Pilot Big Date Special
03.2410.4010/21.C722
| Brand : | Zenith |
| Collection : | Pilot |
| Model : | Pilot Big Date Special |
| Reference : | 03.2410.4010/21.C722 |
| Complement : | Steel - Calfskin Leather Strap |
| On sale : | 2012 |
PDF INDEX CARD
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Brand : Zenith Collection : Pilot Model : Pilot Big Date Special Reference : 03.2410.4010/21.C722 Complement : Steel - Calfskin Leather Strap On sale : 2012 List Price : 5 400 € Diameter : 42 mm Styles : Vintage Sporty Types : Self-winding Calibre : El Primero 4010 Calibre distinction : Côtes de Genève Circular Graining Complication : Telemeter 30-Minute Counter Chronograph Small Seconds Big Date Case material : Steel Polished and satin-finished Case peculiarity : Sapphire caseback Shape : Round Water-resistance : 50 meters Dial color : Matt black Display : Superluminova luminescent hands Indexes : Arabic numerals Superluminova luminescent Glass : Sapphire Strap material : Leather Calfskin Strap color : Brown Strap clasp : Pin buckle + More characteristics : Movement
Total diameter: 30mm
Thickness: 7.65mm
306 parts
31 jewels
Cadence of the balance:
36.000 vph
50-hour power reserve
Functions
Central hours and minutes
Small seconds at 9 o’clock
30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock
Sweep seconds hand
Large date at 6 o’clock
Strap
Calfskin with hand-sewn topstitching
DESCRIPTION
- BASELWORLD 2012 - ZENITH
PASSIONATE ABOUT AVIATION
“Zenith! Isn’t that a name just destined for aviators' Add to that all the quality contained in this watch’s beautiful case, and you will have a Zenith.” These few words of Léon Morane, who in 1910 became the first pilot in the world to exceed a speed of 100 km/hour, firmly anchor Zenith in the world of aviation and aeronautical feats.
As the 20th century began, the development of air travel created specific needs for precision instruments for use onboard the airplanes and dirigibles that were crossing oceans and flying over the poles. Zenith was among the first to build aviation instruments. Its watches embody the ambition that motivated these “knights of the sky”: their desire to conquer, master great distances and surpass themselves was reflected in the precision of the timers and watches that accompanied them on their journeys. These instruments met the technical requirements imposed by aviation. They had to stand up to temperature variations, magnetic flux, and the vibrations of the aircraft while remaining reliable, accurate, sturdy, and readable. A Zenith aviator watch was more than just an instrument; it became a faithful co-pilot that backed up the pilot and kept him safe. In that capacity, in the 1930-40s, the Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 by Zenith was carried aloft in many machines, including the famous Caudron planes.
Today’s Pilot collection is a worthy legacy from those glory days of aerial conquest. Its mechanical elements are a distillation of the manufacture’s historic expertise and the beauty that the freedom of flying leaves behind like a contrail. The Pilot collection is made especially for lovers of aviation and its history, mechanical enthusiasts, and those enamoured with wide-open spaces. It symbolises discovery and exploration, the love of adventure and the development it brings.
Three watches, three expressions of the pleasure one feels at rising into the air. Three well-broken-in machines that become the best companions for a trip through time. Three instruments that bear within them the euphoria that comes with freedom and the feeling of having lived one’s dream of exploring new skies and letting the altitude go to one’s head…
Within every Zenith pilot slumbers an Icarus, a Blériot, a Morane or a da Vinci. And on his wrist, today, is a Zenith Pilot.
LANDING AT THE SOUTH POLE
Setting foot at the end of the world in legendary Antarctic lands. Embarking upon a voyage of discovery. Braving the wild land never yet seen nor trod by mankind.
Lifting the immaculate veil between iceberg and blizzard. Going to the most foreign place on earth. Giving oneself over to the whiteness with only oneself to count on.
Using one’s wits to battle the treacherous, dreary ice and magnetic fields gone mad.
Spotting hidden crevasses, dodging peaks. Experiencing the magic of the aurora australis. Breaking the trail. Accompanying science to the last continent and wanting to deliver the continent up to it. Preparing to face the most hostile of conditions and not being afraid to do so.
And, emboldened by the spirit of those who explore for exploration’s sake, conquering the last great unknown.
