Hodinkee
Introducing: The Zenith Defy 21 Urban Jungle
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Results for Zenith Defy
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Hodinkee
Revolution
Introducing Zenith DEFY 21 Spectrum Limited Editions
Colorful jewelled watches are trendy now. Zenith joins the likes of Chopard, Cartier, Jacob & Co, Harry Winston and Rolex to introduce a spectrum of colors to the highly technical DEFY sports watch.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Zenith Defy 21 Ultraviolet
Oh, it's fast!
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Zenith Defy Midnight
The stars say it all.
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Land Rover Edition
A watch that doesn't stop when the road does.
Video
New Zenith Chronomaster Sport Skeleton Collection debuts ZENCLASP micro-adjustment
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Zenith Defy Midnight Collection
A new kind of everyday watch for women.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Zenith Defy 21 Land Rover Edition
A Defender-inspired limited edition in full matte grey.
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Zenith Defy Fusée Tourbillon Carbon
A sleek, modern take on two very traditional regulating systems.
SJX Watches
Hands-On: Zenith Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon
When Zenith unveiled the El Primero Defy 21 two years ago, it was a breakthrough for the brand, offering a 1/100th of a second chronograph with twin regulators for an affordable US$10,000 or so. This year the brand has kicked things up a notch with the El Primero Defy Double tourbillon, which essentially replaces the regular escapements with two tourbillons – one conventional and the other ultra-fast. The high-frequency evolution The new double tourbillon chronograph is a logical evolution of the classic El Primero – albeit accomplished with some help from TAG Heuer – that remained unchanged for decades. Unveiled 50 years ago, the El Primero was the first integrated automatic chronograph, and crucially, the first serially-produced, high-frequency chronograph running at 36,000 beats per hour (bph), allowing it to measure time down to the nearest tenth of a second. It would take 48 years for it to evolve into its first major iteration, the El Primero Defy 21 of 2017, which took the high-precision chronograph to its extreme with a monstrously high frequency of 50Hz, capable of measuring time down to a hundredth of a second. The Defy El Primero 21 launched in 2017 – an exotic chronograph for a basic price While it is true that a higher frequency regulator results in a higher resolution chronograph, it comes at a cost. An ultra-high frequency escapement requires tremendous energy, and the friction generated by the rapid motion of its components in turn mean more f...
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Zenith Defy Classic Ceramic
A trio of high-tech watches in bright, light ceramic.
Video
Audemars Piguet, Ulysse Nardin, Zenith, and More | Hodinkee Podcast | Watches and Wonders - Day 4
It's the final podcast from the fair, and Tim Jeffreys is joined by Andy Hoffman and Jamie Weiss. The discussion kicks off with the official launch of Hodinkee Australia, exploring the region's unique, outdoorsy colle...
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Zenith Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon
Twin tourbos for the El Primero.
Worn & Wound
The Latest “Chroma” Release from Zenith Has Arrived
Anyone who reads this site on a regular basis already knows that I can’t resist a Zenith Defy. I’ve long claimed the Defy collection is the great overlooked sports watch line in watchmaking, offering an unparalleled mix of creativity, robustness, and history that no large brand can compete with. It’s evident throughout the collection, even in the most run of the mill, bare bones Defys that Zenith makes. They are inherently weird when you consider the case shapes, styling, and high frequency movements. It’s no surprise, though, that as you get into the higher tiers of the Defy lineup, things get stranger and cooler, and that’s what we have here today with the new Defy Extreme Chroma Limited Editions. We return to the Defy Extreme, the most exotic take on the Defy, for the second time in less than a month. These Chroma executions are admittedly a bit less “extreme” in some ways than the lapis lazuli accented edition we told you about in November, but they’re honestly probably a little better for it. The Chroma concept is not new for Zenith – it allows them to play with color in a very specific way, using a spectrum of bright colors across a very busy dial to great effect. The Defy 21 chronograph received the Chroma treatment last, but now it’s the Extreme’s turn in two limited edition variants: a blacked out titanium as well as a lighter version in titanium and white ceramic. These watches exist, effectively, as two sides of the same coin, with the ...
