Still Defiant: The Evolution of the Zenith Defy Collection
In 1969, while the eyes of the world were focused on the Apollo 11 moon landing, Zenith was working on a moonshot of its own. Zenith had been in business since 1865 and had won countless chronometry competitions over the years, but in September 1969 the brand released its greatest achievement to date: the world’s first fully integrated, high-frequency, automatic chronograph movement, the El Primero.
Also released in 1969 — and somewhat overshadowed by the success of the El Primero — was another timepiece whose bold looks foreshadowed the iconoclastic watch designs of the 1970s and paved the way for Zenith’s 21st-century renaissance. Its design was groundbreaking, with an octagonal steel case and a 14-sided bezel — a pure geometric style that would become synonymous with the most iconic pieces of the 1970s. Its specs were equally impressive: 300m of water resistance, an ultra-tough mineral crystal, and a unique suspension system that was tested to withstand hard impacts. It was called the A3642, but became better known as the Defy.
Still Defiant: The Evolution of the Zenith Defy Collection
Still Defiant: The Evolution of the Zenith Defy Collection
Still Defiant: The Evolution of the Zenith Defy Collection
Still Defiant: The Evolution of the Zenith Defy Collection
“The Defy name means pushing the limits, pushing the boundaries, and trying new things,” says Julien Tornare, Zenith’s CEO. “Defy is all about creativity and the future, and when that line was developed it was very innovative. This watch and bezel shape was very daring when it came out in 1969.”
In 2023, the El Primero name lives on in Zenith’s most advanced in-house movements, as well as in a series of vintage-inspired Chronomaster Revival models. The Defy, however, has finally earned its well-deserved place as the most advanced member of the Zenith family, with dozens of versions on offer, and a slew of new high-tech innovations onboard. From the audacious Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon to the sleek Defy Skyline to the vintage-inspired Defy Revival, the Defy is leading the way to Zenith’s future.
This year has already seen the addition of nearly a dozen new Defy models: the Defy Skyline Skeleton, the Defy Extreme Glacier and seven versions of the Defy Skyline, including a unisex 36 mm case size with a selection of new dial colours. The Defy Extreme Glacier, with its bezel and pushers crafted from chalcedony, a pale blue semi-translucent stone that evokes the glacial landscape, is a testament to Zenith’s skill as a top-tier watchmaker. In addition to a titanium case and chronograph counters made of ice-like frosted sapphire crystal, the Defy Extreme series is powered by the El Primero 21, a 21st-century automatic movement featuring a high-frequency 1/100th second chronograph counter.
The Defy Skyline Skeleton, meanwhile, is the newest series to bear the Defy name. As such it does justice to the original Defy in its geometric shapes and bold character while pushing the limits of design further still. “It’s very modern, very punchy, but still very legible,” says Tornare. “I think it’s a great interpretation of what a skeleton watch can be.” With its bold cutaway dial in the shape of Zenith’s star logo revealing an in-house El Primero 3620 automatic movement complete with 1/10 seconds subdial, it may be the most forward-looking Defy yet.
“What we can do within the Defy collection is limitless,” Tornare says. “In the Glacier, it’s about going to extreme environments. The Defy Skyline is more about pure urban design and relates to these codes from the early ’70s. But the Skeleton that we’re presenting now is a very modern interpretation of skeletonized watches, and that’s exactly what we want to pursue now: new colours, new sizes and dimensions, new materials. We can try everything.”
While models like the Chronomaster and Pilot have an important role to play in Zenith’s catalogue, these pieces are more bound by their histories than the Defy — a piece that has flown somewhat under the mainstream radar for decades. The Defy, by contrast, began as a means for Zenith to look to the future, and it continues to play that role today. “It’s the laboratory for new things,” Tornare says. “I often tell my product development team that within the Defy collection they can propose anything. There is no limit.”
Learn more about the Zenith Defy collection here.
