Hands-On With The Zenith Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Tourbillon (Live Pictures, Pricing information…)

A few months ahead of BaselWorld 2015, we take a look at one of our favorite releases from Zenith from 2013 in the Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Tourbillon, and explain why the atypical pilot watch is one of the best options in the market today.

The Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Tourbillon brought some of the best features from the Type 20 line, together with the base El Primero movement. Like all well executed pilot watches it featured large Arabic numerals, and equally oversized large cathedral hands and onion crown. However, in a departure from classic pilot watch designs, it also introduced a flying tourbillon.

The fan favorite El Primero cal. 4035D added an interesting dimension, appearing with a flying tourbillon through an aperture between 11 and 12 o’clock, and brought a subtle and very effective is the date indicator around it.

Made of titanium with rose gold bezel, crown and pushers, it’s one of the more aesthetic Montre d’Aéronef Type 20, combining sporty and conservative materials. On the wrist, the Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Tourbillon sits just like any 48mm Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 watch, quite large, but conformable thanks to the shape of the lugs.

The Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Tourbillon is not your typical pilot watch. However, it’s a very attractive option for those who appreciate overszied watches, and at under $70,000, it’s one of the more affordable tourbillon watches. This is going to be a big year for Zenith. The brand, under new management since the summer of 2014, will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2015, giving Aldo Magada the perfect opportunity to stamp his own direction on Zenith. Aldo Magada spoke to Haute Time about the changes he intends to introduce in the following interview.

Photo Credit: Haute Time. For more information, pleas visit the official Zenith website.