ZENITH Defy Extreme Diver & DEFY Skyline Chronograph

The story of Zenith is fascinating. It began in 1865 when the brand was established as the first watchmaking manufacture with fully integrated watch production from the very first steps. Zenith is distinguished by revolutionary technologies, such as the in-house El Primero caliber, which has garnered 2,333 watchmaking awards to date. The brand also changed the understanding of the regulatory mechanism by replacing more than 30 components with a single monolithic element. Zenith continues to shape the future of Swiss watchmaking.The Zenith DEFY wristwatch line has always been associated with reliability and durability since its introduction in 1969. Over the years, DEFY models have undergone many iterations focusing on various functions and designs, reaching the highest peaks and the wildest terrains. Now, through the new DEFY Extreme Diver model, the brand returns this collection to the deepest depths along with a remake of one of the most sought-after vintage diving watches from Zenith, the DEFY Revival A3648. Not only has the collection of diving watches expanded, but the DEFY Skyline constellation is now finally complete. The new DEFY Skyline Chronograph watches are not only a natural continuation and expansion of Zenith's bold and versatile line but also offer a new framework for the latest iteration of the high-frequency automatic chronograph El Primero, measuring with an accuracy of one-tenth of a second.
DEFY Skyline Chronograph
In the DEFY watch collection, there is a long and continuous tradition of El Primero chronographs dating back to the early 1970s. DEFY models, with their modern approach, have always perfectly adapted to the revolutionary automatic chronograph El Primero, whose high frequency allows unwavering precision, even in extremely demanding and dynamic situations. The new DEFY Skyline Chronograph model also excels in movement and performance across a wide range of environments and represents the culmination of more than fifty years of effort to elevate chronographs to a new level. Essentially, it is a 21st-century DEFY chronograph, which is evident.The intricately architectural and geometrically shaped 42 mm steel case of the DEFY Skyline model is a modernized interpretation of early DEFY models with an octagonal case and a polygonal bezel. The DEFY Skyline chronograph dial is characterized by a star pattern with engraved four-pointed stars, typical for watches with the El Primero movement, and has a traditional configuration. It is available in metallic black, blue, or silver. Three slightly intersecting sub-dials serve to read the seconds and minutes of the chronograph and also show the running second. The date indicator aperture matches the dial color and is positioned at 4:30, which is another typical feature for El Primero. The twelve-sided bezel with a scale divided into tenths of a second has twelve facets and serves as an extension of the hour markers. In a fast-paced world, every fraction of a second counts. Just like the automatic DEFY Skyline chronograph and its skeleton counterpart, Zenith now offers the function of measuring with an accuracy of one-tenth of a second in the DEFY Skyline Chronograph model. This mechanical record is the result of the high-frequency El Primero 3600 caliber operating at 5 Hz (36,000 vibrations per hour), whose work is visible through the sapphire crystal case back. Its star-shaped oscillating weights with bidirectional winding provide a power reserve of 60 hours.

DEFY Extreme Diver
Although the DEFY Extreme Diver was inspired by the long line of DEFY diving watches produced since 1969, this model is modern in every aspect. Its 42.5mm square case is made of titanium, a metal known for its excellent weight-to-strength ratio and high resistance to corrosion, which is a threat from salty seawater. The case is equipped with a helium valve for saturation diving. Above the fixed twelve-sided bezel is a ceramic, unidirectional rotating bezel with serrated edges for better grip during handling—even with gloves. The bezel is engraved and filled with brightly colored Super-LumiNova for easy reading even underwater, where there is little light. The enlarged screw-down crown is equipped with titanium protectors on both sides. Like the historical DEFY A3648 model from 1969, the DEFY Extreme Diver is water-resistant to a depth of 600 meters (60 ATM), corresponding to 1,969 feet—a symbolic number for DEFY diving watches. The model meets the requirements of the ISO 6425 standard for professional diving watches, including the ISO 764 standard for magnetic resistance and ISO 1413 for shock resistance, making it a comprehensive diving watch suitable for the most demanding conditions. The DEFY Extreme Diver is powered by the automatic high-frequency in-house caliber El Primero 3620-SC with a 60-hour power reserve, visible through the sapphire crystal case back—an unusual feature among diving watches. This version of El Primero includes a stepping mechanism with key components made of non-metallic silicon, making it resistant to magnetism.