MAGNETIC ATTRACTION
1956: Admiral George J. Dufek and his “Lucky Seven” teammates are the first to land at the South Pole in an LC-47 named “Que sera, sera…”
TOP-FLIGHT RELIABILITY
High altitude, extreme temperatures, significant heat variations, and the magnetic fields produced by motors and onboard instruments all represent serious hazards to aviators. So a pilot does not compromise when it comes to the quality and reliability of his watch. In addition to being easy to read thanks to luminescent elements, Zenith flight instruments were always subject to stringent testing. Before being approved and released on the market, each was rewound daily in a vertical position and exposed to changing temperatures ranging from -30 to +40°C; during this test, daily performance variations could not exceed 45 seconds for three consecutive days. The watches also had to withstand heavy vibrations and acceleration without stopping. Water-tightness, magnetic stability, and readability were also subject to strict testing for over 24 hours under conditions that left nothing to chance and no room for inaccuracy.
HISTORIC 1960 CHRONOGRAPH WATCH
The hand-wound Zenith chronograph was produced in the early 1960s for the A. Cairelli company, the traditional supplier of the Italian air force. On its back was engraved “Tipo CP-2”, confirming its military use. Sporting two counters, one at 9 o’clock and one at 3 o’clock, its black dial contrasts strongly with the luminescent numerals and hands. A 60-minute rotating bezel lent a modern air to the generously-sized case, 45 mm in diameter, which protected the watch from changing magnetic fields.
The 146 DP calibre was made in Zenith’s Ponts-de-Martel workshops. This chronograph, with its very desirable readability and ergonomics, was produced in a series of 2,500 that over time has become an icon much sought after by collectors. The military version used until the early 1980s by the Italian army had the notation “AMI” (Aeronautica Militare Italiana) or MM (Marina Militare) on the caseback, followed by an inventory number.
PILOT BIG DATE SPECIAL
Modern, balanced, classic, masculine…
The Pilot Big Date Special honours the 1960 chronograph with its sober elegance and unimpeachable functionality.
OBSESSIONAL REGULARITY
Echoing the historic chronograph watch from the 1960-80s, the new Pilot Big Date Special has functionality as its guiding principle. Its steel case is a moderate 42 mm in diameter, with classically styled alternating polished and satin-brushed finishes. The matt black dial, sandblasted five times, sets off the time displays, which visually are in perfect balance. The small seconds counter is at 9 o’clock, exactly opposite the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock. Both feature a snailed decoration. A pair of hands treated with black ruthenium and highlighted with Superluminova mark the hours and minutes in a decisively masculine and modern style. Their sporty, dynamic shape matches the refined graphic style of the Arabic numerals that pay simple and solemn tribute to those of the 1960 chronograph.
Behind the scenes, the El Primero 4010 calibre ticks away with an exceptionally consistent beat. Its finishes can be seen through the sapphire caseback. The winding rotor is decorated with thin Côtes de Genève in the purest watchmaking tradition.
- BASELWORLD 2012 - ZENITH
PASSIONATE ABOUT AVIATION
“Zenith! Isn’t that a name just destined for aviators' Add to that all the quality contained in this watch’s beautiful case, and you will have a Zenith.” These few words of Léon Morane, who in 1910 became the first pilot in the world to exceed a speed of 100 km/hour, firmly anchor Zenith in the world of aviation and aeronautical feats.
As the 20th century began, the development of air travel created specific needs for precision instruments for use onboard the airplanes and dirigibles that were crossing oceans and flying over the poles. Zenith was among the first to build aviation instruments. Its watches embody the ambition that motivated these “knights of the sky”: their desire to conquer, master great distances and surpass themselves was reflected in the precision of the timers and watches that accompanied them on their journeys. These instruments met the technical requirements imposed by aviation. They had to stand up to temperature variations, magnetic flux, and the vibrations of the aircraft while remaining reliable, accurate, sturdy, and readable. A Zenith aviator watch was more than just an instrument; it became a faithful co-pilot that backed up the pilot and kept him safe. In that capacity, in the 1930-40s, the Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 by Zenith was carried aloft in many machines, including the famous Caudron planes.
Today’s Pilot collection is a worthy legacy from those glory days of aerial conquest. Its mechanical elements are a distillation of the manufacture’s historic expertise and the beauty that the freedom of flying leaves behind like a contrail. The Pilot collection is made especially for lovers of aviation and its history, mechanical enthusiasts, and those enamoured with wide-open spaces. It symbolises discovery and exploration, the love of adventure and the development it brings.
Three watches, three expressions of the pleasure one feels at rising into the air. Three well-broken-in machines that become the best companions for a trip through time. Three instruments that bear within them the euphoria that comes with freedom and the feeling of having lived one’s dream of exploring new skies and letting the altitude go to one’s head…
Within every Zenith pilot slumbers an Icarus, a Blériot, a Morane or a da Vinci. And on his wrist, today, is a Zenith Pilot.
LANDING AT THE SOUTH POLE
Setting foot at the end of the world in legendary Antarctic lands. Embarking upon a voyage of discovery. Braving the wild land never yet seen nor trod by mankind.