Worn & Wound
Zenith Introduces a Limited Edition Defy Extreme with a Lapis Lazuli Dial
I love the Zenith Defy. I never miss an opportunity to tell people that it’s my favorite sports watch line of all time. I’m guessing that I’ve had a version of this conversation so many times over the years that my colleagues and watch-friends can feel it coming at this point. I can sense that eye roll is not far behind me going over once again how the Defy has always represented the ideal meeting place between the avant-garde and true sports watch engineering. Look, I make no apologies. If you can’t see that the Defy has been a subtle influence on everything from the Royal Oak to the most generic Rolex sports watches, well, stay tuned for my long threatened multi-part solo podcast series unpacking my personal obsession with these watches. One of the things that has always fascinated me about the Defy is how it can be anything. The watches in this collection have never fit neatly into a specific mold, and unlike, say, the Rolex Submariner, which has basically looked like the same watch since its debut, the Defy has always been a shapeshifter. The only thing steady about the design has been that it could always morph and change into something radical and different, and often something that is not to everyone’s taste (even longtime fans of the collection). That’s basically what’s been on my mind since learning of the new Zenith Defy Extreme Lapis Lazuli, a maximal take on the sports watch that latches on to some current trends. This is a Defy Extreme, so it...
Worn & Wound
Zenith Expands the Defy Collection with the New Skyline Chronograph Skeleton
I’m long on the record as being an unabashed fan of the Zenith Defy. If you search this website or listen to old podcasts, you’ll find plenty of instances of me saying that the Defy is my all time favorite line of sports watches, period. For as long as the Defy has existed, it’s been a showcase for Zenith at their most adventurous, both technically and aesthetically, and a reflection of the larger watch landscape at the current moment, whatever that happens to be. I’ve often framed my discussions of the Defy around wishing for a resurgence of the collection, which through the years has too often been ignored in favor of other objectively more popular Zenith collections, but with the release of the new Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton, it occurs to me that we really do, finally, have a fully fleshed out Defy collection, and Zenith is doing anything but ignoring it. The Defy Skyline effectively replaced the Defy Classic, a much loved (by enthusiasts) line of medium sized and quite thin sports watches that were available in both steel and ceramic cases. Running on Zenith’s Elite movements, they were design oriented pieces, and the skeletonized versions in particular really spoke to me. Zenith introduced a skeletonized version of the Skyline in 2023 (also at LVMH Watch Week), and now we have the chrono version, something that wouldn’t have been possible in the Elite-based Defy Classic. Part of the appeal of the Skyline, even in the non-chronograph variants, is the...
Worn & Wound
Zenith Looks to the Jungle for a Wild New Limited Edition Defy Extreme
One of my favorite pastimes within the world of watch enthusiasm is to tell anyone who will listen that the “Leopard” Rolex Daytona is my favorite version of the storied chronograph. When the Daytona comes up in conversation (and it does, a lot) I’m always ready to share that the intricate gem and diamond set version inspired by leopard prints and favored by Nicolas Cage is my favorite example. This assertion is only half a joke – I really do admire craftsmanship inherent in these watches (which is somewhat uncommon for Rolex) but mostly I like that the watch exists as a transgressive alternative to the norm. And what better way to do that than with a watch inspired by big cats and the jungle? The new Zenith Defy Extreme Jungle, a watch which immediately made me think of my favorite Daytona, knows that there is, in fact, no better way to gently push on the expectations of the typical watch enthusiast. There’s an important distinction to be made between this new watch from Zenith and the Daytona, and that’s that the Leopard Daytona is, in every way, an outlier in the Daytona collection and for Rolex as a whole. The Zenith Defy Extreme, and the Defy line more generally, are made up almost entirely of outliers. In other words, it’s not actually that strange to see a jungle inspired Defy Extreme when we’ve already seen high concept Defys taking on various themes over the course of many years. This isn’t even the first time Zenith has played with the “jung...