DEFY Revival A3648
One of the greatest sources of inspiration in creating the DEFY Extreme Diver was the DEFY model with reference number A3648, launched in 1969. At the time, it offered an alternative view of avant-garde and durable steel wristwatches from Zenith with a specific function. The A3648 watches not only stood among the first models of the DEFY line but were also among the first DEFY diving watches. Even by today's standards, the A3648 reference delivered incredible performance in the category of watches that perfectly combine style and functionality. A distinctive feature of the original DEFY line is the square stainless steel case with a diameter of 37 mm. The steel fourteen-sided bezel from that era remains preserved, but it is now placed above a circular rotating bezel. It is made of steel and has a sapphire glass insert, while historical models had it made of plexiglass. The black and bright orange indices have been preserved, as they are one of the most sought-after elements of the historical A3648 model. With a screw-down crown at 4 o'clock and a sapphire crystal case back, the DEFY Revival A3648 maintains the same water resistance to 600 meters (60 ATM) as the original model. Even in 1969, this number represented an extraordinary achievement and remains an impressive parameter for such compact diving watches with sapphire glass. It is also a symbolic number for Zenith, as 600 meters corresponds to 1,969 feet, which matches the year the DEFY wristwatch line was introduced, including the A3648 reference. The transparent case back offers a view of the automatic in-house Elite 670 movement with a 50-hour power reserve.

DEFY Extreme Diver
Přestože se DEFY Extreme Diver inspiroval dlouhou řadou potápěčských hodinek DEFY vyráběných už od roku 1969, je tento model moderní po všech stránkách. Jeho 42,5mm hranaté pouzdro je vyrobeno z titanu, což je kov, který se vyznačuje vynikajícím poměrem hmotnosti k pevnosti a zároveň vysokou odolností proti korozi, která hrozí ze slané mořské vody. Pouzdro je vybaveno héliovým ventilem pro saturační potápění. Nad pevnou dvanáctihrannou lunetou je umístěna keramická, jednosměrně otočná luneta, která má vroubkované hrany pro lepší úchop při manipulaci – i v rukavici. Luneta je gravírovaná a vyplněná jasně barevnou Super-LumiNovou pro snadné čtení i pod vodou, kde je málo světla.
Zvětšená šroubovací korunka je oboustranně vybavena titanovými chrániči. Stejně jako historický model DEFY A3648 z roku 1969, je i DEFY Extreme Diver voděodolný do hloubky 600 metrů (60 ATM), což odpovídá 1 969 stopám – číslu symbolickému pro DEFY potápěčské hodinky. Model splňuje požadavky normy ISO 6425 pro profesionální potápěčské hodinky, včetně normy ISO 764 pro odolnost vůči magnetismu a ISO 1413 pro odolnost proti nárazům, což z něj činí komplexní potápěčské hodinky vhodné pro nejnáročnější podmínky.
DEFY Extreme Diver je poháněn automatickým vysokofrekvenčním manufakturním kalibrem El Primero 3620-SC s rezervou chodu 60 hodin, který je viditelný skrze dýnko ze safírového skla – mezi potápěčskými hodinkami opravdu neobvyklý prvek. Tato verze El Primero obsahuje krokový mechanismus s klíčovými komponenty z nemetalického křemíku, takže je odolný vůči magnetismu.

DEFY Revival A3648
Jedním z největších zdrojů inspirace při tvorbě DEFY Extreme Diver se stal model DEFY s referenčním číslem A3648, který byl uvedený na trh v roce 1969. Ve své době nabízel alternativní pohled na avantgardní a odolné ocelové náramkové hodinky Zenith s konkrétní funkcí. Hodinky A3648 nejenže stály mezi prvními modely řady DEFY, ale zároveň byly jedněmi z prvních potápěčských hodinek DEFY. I podle dnešních měřítek podávala reference A3648 neuvěřitelné výkony v kategorii hodinek, které dokonale spojují styl a funkčnost.
Výrazným znakem původní řady DEFY je hranaté pouzdro z nerezové oceli o průměru 37 mm. Ocelová čtrnáctistěnná luneta z té doby zůstala stále zachována, ale nově je umístěna nad kruhovou otočnou lunetou. Ta je vyrobená z oceli a má vložku ze safírového skla, zatímco historické modely ji měly z plexiskla. Černé a jasně oranžové indexy zůstaly zachovány, jde totiž o jeden z nejžádanějších prvků historického modelu A3648.
Díky šroubovací korunce na 4. hodině a dýnku ze safírového skla si DEFY Revival A3648 zachovává stejnou voděodolnost do 600 metrů (60 ATM) jako původní model. Už v roce 1969 představovalo toto číslo mimořádný úspěch a stále je působivým parametrem pro tak kompaktní potápěčské hodinky se sklíčky ze safírového skla. Jde navíc o symbolické číslo pro Zenith, protože 600 metrů odpovídá 1 969 stopám, což je číslovka shodná s rokem, kdy byla řada náramkových hodinek DEFY uvedena, a to včetně reference A3648. Průhledné dýnko hodinek nabízí pohled na automatický manufakturní strojek Elite 670 s rezervou chodu 50 hodin.