Tap the image to enlarge
Zenith Pilot Type 20 Extra Special 45mm Automatic Mens Watch
Ref. 29.2430.679/21.C753
See more premium optionsHide
Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The Type 20 reaches back to the enormous cockpit instruments that pre-war pilots read at a glance through vibration and poor light — watches built for function so completely that aesthetics were an afterthought. At 45mm this is the distilled, wearable version of that lineage, a deliberate step down from the 57.5mm originals that served as the template, and it carries their visual grammar intact: the cathedral hands in rose gold plate, the screw-in onion crown sized for gloved fingers, and Arabic numerals broad enough to fill with a generous charge of C3 Super-LumiNova that holds its green well into the night. Bronze cases age visibly, and this one is honest about it — the patina that develops is individual to the wearer's skin chemistry and climate, which suits a watch with this kind of historical character. The titanium caseback keeps oxidisation away from the wrist, and it is engraved with a Blériot flying instrument motif that rewards the habit of turning a watch over. The short, downturned lugs pull the 54.3mm lug-to-lug measurement closer to the wrist than the diameter suggests, so the watch sits with more composure than its presence implies. On the wrist it reads as a serious object without being theatrical. The Elite 679 is the quieter part of the story. Introduced in 1994 as Zenith's volume manufacture movement, it winds with unusual smoothness for an automatic of its class and delivers a 50-hour reserve — enough that leaving it on the nightstand for a weekend does not mean resetting it on Monday. The nubuck strap is rubber-backed, which matters on a watch intended to be worn through the kind of days a bronze case implies.
- Reference
- 29.2430.679/21.C753
- Brand
- Zenith
- Case size
- 45mm
- Case thickness
- 14.25mm
- Lug width
- 23mm
- Case material
- Titanium
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Elite 679
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Condition
- Ex-display
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 54.3mm
- Power reserve
- 50 hours
Learn more about Zenith
Georges Favre-Jacot founded Zenith in Le Locle in 1865, aged twenty-two, with an idea that was radical for the Swiss industry: bring every trade needed to make a watch — movement, case, dial, hands — under one roof and one management. The integrated manufacture was largely his invention, and the Le Locle site he built is still in use.
The approach produced results at observatory trials, where Zenith accumulated more precision awards than any other manufacture. The name itself came from a calibre Favre-Jacot considered the summit of his work.
Its defining achievement is the El Primero of 1969, developed over seven years and announced in the same year as the Heuer-Breitling consortium's Calibre 11 and Seiko's 6139. It was an integrated automatic chronograph beating at 36,000 vibrations per hour, allowing measurement to a tenth of a second — a frequency almost nothing else matched for decades.
It nearly did not survive. When American owners ordered the mechanical tooling scrapped during the quartz crisis, a watchmaker named Charles Vermot hid the plans, presses, and cams in a walled-off attic. When demand for mechanical chronographs returned, Zenith could restart production because of him. Rolex used the El Primero in the Daytona from 1988 to 2000.
LVMH acquired Zenith in 1999.
- 1865
- Georges Favre-Jacot founds the integrated manufacture at Le Locle.
- 1969
- The El Primero automatic chronograph debuts at 36,000 vph.
- 1975
- Charles Vermot hides the El Primero tooling from destruction.
- 1988
- Rolex adopts the El Primero for the Daytona.
- 1999
- Acquired by LVMH.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,324), Leather Strap Watches (941), Watches 44mm and Over (928), Sports Watches (687), Titanium Watches (145) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (100).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Zenith's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 45mm is a large watch with real presence
- 14.25mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 29.2430.679/21.C753 | L28381532 | 01 793 7775 8734 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,795 | £4,600 | £5,350 |
| Case size | 45mm | 43mm | 47mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Fabric strap | Fabric strap |
| Power reserve | 50 hours | 72 hours | 56 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 50 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
23mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 54.3mm, which suits wrists from roughly 18.5cm (7¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £4,795, ex-display. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as ex-display only, at £4,795 from Goldsmiths. Ex-display watches are unworn shop stock rather than second-hand — sold below the recommended retail price, and with the manufacturer’s guarantee intact.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
You may also like
In stock, and close on style and price