Video
10 Best & 10 WORST New Watches Of 2025: Rolex, G-Shock, Patek, Raymond Weil, Zenith, Panerai & More
Worn & Wound
Collective Horology and Zenith Collaborate on a Limited Edition Defy Skyline
Collective Horology, the Southern California based retailer of independent watches, has unveiled their most recent collaboration, their second with Zenith. The Zenith Defy Skyline C.X follows the El Primero C.01, Collective’s very first limited edition which was released into a very different watch landscape in 2019. Collective has changed along with the watch industry – they’ve become a full fledged retailer of independent watch brands, and have nixed the “members only” concept that the company was born with. It’s fair to say that Collective’s scope has widened considerably since 2019: their goal seems to be spreading the gospel of independent watchmaking at a huge range of price points to anyone who will listen, while continuing to hone in on storytelling in their own limited edition releases to make each of them feel special in their own way. The Skyline C.X takes the latest version of Zenith’s Defy Skyline and strips it back aesthetically to resemble an imagined version of what the watch might have been had it debuted in the 1970s when the Defy collection was beginning to take shape. The theme Collective and Zenith are playing with for this edition is that of midcentury industrial design. To that end, virtually every surface of the case (and bracelet) has been given a micro blasted finish for a sleek, industrial look, and the familiar star motif seen on most Skyline dials has been given a dramatic gradient effect, with the engraved stars appeari...
SJX Watches
Zenith Beefs Up the Retro Defy Diver
Chunky and water resistant to 600 m, the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver is based on the Defy A3648 of 1969. It shares the distinctive styling of the vintage original, but the Extreme Diver is modern in construction and specs. The case is titanium while the bezel is black ceramic. Originally introduced with either a black or blue dial, the Extreme Diver now gets a silver dial while retaining the signature bright orange flange. Initial thoughts Zenith’s catalogue includes several sports watches, including the Chronomaster Sport, but the Defy Extreme Diver is arguably the most distinctive design. With historical roots in the vintage Defy A3648, the Extreme Diver is also original. And the watch also manages to look entirely modern, despite preserving most of the design elements of the vintage original, including the angular case and 14-sided inner bezel. The Extreme Defy is one of Zenith’s pricier time-and-date watches at CHF10,900, but is still a reasonable value proposition considering the in-house movement and overall build quality. Stars Rated to 600 m just like the vintage A3648, the Extreme Diver has a case of brushed titanium measuring 42.5 mm in diameter and 15.5 mm in thickness. Around the trademark 14-sided inner bezel is a unidirectional black ceramic bezel with fluted edges for grip. Large titanium crown guards protect the fluted screw-in crown at three. The dial is finished in silvery-white with sunburst brushing. Like other Defy models, the dial is decorated wit...
Fratello
Zenith Dresses Its 41mm Defy Skyline In Pink For The Fight Against Breast Cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the third year in a row, Zenith presents a limited-edition watch to support this noble cause. In 2022, the Swiss brand made a Chronomaster Original with a very pink dial. Last year was the Chronomaster Sport’s turn, and now the Zenith Defy Skyline lends its dial to raise […] Visit Zenith Dresses Its 41mm Defy Skyline In Pink For The Fight Against Breast Cancer to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Longines Conquest 38mm Review
Longines has just revamped its Conquest line of watches – the modern Conquest line – by injecting into it a new sense of color, and a not-so-novel, but nonetheless appreciated, approach to sizing. When it comes to color, the brand unveiled three pastel dial shades in its 34mm variants within the Conquest lineup. But other big news is the addition of a 38mm sizing where previously you were left only to be able to choose 41mm at the “large” end of the spectrum. While the eye-catching pastel dials in blue, pink, and light green certainly took much of the release spotlight around the new Conquests, they only come in 34mm sizing and I can’t help but think that the less flashy dials in the new 38mm format is the real show-stealer here. We say this all the time, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that 38mm is that sweet spot for watch diameters. More and more brands are dabbling in the 37-38mm range as well. I wrote about the Zenith Defy Revival A3648 (in my debut article here at Teddy no less) which clocks in at 37mm. Then we have the Tudor Black Bay 54, and of course the fan-favorite Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38 just to name a few. In short, 38mm is where it’s at, as is the simple time and date watch format in steel on a bracelet. Just look at how popular the Rolex Oyster Perpetual line is as a bare bones steel sports watch. Okay, that watch has no date, but it does bear a visual resemblance to these new Conquest models. I could just as easily throw the Dat...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Zenith Announces A Dive Watch Reissue: The Defy Revival A3648
As you can probably tell, I'm slowly morphing into bit of a Zenith fanboy. Something about their recent releases just hits all the marks for me. From a titanium Chronomaster to a cool triple calendar-I'm here for all of it. But one thing that we brought up on the podcast once was the possibility of Zenith reissuing a dive watch. It seems crazy, considering we all probably think of high-tech chronos when we think of Zenith. But, it's here! And it's expensive. Let's take a quick look at the new Zenith Defy Revival A3648.
