Zenith has just unveiled the pilot’s version of its El Primero-based annual calendar, the Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Annual Calendar.

Part of the new pilot’s line, the Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Annual Calendar features the El Primero cal. 4054 movement with the condensed annual calendar module first developed by Paul Gerber for the MIH watch. The dial contains the constant seconds sub-dial, 60 minute counter, as well as day, date and month display. Thought this watch looks good enough, I feel Zenith lost an opportunity to give it a cleaner appearance, especially since this is a pilot’s watch. The dial appears slightly cluttered, especially with all the text.

Like the new Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 GMT, the annual calendar has a 48 mm case, but wears smaller due to the short and downward curved lugs. Like the rest of the Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 line, the serial number is engraved on a plate screwed into the side of the case.

Over on the back, the aircraft Louis Bleriot piloted across the English Channel – while wearing a Zenith – is depicted in relief.

This is available in steel, which is priced at CHF9900 including Swiss VAT of 8%, a reasonable premium of CHF500 over the Captain Winsor Annual Calendar. That’s equivalent to about USD10,500.

The second version is in titanium with rose gold lugs, bezel, crown and pushers, which means it looks like an all gold watch from the front. This retails for CHF21,000 with tax, which works out to about USD22,300. 

While I find nearly all the Zenith watches today extremely well priced, this titanium and gold version strikes me as being slightly expensive. It costs CHF800 more than the equivalent Captain Winsor in rose gold, but this pilot’s annual calendar is not entirely gold. – SJX