Zenith Type 20 Extra Special 40mm

While many other brands are generally associated with flying, Zenith is one of the manufacturers that has been associated with aviation since the early days of flying. Without digging into a long history lesson on aviation, it should be noted that in 1909 a Frenchman named Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel, traversing 31 miles of open water. on his wrist? zenith.

The watch itself is standard in the early 1900s and bears all the hallmarks that rival brands like Omega and Longines have on their aviation products. Includes a large onion crown with extension rods to aid wrapping and adjustment while wearing gloves. The black enamel dial features oversized Arabic numerals filled with luminous material. Lengthened cathedral hands were also a common feature of watches of the era.

Throughout the war, Zenith's Montre d'Aeronef Type 20 (the military serial number and the watch's namesake) appeared in French cockpits. The design was re-released in 2012 as part of a limited edition of 250 pieces. Measuring 57.5mm in diameter, the watch is not only a nod to pilot watches of that era, but also contains a 50mm caliber 5011K – the exact same caliber used in many cockpit clocks. Montre d'Aeronef presents a series of variants that look similar, but differ in case material, complexity and size.

so what?

To Zenith's credit, it managed to re-release the classic without trying too hard. Most of the elements are designed in an unserious and fun way. The cathedral pointer maintains the same overall shape as the original, but with slightly stubby and comical proportions. Likewise, the font used on the numbers is bold and interesting, while still staying true to its name. As such, the Type 20 is very flexible and adaptable when it comes to handling everyday casual wear. The size of the elements also carries over to the full onion crown, which aids in the operation and adjustment of the watch. If we have one thing about this watch, it's that a crown like this deserves a hand-wound movement.

By combining these elements with an excellent anti-reflective coating and a clean dial, Zenith has managed to create a watch that is extremely legible in all conditions. Bright green Super Luminova helps with readability, it glows brightly and manages to maintain a constant level in prolonged darkness. The watch's "aged steel" case is a gunmetal-coated steel that has been irregularly ground to give the watch a very matte finish. The colour of the case carries over to the "grained" dial, similar to the smoked dials used on other watches. The central part radiates a mineral metallic luster, especially in direct bright sunlight, adding brilliance to the watch.

The problem with it is...

Automatic rotors are fairly loud when moving perpendicular to the axis of rotation. This seems to be a common feature of other Pilot products we have had the opportunity to use. Also, the engraving on the closed caseback could have a deeper depth, perhaps with a more interesting pattern.