The story of Zenith is fascinating. It began in 1865, when the brand was founded as the first watch manufacture with watchmaking fully integrated from the very first steps. Zenith features revolutionary technologies such as the in-house calibre El Primero, which has collected 2,333 watchmaking awards to date. The brand has also changed the understanding of the regulating mechanism by replacing more than 30 components with a single monolithic element. Zenith continues to shape the future of Swiss watchmaking.
Since its launch in 1969, the Zenith DEFY wristwatch range has always been associated with reliability and durability. Over the years, DEFY models have gone through many iterations, targeting different functions and designs, looking at the highest peaks and the wildest terrains. But now, with the new DEFY Extreme Diver, the brand is taking the collection back to the deepest depths with a remake of one of Zenith's most coveted vintage dive watches, the DEFY Revival A3648. Not only has the dive watch collection grown, but the DEFY Skyline constellation is now finally complete. The new DEFY Skyline Chronograph is not only a natural continuation and extension of the bold and versatile Zenith range, but also offers a new framework for the latest iteration of the El Primero automatic high-frequency chronograph, measuring to the nearest tenth of a second.
DEFY Skyline Chronograph There is a long and unbroken tradition of El Primero chronographs in the DEFY watch collection, dating back to the early 1970s. Thanks to its modern concept, DEFY models have always been perfectly adapted to the revolutionary El Primero automatic chronograph, whose high frequency allows for unwavering precision, even in extremely stressful and dynamic situations. Even the new DEFY Skyline Chronograph model therefore excels in movement and performance in a wide range of environments and represents the culmination of more than fifty years of efforts to take chronographs to a new level. In essence, this is the DEFY chronograph of the 21st century, and it shows.
The intricately architected and geometrically shaped 42 mm diameter full-length case of the DEFY Skyline is a modernised take on the early DEFYs with an octagonal case and polygonal lunette.
The dial of the DEFY Skyline chronograph is characterised by a star pattern with engraved four-pointed stars, which is typical of watches with El Primero movements, and has a traditional configuration. It is available in metallic black, blue or silver. Three slightly intersecting subdials are used to read the chronograph seconds and minutes, and also show the running seconds. The aperture of the date indicator matches the colour of the dial and is positioned at 4:30, another typical El Primero feature. The twelve-faceted lunette with a scale divided by tenths of a second serves as an extension of the hour indexes.
In a fast-moving world, every fraction of a second counts. As with the DEFY Skyline automatic chronograph and its skeletonized counterpart, Zenith now offers the function of measuring to the nearest tenth of a second also in the DEFY Skyline Chronograph. This mechanical record is the result of the high-frequency El Primero 3600 calibre operating at 5 Hz (36,000 semi-frequencies per hour), whose work is visible through the sapphire crystal. Its star-shaped oscillating weights with bi-directional winding provide a power reserve of 60 hours.
DEFY Extreme Diver Although the DEFY Extreme Diver is inspired by a long line of DEFY dive watches dating back to 1969, this model is modern in every way. Its 42.5mm square case is made of titanium, a metal that features an excellent weight-to-strength ratio as well as high resistance to the corrosion that threatens from saltwater. The housing is equipped with a helium valve for saturation diving. A ceramic, unidirectionally rotatable lunette is positioned above the fixed twelve-sided lunette, which has knurled edges for better grip when handling - even with a glove. The lunette is engraved and filled with brightly colored Super-LumiNova for easy reading even underwater where light is scarce.
The enlarged screw-in crown is fitted with titanium temples on both sides. Like the historic DEFY A3648 model from 1969, the DEFY Extreme Diver is water resistant to a depth of 600 meters (60 ATM), which is equivalent to 1,969 feet - a number emblematic of DEFY dive watches. The model meets the requirements of the ISO 6425 standard for professional dive watches, including ISO 764 for magnetism resistance and ISO 1413 for shock resistance, making it a comprehensive dive watch suitable for the harshest conditions.
The DEFY Extreme Diver is powered by an automatic high-frequency manufacture El Primero 3620-SC calibre with a power reserve of 60 hours, which is visible through a sapphire crystal dial - a truly unusual feature among dive watches. This version of the El Primero incorporates a stepper movement with key components made of non-metallic silicon, making it resistant to magnetism.
DEFY Revival A3648 One of the biggest sources of inspiration for the DEFY Extreme Diver was the DEFY model with reference number A3648, which was launched in 1969. At the time, it offered an alternative take on the avant-garde and durable Zenith steel wristwatch with a specific function. Not only was the A3648 among the first models of the DEFY range, it was also one of the first DEFY diving watches. Even by today's standards, the reference A3648 performed incredibly well in the category of watches that perfectly combine style and functionality.
The distinctive feature of the original DEFY series is the angular stainless steel case with a diameter of 37 mm. The steel 14-gauge lunette from that era is still retained, but is now positioned above the circular rotating lunette. The latter is made of steel and has a sapphire glass insert, whereas the historic models had a Plexiglas insert. The black and bright orange indices have been retained, as this is one of the most desirable features of the historic A3648.
With a screw-down crown at 4 o'clock and a sapphire crystal dial, the DEFY Revival A3648 retains the same water resistance to 600 metres (60 ATM) as the original model. Back in 1969, this figure represented an extraordinary success and is still an impressive parameter for such a compact diving watch with sapphire crystal. Moreover, it is a symbolic number for Zenith, as 600 metres is equivalent to 1,969 feet, a figure that coincides with the year the DEFY wristwatch range was introduced, including the reference A3648. The watch's transparent dial offers a glimpse of the automatic Elite 670 Manufacture movement with a power reserve of 50 hours.
