A Night with Zenith in Paris: Celebrating the Pilot Collection and Felix Baumgartner

October 08, 2012

A few weeks ago, Zenith threw quite the shindig in Paris to celebrate their Pilot collection, and more specifically their Pilot Type 20. CEO Jean-Frdric Dufour and daredevil skydiver Felix Baumgartner were on hand as well, and Mr. Dufour presented Mr. Baumgartner with the watch he'll be wearing on his 22-mile-high jump tomorrow morning.There was quite the spectacle as we filed into the Muse des Arts et Mtiers on a cool night in Paris. The cavernous space was filled with Zenith-branded weather balloons and vintage-style aircraft, and the music and lights were nothing if not intense. ? On display in the center of the room, amidst the festivities, was a collection of vintage and modern Zenith timepieces, including a few stunners. There was a 1955 "world-time" military chronograph (an early GMT watch), a 1960 hand-wound "A. Cairelli" chronograph made for the Italian Air Force, the modern Pilot Big Date Special, and a few massive (50mm) uncased 5011 movements, which power the Type 20 (also on display). 1910 Altimeter - The Hand Inspired the Seconds Hand on the El Primero There was also a cool altimeter dating to the 1910s, that was used by the British Flying Corps in WWI. If the hand shape looks familiar, it's because this is what inspired the famous El Primero chronograph seconds hand. Some serious watch history here. Felix Baumgartner and?Jean-Frdric Dufour The main event of the evening was a short ceremony, in which Zenith CEO Jean-Frdric Dufour presented Felix Baumgartner with a special new watch to wear on his record-breaking, 23-mile-high jump that is scheduled for tomorrow morning (October 9, 2012). If all goes as planned, Felix will be the first person to break the sound barrier using only his body. The jump should have taken place today (having already been pushed back once), but high winds meant another day of patience was required.We'll have more on this for you as the story unfolds. Best of luck tomorrow Felix.