Lifting the immaculate veil between iceberg and blizzard. Going to the most foreign place on earth. Giving oneself over to the whiteness with only oneself to count on.
Using one’s wits to battle the treacherous, dreary ice and magnetic fields gone mad.
Spotting hidden crevasses, dodging peaks. Experiencing the magic of the aurora australis. Breaking the trail. Accompanying science to the last continent and wanting to deliver the continent up to it. Preparing to face the most hostile of conditions and not being afraid to do so.
And, emboldened by the spirit of those who explore for exploration’s sake, conquering the last great unknown.
MAGNETIC ATTRACTION
1956: Admiral George J. Dufek and his “Lucky Seven” teammates are the first to land at the South Pole in an LC-47 named “Que sera, sera…”
TOP-FLIGHT RELIABILITY
High altitude, extreme temperatures, significant heat variations, and the magnetic fields produced by motors and onboard instruments all represent serious hazards to aviators. So a pilot does not compromise when it comes to the quality and reliability of his watch. In addition to being easy to read thanks to luminescent elements, Zenith flight instruments were always subject to stringent testing. Before being approved and released on the market, each was rewound daily in a vertical position and exposed to changing temperatures ranging from -30 to +40°C; during this test, daily performance variations could not exceed 45 seconds for three consecutive days. The watches also had to withstand heavy vibrations and acceleration without stopping. Water-tightness, magnetic stability, and readability were also subject to strict testing for over 24 hours under conditions that left nothing to chance and no room for inaccuracy.
HISTORIC 1960 CHRONOGRAPH WATCH
The hand-wound Zenith chronograph was produced in the early 1960s for the A. Cairelli company, the traditional supplier of the Italian air force. On its back was engraved “Tipo CP-2”, confirming its military use. Sporting two counters, one at 9 o’clock and one at 3 o’clock, its black dial contrasts strongly with the luminescent numerals and hands. A 60-minute rotating bezel lent a modern air to the generously-sized case, 45 mm in diameter, which protected the watch from changing magnetic fields.
The 146 DP calibre was made in Zenith’s Ponts-de-Martel workshops. This chronograph, with its very desirable readability and ergonomics, was produced in a series of 2,500 that over time has become an icon much sought after by collectors. The military version used until the early 1980s by the Italian army had the notation “AMI” (Aeronautica Militare Italiana) or MM (Marina Militare) on the caseback, followed by an inventory number.
PILOT BIG DATE SPECIAL
Modern, balanced, classic, masculine…
The Pilot Big Date Special honours the 1960 chronograph with its sober elegance and unimpeachable functionality.
OBSESSIONAL REGULARITY
Echoing the historic chronograph watch from the 1960-80s, the new Pilot Big Date Special has functionality as its guiding principle. Its steel case is a moderate 42 mm in diameter, with classically styled alternating polished and satin-brushed finishes. The matt black dial, sandblasted five times, sets off the time displays, which visually are in perfect balance. The small seconds counter is at 9 o’clock, exactly opposite the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock. Both feature a snailed decoration. A pair of hands treated with black ruthenium and highlighted with Superluminova mark the hours and minutes in a decisively masculine and modern style. Their sporty, dynamic shape matches the refined graphic style of the Arabic numerals that pay simple and solemn tribute to those of the 1960 chronograph.
Behind the scenes, the El Primero 4010 calibre ticks away with an exceptionally consistent beat. Its finishes can be seen through the sapphire caseback. The winding rotor is decorated with thin Côtes de Genève in the purest watchmaking tradition.
-
Brand : Zenith Collection : Pilot Model : Pilot Big Date Special Reference : 03.2410.4010/21.C722 Complement : Steel - Calfskin Leather Strap On sale : 2012 List Price : 5 400 € Diameter : 42 mm Styles : Vintage Sporty Types : Self-winding Calibre : El Primero 4010 Calibre distinction : Côtes de Genève Circular Graining Complication : Telemeter 30-Minute Counter Chronograph Small Seconds Big Date Case material : Steel Polished and satin-finished Case peculiarity : Sapphire caseback Shape : Round Water-resistance : 50 meters Dial color : Matt black Display : Superluminova luminescent hands Indexes : Arabic numerals Superluminova luminescent Glass : Sapphire Strap material : Leather Calfskin Strap color : Brown Strap clasp : Pin buckle More characteristics : Movement
Total diameter: 30mm
Thickness: 7.65mm
306 parts
31 jewels
Cadence of the balance:
36.000 vph
50-hour power reserve
Functions
Central hours and minutes
Small seconds at 9 o’clock
30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock
Sweep seconds hand
Large date at 6 o’clock
Strap
Calfskin with hand-sewn topstitching