foversta's review of the Zenith Type 20 40mm from Baselworld 2013 challenges the conventional wisdom that pilot watches must be large. This piece delves into how Zenith successfully scaled down its iconic Type 20 design while retaining its distinctive character and legibility. The discussion explores the balance between historical accuracy, modern wearability, and the aesthetic impact of a smaller case on a traditionally oversized design.
I think that the Pilot collection is becoming a strong pillar in the Zenith catalogue. And inside this collection, the watches inspired by the Type 20 are seducing more and more people.
The first contemporary Type 20 was the LE which was housing the superb 5011 movement.
The next Type 20 watches are using current movements and don't have the same approach than the LE even if they share the same type of design: big crown, black dial, typical hands and numerals, peripheral railroad...
A surprise can be found amongst the 2013 novelties. Actually, you (like me) maybe thought in the past that a large case was a part of the Type 20 DNA.
And we were wrong!
Because this Type 20 with a 40mm case was unveiled and do you know what? I was really seduced by this watch.
I can already imagine some points you may argue: "come on, you are not serious, this watch, due to its design, to its roots, is too small with such case"!
Maybe this comment is true after all. But when I put the watch on the wrist, I was not shocked.
Saying that the watch is very balanced is over-exagerated because when you look at carefully the dial, the second hand subdial looks very big and the crown becomes even more prominent than usual.
But these details create the personality of the watch.
Far from being another usual 40mm watch in the block, the "small" Type 20 manages to combine wearable size with daring design.
There is something else which seduces me in this watch: it is the absence of additional complication.
In the Zenith report, we will have the opportunity to come back to these complicated Type 20. Even a Tourbillon was inserted. I don't think it is a good idea.
Let's back to this small Type 20. Being a 3 hands watch only, it is close to the original spirit which is much more satisfactory.
The finishings of the dial are flawless, especially the hands and numerals. Look at these numerals, they are very neat and elegant:
I also appreciate the shape of the ruthenium minutes hands, its curved end seems to barely touch the minutes scale. The Zenith star is shining close to the top of the dial:
Other good news are the solid caseback.
The Elite 681 which powers the watch is not a big movement (25,6mm) and it would have appeared to be small for the case.
Moreover, this caseback is more faithful to the spirit of the watch and it bears a nice engraving.
The movement performances are classic with a 4hz frequency and a minimum power reserve of 50 hours. My dream would have been to see a handwind movement for such watch but Zenith doesn't have one currently (a handwind Elite would not have been an option, I was speaking about a TRUE handwind movement).
I propose you a wristshot not so close as usual to show you better the feeling on the wrist. The big numerals, the black colour of the dial and the powerful design of the case make it maybe smaller than its 40mm case even if the prominent crown offsets this perception.
It is strange but despite this pilot atmosphere, I found the watch rather elegant. The SS case has a reasonable 11,8mm thickness.
The comfort on the wrist is excellent thanks to the curved lugs.
As you can understand it, I am under the charm of this watch and I'm sure that it will meet a big success: the first discussions I have with ADs confirm this forecast. And I don't need a crystal ball here!
What about you?
Are you convinced by this "small" Type 20? Are the 40mm suitable for this design?
Thanks to the Zenith team for the warm welcome during the Basel Fair.
Fr.Xavier
This message has been edited by foversta on 2013-05-13 15:08:09 This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2013-05-13 15:13:18 
