed the pilots to record consecutive times without stopping. which delivers a power reserve of 60 hours. The mechanism's open and blackened oscillating weight recall the essential "artificial horizon" dashboard instrument, which informs the pilot of the aircraft's orientation relative to the Earth's horizon.
This black ceramic watch comes with two straps. It is fitted on the black cordura-effect rubber strap, and also comes with a khaki cordura-effect rubber strap. The straps come with an integrated quick-release mechanism for easy swapping without the use of tools.
