Calais, July 25, 1909, 4:15 a.m. Louis Blériot is aboard his plane, the Blériot XI he was trying to cross the Channel – 40 kilometres of ocean – in a flying machine. What some would consider a utopian dream was accomplished in 37 minutes by Blériot, formerly nicknamed the “Crash King” but afterwards the undisputed “Father of Aviation.” He was wearing a Zenith.
I have not found information about this 271 Zenith movement, 5 jeweled it has 2 barrels with a36 hours power reserve.
A. Cairelli is a historical brand of the italian and international army watchmaker, it has given chronographs to the Regia Aeronautical and to the Iatlian Air Force, Carielli equiped Fiat, Caproni, Savoia-Marchetti and others, one of them is a modified for air raids Breguet XIX Bidon, called Jesus del Gran Poder, it is in the Spanish Air Force Museum, this aircraft was built in 1928 so the clock is previous that date.
Beginning in 1939, the Zenith Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 was the chronometric instrument for French aircraft. It resided on the instrument panel where its large, luminous numerals were visible day or night. These instruments are the namesake for Zenith’s new Pilot watch.
The Zenith Montre d’Aéronef Type 20, with its 36-hour power reserve, was standard equipment on most French planes. it appeared on the instrument panels of many airplanes, in particular the Caudron Simoun C.635 models used by the French Army for training and by the Air Bleu postal company for international and transatlantic routes.
