Zenith to Exhibit Historic Pilot Watches in NYC

From JustLuxe content partner iW Magazine

Zenith will exhibit a selection of its vintage pilot watches at the Watches of Switzerland Hudson Yards location in New York from August 8 until September 10. The exhibit is meant to celebrate the watchmaker’s new Pilot collections, which debuted earlier this year during the Watches and Wonders watch fair in Geneva.

A Zenith military pilot watch circa 1928-1930.

At the Watches of Switzerland Hudson Yards store, visitors will find six Zenith Pilot heritage pieces alongside Zenith’s new Pilot collection, which includes stainless steel and ceramic three-hand automatics and flyback chronographs.

A Zenith Chronographe Cairelli Type CP2 from the 1960s.

Zenith will display an impressive selection of historic aviation watches, including the Dashboard Altimeter (1910s), Pilot Wristwatch (1928-1930s), Chronograph Tipo CP2 (1968-72), El Primero Pilot-Diver (1972), El Primero Rainbow Fly-Back (1997), and El Primero Pilot Big Date Special (2010).

An altimeter from 1910.

Collectors are likely aware that Zenith registered the trademark “Pilote” in 1888, followed by the English “Pilot” in 1904, which allowed the brand to exclusively use the word on its dials.

A new Zenith Pilot Chronograph in steel.

Zenith watches were worn by Louis Blériot, who made history by accomplishing the first flight across the English Channel in 1909.

The 1997 El Primero Rainbow Flyback.