Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. A New Silver Dial for the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver (Incl. Video)
A new dial colour for Zenith’s rugged diver inspired by its 1969 Defy ancestor.
Zenith stole the headlines in 1969 with the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph movement, aptly named ‘El Primero’. With less fanfare, Zenith also launched its heavy-duty Defy watch with an angular octagonal case, groovy orange bakelite bezel, and impressive water-resistance. Nicknamed the ‘vault’, the Defy Plongeur ref. 3648 was a monster of the abyss capable of fathoming depths of 600m. The remake of the 37mm Defy Revival A3648 unveiled earlier this year was flanked by a more contemporary interpretation of the ‘vault’ belonging to Zenith’s no less robust Defy Extreme family. Bristling with angles and extremely robust specifications, the first Defy Extreme Divers with black and blue dials are now joined by a silvery-white reference, all of which you can enjoy in our featured video review (including the two other classic black and blue models).
Presented in 2021, Zenith’s Defy Extreme collection is precisely that: extreme. Pushing the already defiant Defy family into more radical and avant-garde terrain, the Defy Extreme is often compared to Royal Oak Offshore, the burly, more contemporary brother of the Royal Oak. The Defy Extreme Diver jettisons its chronograph functions and positions itself as a purpose-built dive watch complying with the ISO 6245 requirements. Faithful to its 1969 ancestor, the depth rating is 600 meters, which happens to be 1,969 feet, a symbolic date for the Defy.
Slightly smaller than the chronographs, the case has a 42.5mm diameter but retains the characteristic 15.5mm profile. However, the case is titanium, which is robust yet lightweight and highly resistant to saltwater corrosion. Still flaunting the angular brushed guards flanking the oversized screw-down crown, the watch has a helium escape valve for saturation dives. Decorated primarily with brushed finishes, the bevels running along the flanks, pushers, and the fixed bezel are polished.
Like its ancestor, the diver flaunts a fixed 12-sided bezel. Beneath the dodecagonal bezel is the unidirectional rotating dive bezel. Crafted in black ceramic with white markings, the dive bezel has pronounced notches for better grip. To enhance legibility, the numerals and 5-minute markings on the dive bezel are treated with Super-LumiNova and appear orange in the dark, while the inverted triangle at noon glows blue.
In a departure from the openworked dials of the chronographs in this family, the new silvery dial is decorated with engraved four-pointed stars. Applied to the dial is the dodecagonal orange minutes flange with luminous plots on the hour (in the past, orange was considered the most legible colour underwater). Chunky hour and minute hands indicate the large, faceted hour markers. Playing with three Super-LumiNova pigments, the hours emit a green glow while the all-important minutes hand glows blue; the central seconds hand picks up the orange colour of the flange and is filled with green emission SLN. Completing the dial is a discreet date window at 3 o’clock with a matching silver background.
Striking for a watch with such solid depth credentials, the caseback has a sapphire window revealing the El Primero 3620-SC automatic calibre, derived from the famous El Primero 3600. Beating at a high frequency of 5Hz, it delivers a power reserve of 60 hours, has a paramagnetic escapement with silicon components, and an openworked star-shaped rotor.
The Defy Extreme Diver comes with an interchangeable three-link titanium bracelet and two extra straps, one in black FKM rubber with vents on the side and an extra-long strap made of recycled fishing nets designed to be worn over a wetsuit. The watch retails for CHF 10,900 or EUR 11,800. More information at zenith-watches.com.
