Zenith’s Defy collection shows the brand’s constant drive to improve precision through new ideas
Zenith’s Defy collection of watches blends cutting-edge movements with futuristic designs and materials. Since its founding in 1865, the collection has consistently upheld Zenith’s legacy of excellence, setting new standards in performance and style.
The brand was the first vertically integrated Swiss watch manufacturer. Its watches have accompanied extraordinary individuals who dreamed big and aimed for the impossible — from Louis Blériot’s historic flight across the English Channel in 1909 to Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting 2002 stratospheric freefall jump.
Guided by innovation, Zenith exclusively features in-house developed and manufactured movements in all its watches. Since creating the El Primero in 1969, the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre, Zenith has mastered high-frequency precision, offering time measurements in fractions of a second, including 1/100th of a second in the Defy collection
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Robust construction
The Zenith Defy Skyline is a modern successor to Zenith’s first Defy wristwatch from 1969. It seamlessly blends past and present with bold architectural lines and robust construction. The standout feature of this edition is its white ceramic case, a first for the Defy Skyline collection. This high scratch-resistant white ceramic case is finished with alternating satin-brushed and polished surfaces, enhancing elegance and durability. The watch is water-resistant up to 100 meters, making it perfect for all summer activities.
The Defy Skyline Skeleton White Ceramic comes with an integrated white ceramic bracelet that follows the contours of the case with a mixed brushed and polished finish. A bright white patterned rubber strap is also provided for added versatility, which can be easily changed without tools thanks to the watch’s quick strap-change mechanism.
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The intense blue open dial and skeleton movement complement the watch’s white ceramic exterior. The dial’s colour shifts with the light, revealing different nuances of blue and features Zenith’s classic four-pointed star motif from 1969.
The open El Primero 3620 SK automatic high-frequency skeleton calibre beneath is finished in Zenith’s signature blue tone, reminiscent of the night sky. Unique to the Defy Skyline, this movement features a constant 1/10th of a second indicator that is driven directly from the 5Hz escapement, making a full rotation every 10 seconds — a gentle reminder to cherish every moment this summer. It also offers a power reserve of approximately 55 hours and a stop-second mechanism for precise time-setting.
Vintage precision revived
The Defy Revival A3648 is a faithful recreation of the original Defy A3648, one of the earliest Defy Diver watches launched in 1969 that presents an alternative take on Zenith’s avant-garde and rugged steel bracelet watch with a specific purpose.
Besides being among the earliest Defy wristwatch models, the A3648 was one of the first Defy diver’s watches. Even by today’s standards, the A3648 boasts incredible performance in a watch that seamlessly merges style and substance.
Zenith has embarked on a journey to revive the nostalgia, with the Revival A3648 marking the first vintage Zenith diver’s watch to undergo this revival treatment. The Revival A3648 showcases a 37mm angular stainless steel case with a distinctive 14-sided bezel. True to its original design, it retains sharp geometric lines that distinguish it from other diver’s watches. The stainless steel unidirectional rotating bezel, now topped with an orange-tinted sapphire insert instead of Plexiglas, preserves the watch’s heritage. The bold black and bright orange bezel markings remain a sought-after and unique feature.
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The matte black dial is accented with vibrant orange hands and a matching minutes track. This bold colour combination enhances readability and retains the vintage appeal. The hour markers and hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova, emitting a bright green glow in low-light conditions. The screw-down crown is positioned at 4 o’clock, a signature feature of the original design. The watch also boasts a transparent sapphire crystal case back, offering a view of the Elite 670 automatic movement within.
The Defy Revival A3648 is powered by the Elite 670 automatic manufacture movement, known for its reliability and precision. It offers a power reserve of approximately 50 hours and an oscillating weight with “Côtes de Genève” finishing. The Revival A3648 matches the original’s impressive specifications with a water resistance of up to 600m (60 ATM), equivalent to 1,969 ft — a tribute to the year it was first introduced.
Rigorous precision
The brand is also expanding its Defy collection by introducing the Defy Extreme Diver, a watch designed to meet the rigorous demands of professional divers. This new model showcases the brand’s ability to blend cutting-edge technology with robust, stylish design.
Inspired by the Defy divers of the late 1960s, the Defy Extreme Diver is crafted to excel in challenging underwater environments. Its design integrates modern materials and features to ensure reliability and durability.
The Defy Extreme Diver features a 42.5mm angular titanium case. This material is chosen for its excellent weight-to-strength ratio and high seawater corrosion resistance. The case is equipped with a helium escape valve, a critical feature for saturation diving. The unidirectional rotating bezel is made from black or blue ceramic, with grooved edges for better grip even when wearing gloves. The bezel is filled with Super-LumiNova, ensuring visibility in low-light conditions.
The dial is available in black or blue with a metallic sunburst finish and features Zenith’s signature geometric pattern of engraved four-pointed stars. Oversized hands and hour markers coated with “X1” grade Super-LumiNova in three different pigments (blue, green and orange) ensure excellent legibility.
Powered by the El Primero 3620-SC automatic high-frequency manufacture calibre, the Defy Extreme Diver offers a power reserve of 60 hours. The movement features a paramagnetic escapement with silicon components, visible through the sapphire display back, a rare feature in diver’s watches. Similar to the Defy Revival A3648, the Defy Extreme Diver is rated to 600m or 1,969 ft, making it suitable for even the most demanding diving conditions while referencing the year the first Defy Diver’s watch was launched.
