Since its inception in 1969, the Zenith Defy line of wristwatches has been all about steadfast reliability and ruggedness. Throughout the years, the Defy has taken on many iterations with purpose-built features and designs. From the highest peaks to the wildest terrains, Zenith is now taking the collection back to the deepest depths with the new Defy Extreme Diver, as well as a remake of one of the most sought-after vintage Zenith diver’s watches, the Defy Revival A3648
Defy Extreme Diver
The Defy Extreme Diver is conceived to take on extreme conditions where ice, water and mist present a host of challenges. Its 42.5mm angular case is crafted in titanium, a metal with a significant weight-to-strength ratio and also highly resistant to corrosion from seawater. The case is equipped with a helium escape valve for saturation diving. Above the fixed dodecagonal bezel, the ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel features grooved edges for a better grip when operating – even with gloves on. The bezel is engraved and filled with Super-LumiNova and bright colours for effortless reading underwater. The oversized screw-down crown is protected by titanium crown-guards on either side.
The watch is water-resistant to 600 metres and meets various ISO diving watch standards. Available in black and blue with matching ceramic bezels, the metallic dials feature a sunburst finish, with rays emanating from the applied Zenith star at 12 o’clock. The date at 3 o’clock is colour-matched to the dial. The dial’s oversized hands and applied hour markers feature three different pigments of “X1” grade Super-LumiNova with light emissions in blue, green, and orange for easy reading. The timepiece is powered by the El Primero 3620-SC automatic high-frequency manufacture calibre with 60 hours power reserve, visible through a sapphire display back – uncommon in diver watches. This version of El Primero features a paramagnetic escapement with key components in non-metallic silicon. It is offered with a titanium three-link bracelet as well as two supplied straps.
Defy Revival A3648
The Defy Revival A3648 represents the first time ever that a vintage Zenith diver’s watch receives the Revival treatment. The DEFY Revival A3648 features a highly angular stainless steel case measuring 37mm in diameter. The steel fourteen-sided bezel present in Defy models from the same era is still present but positioned above the round rotating bezel. Crafted in steel, the unidirectional rotating bezel features a sapphire crystal insert instead of Plexiglas as in historical models, with the same black on bright orange markings – one of the historical A3648’s most coveted features.
The black-and-orange theme extends to the dial, where the matte black surface is contrasted with orange hands and minutes track. The hour markers as well as the hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova that emits a bright and long-lasting green glow. With its screw-down crown at 4 o’clock and a sapphire display back, the Defy Revival A3648 retains the same depth rating of 600 metres, impressive for a diver’s watch with a sapphire back. The case back offers a view of Elite 670 automatic manufacture movement, with a power reserve of 50 hours. And just like the original, the Defy Revival A3648 comes on a five-link steel bracelet with folding buckle, modelled after the bracelet the famed Gay Frères company had made for the historic reference in 1969. The deployant buckle features an expansion to allow the watch to be worn over a wetsuit without having to add or remove additional links.
