Zenith’s New Defy Timepieces

By Wristcheck

25 Jan 20228 min read

At the latest edition of the LVMH Watch Week, Zenith presented a slew of bright, new watches – the Defy Skyline, the rainbow-inspired Defy 21 Chroma, the first-ever Defy Extreme model in carbon fiber and more

If you examine Zenith's vivid history, you realise that the Swiss watchmaker has been persistently driven by the objective to create the finest, highly precise and the most reliable timepieces. From presenting its first pocket chronograph in 1899 to launching the legendary Caliber 135 in 1948 – a chronometer movement equipped with a small seconds function – pragmatism and precision have remained the cornerstone of their watchmaking. Some truly amazing developments of the 20th century show Zenith's consecration to create groundbreaking instruments to keep time. This brings us to the year 1969 when one of the world's first automatic chronograph calibers was born - the El Primero.

The first watch to house the high-frequency El Primero was the A384 which could measure even 1/10th of a second. Even after five decades, this integrated automatic chronograph movement oscillating at a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour, continues to push boundaries and remains the undisputed champion of high-frequency. Based on the El Primero movement, Zenith developed the intricately engineered El Primero 9004 , which is capable of measuring elapsed intervals to the nearest 1/100 of a second. The El Primero 9004 played a pivotal role in bringing Zenith's Defy collection back to life after it was benched in the 1970s. This movement powered the Zenith Defy 21 Chronograph, the first watch to be unveiled as part of the new Defy lineup in 2017.

The Zenith El Primero A384 from 1969

Since then, the Defy collection has enthralled the community with series like 21, Extreme, Classic, Midnight, Zero G, Double Tourbillon, and Fusee Tourbillon. This year, Zenith has added a slew of bright, new watches to this collection unveiled at the LVMH Watch Week 2022; let's explore.

Defy Extreme Carbon

Zenith Defy

The Defy Extreme series, best known for its 'all-terrain' 1/100th of a second chronograph, welcomes another bold new addition to the family – the 45mm Defy Extreme Carbon–a sporty carbon fibre execution that draws inspiration from off-road electric rally racing championship EXTREME E. The open, multi-layered dial presents a mix of vibrant colours inspired by the EXTREME E's 'X Prix' colour schemes that are adapted for each race. The angular case, the pusher protectors, and the 12-sided bezel are made in micro blasted titanium.

The 45mm Defy Extreme Carbon has its case, crown and pushers made from layered carbon fiber, while the twelve-sided bezel and pusher protectors have been crafted out of micro blasted titanium

Partially visible through the dial and the caseback, the El Primero 9004 automatic movement delivers a power reserve of around 50 hours

On the vibrant dial is the 1/100th of a second chronograph scale that features bright yellow markers. And for a cool contrast, the tinted sapphire crystal dial's chronograph counters are in bright blue, green, and white. Beating inside the Defy Extreme Carbon is the El Primero 9004 automatic movement that is partially visible through the dial and the caseback. With two escapements beating at 5Hz (36,000 VpH) for the timekeeping part and 50Hz (360,000 VpH) for the chronograph, the engine delivers a power reserve of around 50 hours. The sporty timepiece comes with three straps - a black textured rubber strap with a micro blasted titanium folding buckle, a red textured rubber strap, and a black velcro strap with a carbon fibre buckle.

Defy Skyline

Zenith Defy

The Defy Skyline is a new flagship series under the Defy collection that offers three 41mm pieces, for now. The collection’s overall look is reminiscent of the octagonal design aesthetic of the early Defy models. The stainless steel case offers water resistance up to 100 metres and is paired with a steel bracelet with a satin-brushed surface with chamfered and polished edges. Apart from the steel bracelet with a folding clasp, the Defy Skyline can also be paired with a black rubber strap (black dial), blue rubber strap (blue dial), or khaki green rubber strap (silver dial).

Reminiscent of the octagonal design aesthetic of the early Defy models, the 41mm Skyline comes in three colour variations - silver, blue and black

Driven by the El Primero 3620 movement, an iteration of the El Primero 3600 1/10th of a second chronograph, the watch's movement is visible through the sapphire caseback

The Defy Skyline's stellar dial features Zenith's four-sided star logo across the entire face, except at the three o'clock date window and nine o'clock small seconds with azzurage decoration. The dial comes in three colour variations - silver, blue and black. Driven by the El Primero 3620 movement, an iteration of the El Primero 3600 1/10th of a second chronograph, the automatic engine is visible through the sapphire display back. It drives the 1/10th of a second hand directly from the escapement and delivers a power reserve of around 60 hours. The movement also offers a stop-second mechanism for precise time-setting.

Defy 21 Chroma

Zenith Defy

The Defy 21 Chroma is a playful timepiece that grabs your attention with its distinctive take on the colours of the rainbow. Its painted hour markers in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and pink render a splendid contrast when combined with the matte-finished white ceramic case. Apart from the dial, the colours also embellish the crown's rubber grip ring and the white Cordura-effect rubber strap's stitching. Partially visible through the dial is the El Primero 9004 automatic movement with each bridge finished in a different metallic colour. The movement delivers a power reserve of around 50 hours.

The 44mm Defy 21 Chroma is a limited edition of 200 pieces that is available at Zenith boutiques and authorised retailers around the world.

Limited to 200 pieces, the 44mm Defy 21 Chroma comes with a rainbow dial and the same colours have been used to embellish the crown's rubber grip ring and the stitching on the cordura-effect white rubber strap

The watch is powered by the El Primero 9004 automatic movement that can help the wearer time events to an astonishing 1/100th of a second

Defy Midnight Sunset and Defy Midnight Borealis

Zenith Defy

The Defy Midnight series, targeted towards women, offers some chic watches adorned with diamonds. This year, Zenith adds two new pieces to the series, both in stainless steel with a diamond-set bezel. The Defy Midnight Sunset features a red-to-yellow gradient and guilloché dial while the Defy Midnight Borealis comes with a blue-to-green gradient and guilloché dial. In both the references, white diamonds are applied on every hour marker, except at 3 o'clock where the date window is placed. The two pieces are driven by the Elite 670 SK automatic movement that offers a power reserve of around 50 hours. The latest Defy Midnight watches are offered on a stainless steel bracelet with an interchangeable strap system and each watch comes with three extra straps in different colours.

The Defy Midnight watches are driven by the Elite 670 SK automatic movement that offers a power reserve of around 50 hours