The ZENITH Pilot collection is the Manufacture’s most long-standing line, and one that never ceases to beguile seasoned watch aficionados as well as avid aviation enthusiasts.

In 2023, the brand has entirely redesigned from scratch, the all-new Pilot collection foregoes the vintage aesthetic for something that draws inspiration from the entire span of aviation – past and present. It is imbued with all the essential features of durability, legibility and intuitiveness, respecting the codes of Pilot watches that ZENITH largely defined over a century ago with some of the earliest recorded aviator clocks and dashboard instruments, now revisited in a more contemporary context with some added ZENITH flair and understated nods to the world of aviation.

Kicking off the launch is the Pilot Automatic in black ceramic, which revisits the collection’s aesthetic codes in an outstanding silhouette full of subtle details. It features an entirely new case design with a distinct flattop round bezel fixed on top of the rounded case.

The black ceramic version is entirely microblasted for a stealthy matte finish. The oversized crown, a defining feature of Pilot watches, takes on a more modern, angular form, while remaining easy to operate – even with gloves on.

The black opaline dial, with its horizontal grooves, mimics the look of corrugated metal sheets that make up the fuselage of many older aircrafts. The oversized luminescent Arabic numerals, a signature feature of ZENITH Pilot watches and dashboard instruments since the early 1900s, take on a more modern font and are applied as metal markers filled with white Super-LumiNova.

At 6 o’clock above the date window, the luminescent hour marker takes the form of a flat white line, recalling the artificial horizon instrument in 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. Visible through the sapphire display back, the Pilot Automatic is powered by the El Primero 3620 high-frequency manufacture movement, which delivers a power reserve of 60 hours when fully wound. The winding mechanism’s open and blackened oscillating weight recalling the archetypal and essential “artificial horizon” dashboard instrument, which informs the pilot of the aircraft’s orientation relative to the Earth’s horizon.

The black ceramic version is delivered on a stealthy black cordura-effect rubber strap with a newly designed folding clasp developed specifically for the Pilot, as well as a more utilitarian khaki cordura-effect rubber strap.