A case that gets dirty on purpose
By Julien Moreau, Geneva ยท
Bronze is the only case metal I know of that collectors pay more for once it starts to look dirty.
Zenith's Pilot Type 20 is a big-crowned aviator's watch in the manner of the early twentieth century, and the Extra Special version is the bronze one: a 40 mm case, 11.5 mm thick, a brown dial with large luminous Arabic numerals, a brown leather strap, the Elite 679 with 50 hours behind a closed back, and 100 m of water resistance. The onion crown is large and easy to grip, and the whole watch has a sort of cheerful, rugged honesty about it.
I do have a confession. I have never been fond of bronze watches. The patina develops in weeks rather than decades, and while it is real oxidation, it feels to me rather like stonewashed denim: a shortcut to an appearance that should take a lifetime. The patina on a good vintage watch is a record of its life. On bronze it is a record of last month.
At sixty-eight to seventy-three hundred dollars it is fair value for the metal and the movement. If you like the look and are untroubled by my prejudices, enjoy it. Just don't expect it to look the same in a year.