Zenith Pilot Type 20 Special Editions
Zenith’s partnership with cigar brand manufacturer Cohiba gets off to a smoking start in 2018, at the 20th prestigious Cuban Habanos Festival, with the launch of two spicy new limited-edition versions of the brand’s celebrated Pilot Type 20 model: the 50-piece Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Cohiba Maduro 5 Edition in 18-carat rose gold and the 150-piece Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Cohiba Maduro 5 Edition in bronze.
An epic year for Zenith, 2017 saw the launch of a number of groundbreaking new references, including two stunning new iterations of the brand’s famous Pilot watch with its imposing presence and adventurous temperament. Showcasing a neo-retro look fuelled by the adventurous spirit of the aviation pioneers that the Manufacture has accompanied since the early days of flight, this famous aviator’s watch expressed its trailblazing style in chronograph mode as the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Extra Special; and as an automatic alternative in the Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Special Edition.
With its virile bronze case, high-frequency El Primero ‘engine’ and black dial bearing green-emission SLN Arabic numerals, the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph is a natural heir to the onboard instruments developed by Zenith in the early years of aeronautics, known for their precision, sturdiness and outstanding legibility. Its counterpart, the Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Special Edition, is ppowered by an automatic Zenith Elite 679 calibre. Featuring elegant hues and ideal proportions, it naturally lends itself to the most stylish vintage variations while never losing sight of the spirit of adventure that forged its legend.
Shared noble bearing and vintage patina
This year, the partnership launched in 2016 between the iconic Swiss watchmaker and Cuban flagship cigar brand on the occasion of the latter’s 50th anniversary lights up again. What could be more natural for two luxury cult brands to come together in a pair of timepieces distinguished by this shared noble bearing and vintage patina?
So it is that in 2018, in tribute to these legendary and highly sought-after top-end cigars, ZENITH has produced the Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Cohiba Maduro 5 Edition and Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Cohiba Maduro 5 Edition in warm tones of rose gold and bronze respectively. Water resistant to 10 ATM and endowed with a 50-hour power reserve,the trademark striking case, wide ratcheted easily adjustable crown (along with pushpieces in the case of the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Cohiba Maduro 5 Edition), and oversized luminescent numerals of the Zenith/Cohiba Pilot watches proudly flaunt all the DNA of a line of airborne conquerors, while emulating the rich tones of the Maduro 5 wrapping.
Produced in a numbered edition of 50 for the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Cohiba Maduro 5Edition and 150 in bronze for its Pilot Type 20 Cohiba Maduro 5 Edition counterpart, these magnificent timepieces display both the Zenith and the Cohiba logos on their sandblasted black dials. Both feature gold-plated hour and minute hands with a small seconds hand at 9 o’clock on the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Cohiba Maduro 5 Edition, together with a central chrono hand and 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock. A special titanium caseback bearings the number of the piece in the series, along with the noble name ‘Cohiba Maduro 5’ atop an engraving of Cohiba’s “El Laguito” historical factory. A brown oily nubuck strap with protective rubber lining, special stitching and titanium pin buckle on the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Cohiba Maduro 5 Edition; and a brown alligator leather strap with protective rubber lining and matching 18-carat rose gold pin buckle on the Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Cohiba Maduro 5 Edition, set the perfect finishing touches to both these extraordinary collectors’ items.
While taste in any area is subjective, Maduro 5 connoisseurs have a very specific and highly desirable set of expectations and the same could be said of their watchmaking doppelgangers. United by a love of exceptional style and quality, aficionados of both fine Cuban cigars and magnificent timepieces are sure to be captivated by these latest spectacular embodiments of this unlikely, yet highly successful partnership between two totally unrelated but fully complementary industries.
Zenith Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Cohiba-Maduro 5 Edition
Technical specifications:
Limited Edition of 50 units - paying tribute to Cohiba’s high end collection (Maduro 5)
Reference: 18.2430.679/27.C721
MOVEMENT
Elite 679, Automatic
Calibre 11 ½``` (Diameter: 25.6 mm)
Movement thickness: 3.85 mm
Components: 126
Jewels: 27
Frequency: 28,800 VpH (4 Hz)
Power-reserve: min. 50 hours
Finishes: Oscillating weight with “Côtes de Genève” motif
FUNCTIONS
Hours and minutes in the centre
Central seconds hand
CASE, DIAL & HANDS
Material: 18-ct rose gold
Diameter: 45 mm
Dial-opening diameter: 37.80 mm
Thickness: 14.25 mm
Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
Case-back: 18-ct rose gold engraved with “El Laguito” (Cohiba’s historical building)
Water-resistance: 10 ATM
Dial: Black adorned with Cohiba’s logo
Hour-markers: Arabic numerals in Super-LumiNova SLN C1
Hands: gold-plated, faceted and coated with Super-LumiNova SLN C1
STRAPS & BUCKLES
Strap reference: 27.00.2321.721
Brown alligator leather strap with protective rubber lining
Buckle reference: 27.18.0021.001
18-ct rose gold pin buckle
Limited Edition Of 50 Units
Zenith Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Chronograph Cohiba-Maduro 5 Edition
Technical specifications:
Limited Edition of 150 units - paying tribute to Cohiba’s high end collection (Maduro 5)
Reference: 29.2432.4069/27.C794
MOVEMENT
El Primero 4069, Automatic
Calibre 13 ¼ (Diameter: 30 mm)
Movement thickness: 6.60 mm
Components: 254
Jewels: 35
Frequency: 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)
Power-reserve: min. 50 hours
Finishes: Oscillating weight with “Côtes de Genève” motif
FUNCTIONS
Hours and minutes in the centre
Small second at 9 o’clock
Chronograph: Central chrono hand; 30-min counter at 3 o’clock
CASE, DIAL & HANDS
Material: Bronze
Diameter: 45 mm
Dial-opening diameter: 37.80 mm
Thickness: 14.25 mm
Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
Case-back: Titanium case-back engraved with “El Laguito” (Cohiba’s historical building)
Water-resistance: 10 ATM
Dial: Black adorned with Cohiba’s logo
Hour-markers: Arabic numerals in Super-LumiNova SLN C1
Hands: gold-plated, faceted and coated with Super-LumiNova SLN C1
STRAPS & BUCKLES
Strap reference: 27.00.2321.794
Brown oily nubuck strap with protective rubber lining
Buckle reference: 27.95.0021.001
Titanium pin buckle
Limited Edition Of 150 Units
