What is Zenith thinking??

Bullseye1

I really love the look of some of Zeniths pieces but this one does not make any sense. Unless of course your a giant and big fingers. Just look at that winder.

http://www.watchlocate.com/zenith-pilot-montre-daeronef-type-20/

sparrowcar

More like a small wall clock :eek:

peasant

probably caters for those kind of people who feel not quite ripped off enough when they buy a U-BOAT watch

Reloc8

That's 'orrible.

I rarely like Onion clasps anyway, but there's no logic or design to that one.

Wibbs

I like Onion crowns myself, but on a handwind. Very comfortable to wind. However on an automatic I feel they're a bit OTT.

Reloc8

Wibbs wrote: »

I like Onion crowns myself, but on a handwind. Very comfortable to wind. However on an automatic I feel they're a bit OTT.

Exactly - on a mechanical (as opposed to an auto) there's a point and it serves a purpose. The beauty of watches for me is often a synthesis of purpose meets form meets function meets an accomplished design.

An onion clasp for the sake of one leaves me cold. A watch which looks good and meets its design brief, accomplished with a high degree of craftsmanship (note, brand is irrelevant !) that's what melts my butter in this hobby.

Cyrus

Wibbs wrote: »

I like Onion crowns myself, but on a handwind. Very comfortable to wind. However on an automatic I feel they're a bit OTT.

i think that zenith is a HW tho?

horrible anyway

Wibbs

It seems to me anyway that it's trying to emulate the Luftwaffe B-Uhr pilot/navigator watches of the 40's. The IWC pilot being the obvious homage. At least IWC actually made them back in the day, Zenith did not.

They may also be lifting design cues from their own 30's pilots watch.

The "SPECIAL" sign on the new dial, the typestyle and the lugs would defo suggest that to me. They had a big onion crown too. Owning a similar model it may look awkward but is actually remarkably comfortable.

PS I had hoped one day they'd do a more faithful remake, but if this is it...

CarltonBrowne

I think the Zenith in the OP would be a lovely thing if the actual size was 39-41mm. I have a feeling that what looks like a very nice, in-house, movement probably precludes this as it looks huge.

Bullseye1

CarltonBrowne wrote: »

I think the Zenith in the OP would be a lovely thing if the actual size was 39-41mm. I have a feeling that what looks like a very nice, in-house, movement probably precludes this as it looks huge.

Absolutely this would look very nice at that size. Maybe it looks nice at its present size but you would probably need to be a power lifter with huge wrists to pull it off.

Wibbs

Yep the same size as their original they're emulating.