Video
Zenith's Newest Release is a Bold Statement Piece - Designed to Impress
SJX Watches
Zenith Introduces the Defy Skyline Chronograph
Amidst the plethora of sports watches with integrated bracelets, the Zenith Defy Skyline stands out for its uncluttered design and relative affordability. Now the lineup is joined by the Defy Skyline Chronograph. The chronograph maintains many of the signature features of the existing models, such as its octagonal case and star-patterned dial. Debuting in three dial colours, Defy chronograph is amongst Zenith’s sportier offerings. Like other recent launches, it is powered by the second-generation El Primero calibre. Initial thoughts The Defy Skyline Chronograph is another option for an enthusiasts seeking a sports chronograph with a contemporary design and integrated bracelet. There are admittedly many, many options in this category, but the Defy chronograph is one of the value-minded offerings. At CHF11,900, the Defy chronograph with its in-house movement is competitively priced compared to other offerings in the sports watch market. The brand has opted for a conservative design while retaining a modern edge. Though the overall design is familiar, it has incorporates a few unusual details, including a polygonal flange around the dial. The watch is being launched in only three colours, all simple, easy shades that are well suited to the design, though not exciting. With the limited colours in mind, some might want to wait for subsequent releases that may adopt the colours found in its time-only counterpart. Zenith’s latest addition The Defy chronograph joins Zenith’...
Worn & Wound
A Week In Watches, Ep. 62 – Limited Editions Galore, & One Special Guest
A Week In Watches returns with a special episode, highlighting a bevy of new limited edition watches, a new, slightly small Christopher Ward The Twelve, and one guest appearance to help shed some light on his latest work. There’s something for everyone this week, from high end colorful chronographs in the new Zenith Defy Chromo II, to serene new US exclusives from Grand Seiko. Did we mention they were limited editions? Elsewhere, Christopher Ward has revealed their next steps for the The Twelve integrated bracelet sport watch, scaling it down to 36mm in diameter, and bringing some new dial colors to the table for good measure. Finally, we’ve got news from Brew, who released a new Metric this week with an automatic movement. We’re thrilled to welcome our friend Johnathan Farrer to the show to give us a first hand look at the new watch, and talk us through some of its distinguishing features. We love that the case wasn’t compromised to house the automatic movement, and that it still manages to keep its price point in check. We recorded this week’s episode just prior to news of Rolex purchasing Bucherer, but keep an eye out for our thoughts on that in an upcoming episode of the Worn & Wound podcast. This week’s episode is brought to you by the Worn & Wound+ Slack community. Worn & Wound+ represents our commitment to the community as we strive to build a better environment for enthusiasts of all stripes. Whether you’re into LED quartz watches from the ‘80s, mod...
