Cazador

Zenith · Family: Pilot Type 20

Zenith Pilot Type 20 Extra Special 11.1940.679/91.C807

The Zenith Pilot Type 20 Extra Special 11.1940.679/91.C807 is the 40mm aged-steel version, unveiled in 2017, of the line that pays tribute to the onboard flight instruments Zenith supplied to pioneering aviators in the early 20th century. It runs the in-house automatic Elite 679 caliber with 50 hours of power reserve. Cazador has no verified price observations (n=0) for this reference as of today.

Specifications

Case diameter
40 mm
Thickness
12.95 mm
Case material
Aged steel
Movement
In-house Elite 679 caliber, automatic, 27 jewels, 126 components
Power reserve
50 hours
Frequency
28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Water resistance
100 m
Dial
Grained slate grey, painted Arabic numerals, luminescent hands
Strap
Mustard oily nubuck leather, tang buckle
Case back
Aged steel, engraved with Zenith's historical logo
Year unveiled
2017 (Baselworld)

Price & trend

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Insufficient data: 0 price observations (PricePoints) recorded as of July 25, 2026. Cazador does not estimate or infer a range without sourced market data.

History

Zenith was founded in 1865 in Le Locle, Switzerland, and belongs to the small group of watch manufactures that produce their own movements from start to finish. Its link to pioneering aviation dates back to 1909, when Louis Blériot carried a Zenith onboard instrument on his historic flight across the English Channel — the episode that gives the Pilot Type 20 family its name and visual identity, including the oversized 'onion' crown designed to be operated with flight gloves on.

The 40mm aged-steel Extra Special version, unveiled at Baselworld 2017, offers a more compact reading of the Pilot Type 20 collection compared with the 45mm versions also in the catalog, without giving up the family's signature oversized Arabic numerals or luminescent 'cathedral' hands.

This reference, the 11.1940.679/91.C807, runs the in-house Elite 679 caliber, an automatic movement with 27 jewels and 126 components delivering 50 hours of power reserve at a 4 Hz frequency. The case back, in the same aged steel, carries Zenith's historical crest with its stars and the manufacture's founding date, 1865.

[UNVERIFIED: we do not confirm whether this specific slate-grey dial configuration remains in active catalog as of July 2026].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Zenith Pilot Type 20 Extra Special 11.1940.679/91.C807 cost?

Cazador has no verified price observations for this reference (0 PricePoints recorded as of July 2026). We do not publish estimates without our own sourced market data.

Where does the name 'Pilot Type 20' come from?

It refers to the onboard instruments Zenith supplied to pioneering aviation, with a documented link back to Louis Blériot's 1909 flight across the English Channel.

When was the 40mm Extra Special version unveiled?

At Baselworld 2017, as a more compact reading of the Pilot Type 20 collection compared with the 45mm versions also available.

What power reserve does the Elite 679 caliber offer?

50 hours, with 27 jewels and 126 components, in an in-house automatic movement built by Zenith.

Why is the Pilot Type 20's crown so large?

It's an oversized 'onion' design inherited from historical aviation instruments, meant to be operable even with flight gloves on.

Is the Pilot Type 20 Extra Special water resistant?

Yes, to 100 meters, a generous figure for a watch with aviation rather than diving origins.

Is Zenith a true manufacture in the strict sense?

Yes. Zenith, founded in 1865, is one of the few Swiss houses that designs and builds its own movements from start to finish, without relying on outside suppliers for its calibers.