Zenith Unveils the Pilot Type 20 Skeleton Limited Edition
One of the hottest trends in luxury watches is the skeletonised design, a style that allows a look into the inner workings of the timepiece. One of the most impressive examples of this style was just introduced by Zenith as a limited edition.
The Pilot Type 20 Skeleton – Westime Limited Edition is so limited that only three are available at a price of $238,000 each and they are sold only at Westime’s boutiques. The fortunate and wealthy few who score one of these beauties will have a rare masterpiece of craftsmanship. That dizzying price tag is at least partially justified by the amount of work that went into each timepiece and techniques that have been honed over 200 years of workmanship.
The transparent watch houses a Calibre 5011K movement that has been skeletonised to reveal the mechanism inside the sapphire case. Like other Zenith aviator watches, the Pilot Type 2 Skeleton sports a wide ratcheted crown with gold hands that are tipped with Zenith’s SuperLuminova finish for maximum visibility even in the dark. Carrying out the aviation theme are the sleek lines that recall aircraft turbines or wings for a racy but sophisticated appearance.
The hollowed and solid blue numerals at 6 and 12 o’clock display the intricacies of the manual-winding Calibre 5011K movement lying beneath while hours are marked by blue transferred Arabic numerals. The 63mm case is topped by a full sapphire bezel and also carved in sapphire. The lugs and crown of white gold are hand-brushed. The domed sapphire crystal has anti-reflective treatment on both sides while the caseback is also of transparent sapphire crystal.
The Pilot Type 2 Skeleton is water-resistant to 3 ATM and has a power reserve of 48 hours. The watch comes with a back leather strap that has a protective rubber lining and a white gold pin buckle. Yes, it’s gorgeous and for that price, it should be.