Worn & Wound
The Norqain Wild ONE Gets the Skeleton Treatment
This one seems like it was bound to happen. When Norqain unveiled the Wild ONE last year and hailed it as a next-gen, materials focused sports watch, it seemed clear that we’d get some ultra modern dial executions down the line to match the tech in the case. I was a pretty big fan of the first batch of Wild ONEs, but if there was an element that seemed a little “off” to me it was the dial. The repeating Norqain logo motif just didn’t seem to match the visual tone and vibe of the rest of the watch. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what would make it better, but with the new skeletonized version that was recently unveiled, I think they have the Wild ONE heading in the right direction. Right off the bat, I realize this might be a somewhat controversial take. When Blake went hands-on with the Wild ONE earlier this year, one of his chief gripes was legibility. That concern is not likely to be abated with a dial that’s perhaps even more of an eye-chart, but in my opinion it “fits” the spirit of the watch a little better. While Norqain is ostensibly selling these as adventure watches for all manner of outdoor activities, to me they feel more in line with stylish, contemporary headturners like the Zenith Defy, or even watches in the Royal Oak Offshore line. Capable, yes, but designed to be gawked at more than anything. The new Wild ONE Skeleton comes in two variants. One with a burgundy NORTEQ case with gold dial accents, and the other with a black NORTEQ case...
![[VIDEO] Christopher Ward Treads Familiar Ground With The Twelve](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2023/06/ChristopherWard_the-twelve_001.jpg)
Worn & Wound
[VIDEO] Christopher Ward Treads Familiar Ground With The Twelve
‘Integrated bracelet sport watch’ is likely a term you’re getting sick of hearing. The genre has reached a saturation point, it would seem. However, some of the new watches that find themselves in this category are indeed quite compelling. Watches like the new IWC Ingenieur, the Zenith Defy Skyline, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato, and most recently, a surprising entry from Christopher Ward called The Twelve, which we introduced to you when it was launched heading into our Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco. With this watch, Christopher Ward is staking a claim to the genre outside of its usual luxury connotations. Where the IWC, the Zenith, and the G-P (as well as many others) are priced around $10,000 or more, The Twelve hits the market in the much more palatable $1,000 range. The Twelve is well positioned to capitalize on the trend of the integrated bracelet sport watch in a way many others in this price range are not. They’ve built plenty of equity in the space, and have even brought some typically high-end collectors into their flock with the likes of the Bel-Canto. Where that watch embraced a level of originality, The Twelve is a direct interpretation of a well trodden design language, and Christopher Ward makes no bones about it being exactly that. In fact, whatever your thoughts on the watch itself, there’s something admirable about the recognition Christopher Ward is giving some of the all-time greats of the genre, while at the same time placing their own w...
![[VIDEO] Hands-On: Zenith Opens Up the Defy Skyline with Skyline Skeleton](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2023/05/IWC_Zenith_defy_comparison_26.jpg)
Worn & Wound
[VIDEO] Hands-On: Zenith Opens Up the Defy Skyline with Skyline Skeleton
The Zenith Defy collection of watches spans an almost shocking array of references, including watches like the Revival darlings, right on up to crazy Defy Extremes and Defy 21s. Connecting all of these dots is the new(ish) Defy Skyline collection, which was introduced early last year, and which welcomed new iterations this year, including a variant meant to replace the excellent Defy Classic with an open dial. That watch is the Defy Skyline Skeleton, and it’s not simply an openworked version of the regular Skyline. This is a distinct watch in a few important ways, bringing some of the big personality found in the Extreme and 21 references, into a slightly more approachable framework. The Skyline Skeleton takes its Defy roots seriously. From its wrist watch inception back in the ‘60s, the Defy has been a vehicle through which Zenith has strived to craft the future of watchmaking. This manifested in avant guard shapes, high-tech movements, and intricate bracelet integrations from the get go. Today, Zenith honors this heritage with their Revival series, but for all intents and purposes, the Defy range as it exists today, is still pushing the envelope in looking to the future. $11000 [VIDEO] Hands-On: Zenith Opens Up the Defy Skyline with Skyline Skeleton Case Stainless Steel Movement El Primero 3620 SK high-frequency Dial Black or Blue Skeleton Lume Super Luminova Lens Sapphire Strap Stainless Steel; Rubber Water Resistance 10ATM Dimensions 41x46mm Thickness 11.6mm Lug ...
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