Many watch enthusiasts and collectors alike have been looking at Zenith for something that really stands out of the crowd for a long time. Well new to 2017, Zenith has released the new Heritage Pilot Extra Special Chronograph watch in bronze. The watch is special in its own right, with an incredible bronze case, giant onion crown and pushers, huge luminescent numerals, and a trusty high-beat El Primero movement.

Given the shaky position of Zenith in recent years, the appointment of Jean-Claude Biver as CEO, and the obvious transition to a traditional watch brand is a welcoming sign for the Swiss manufacture. This particular watch release feels very different, with a new creative direction in introducing a bronze version of the Pilot Watch. At 45mm the Zenith Heritage Pilot Extra Special Chronograph is big, but not as unrealistically and ridiculously as you would think. For a chronograph, the case is a manageable 14.25mm thick, and it features a domed sapphire crystal with AR coating on both sides, sports a solid titanium case back with the Zenith flying instruments logo, and has two large pushers and a massive onion crown to go with the aviation theme, all crafted from bronze.

As discussed earlier on, it firmly feels like Zenith has got this watch release very spot on, and it is great to see Zenith overcoming their recent problems and funnelling their creative resources into something very promising. The Super-LumiNova C1 Arabic numerals and the long and wide gold-plated hands all add to the aviation theme of this stunning pilots watch.

On a side note, the Zenith Heritage Pilot Extra Special Chronograph perpetuates what seems to be a recent trend in recent years in luxury watches and that is doubling up on names and other bragging rights. Where there isn’t much writing on the dial, Zenith has made it very clear that the watch is a true ‘Montre d’Aeronef’ or ‘Pilot’ watch.

As you can see, the images of the dial gives some ambiguity as to whether the dial has a diamond dust type finish or a standard matte satin finish. The combination of bronze and this dial finish may make or break the overall success of the watch, which is why it will be very intriguing to see the finished article at Baselworld 2017.

The use of bronze, which is a very unusual material for a pilot’s watch, has become ever increasing in today’s watch industry because of its rugged and relatively unrefined on the surface. The new bronze case certainly gives the watch a new look and feel that is different from Zenith. The watch is also water resistant to 100m, so the only thing you need to worry about when taking this watch swimming is whether the watch oxidises or not.

The movement is the 4069 variant of the classic El Primero, it measures 30mm wide, is 6.6mm, has 254 components including a column wheel and has a power reserve of 50 hours. The movement is decorated in stunning Zenith fashion, although you would not be able to see it because of the solid titanium caseback securing the watch.

The Zenith Heritage Pilot Extra Special Chronograph watch is sold on an oiled green Nubuck leather strap with rubber lining. The watch is reasonable priced at $7,100 – a staggering price difference considering  the 38mm Zenith El Primero Original 1969 in steel has the same watch movement and but with a steel case. This gives a clear indication that Zenith are scaling back on their prices, which is a very good thing.