Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback 160th Anniversary Blue Ceramic automatic El Primero cordura strap 42,5 mm

The PILOT collection takes flight

Dream of conquering the sky. Pursue freedom to gain height and discover a new perspective. The sky is yours: it invites you to reach for your star. ZENITH's fascination with the world of aviation dates back to the end of the 19th century, when the company's founder, Georges Favre-Jacot, believed that man was finally on the verge of conquering the skies - and that ZENITH should stand alongside the courageous pioneers who perceived a space of freedom and infinite possibilities, far beyond the horizon. ZENITH registered the French name “Pilote” in 1888, followed by its English equivalent “Pilot” in 1904. In the years that followed, ZENITH would become one of the leading manufacturers of watches and onboard instruments for pilots. Among the most famous of his many enthusiasts was Louis Blériot, who made history by making the first flight across the English Channel in 1909. Today, ZENITH continues to maintain and develop its unparalleled heritage through the latest generation Pilot collection.

Representing the balance between heritage and modernity in many forms over the years, the ZENITH Pilot collection, the oldest line of the Manufacture, has never ceased to appeal to seasoned watch enthusiasts and aviation enthusiasts alike. The latest chapter appeals to the pilot in all of us, in search of the freedom to dream and a space to always go beyond one's limits and one's surrounding world.

Completely redesigned, the brand new Pilot collection abandons its vintage style to represent the world of aviation in its entirety - its past and its present. It has all the essential qualities required, durability, readability and ease of use, in accordance with the Pilot codes widely defined by ZENITH more than a century ago, through some of the first models of aviator clocks and on-board instruments in history. Today, it revisits them in a more contemporary way, with a more pronounced ZENITH style and discreet nods to the world of aviation.

Pilot Big Date Flyback: The must-have

The ZENITH Pilot collection would simply not be complete without a chronograph. For this model, ZENITH has gone one step further by developing a new version of the El Primero 3600 caliber, with several new functions specially designed for the Pilot!

This Pilot Big Date Flyback has a 42.5 mm blue ceramic case. This “Full Blue” version has a monochromatic look, with white luminescent hands and hour markers that contrast sharply with the striated blue dial.

An El Primero caliber with multiple complications

In terms of performance, the new high-frequency El Primero 3652 caliber adds two functions perfectly suited to the Pilot to the 5 Hz chronograph: the large date and the flyback function. In addition to being easy to read, the oversized date display of the Pilot Big Date Flyback benefits from a new-generation patented mechanism that advances and stabilizes the two discs in less than 0.03 seconds. Initially designed for aviators who wore thick sheepskin gloves, the flyback function allows the chronograph seconds to be reset and restarted at the touch of a button, reducing pilot intervention and enabling consecutive times to be recorded without any key stopping time. The El Primero chronograph caliber and its “artificial horizon” rotor can be admired through the transparent back. In keeping with the 160th anniversary edition, there is a special oscillating weight for this edition.

Several styles

The ceramic Pilot Big Date Flyback is delivered with two straps: a white rubber strap and a blue cordura strap, to suit all styles. The straps feature the integrated quick-change mechanism, designed for easy replacement without tools.