Zenith Launches the Defy Extreme Diver

Since its inception in 1969, the Zenith Defy collection has stood for reliability and ruggedness. Over the years, the Defy has taken on many iterations with purpose-built features and designs designed to withstand the wildest terrains. Zenith is now taking the collection to the ocean’s depths with the Defy Extreme Diver. Discover the rest of our Watches & Wonders 2024 coverage.

DEFY EXTREME DIVER

The Defy Extreme Diver is Zenith’s interpretation of a modern dive watch, inspired by historical Defy watches and contemporary references within the Defy Extreme collection and built to withstand the extreme conditions encountered in the harshest environments where ice, mist and deep dark waters require enhanced performance and legibility. The 42.5mm angular titanium case is resistant to corrosion from salty seawater. It boasts a helium escape valve for saturation diving, allowing helium to escape the watch safely during deep-sea diving decompression. Conveniently, the Defy Extreme Diver has titanium crown guards protecting the oversized screw-down crows and features a ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel with grooved edges for a better grip when operating – even with gloves on.

BUILT TO HANDLE EXTREME CONDITIONS

As one would expect from a proper dive watch, there is ample ‘lume’ – the dial’s oversized hands and applied hour markers feature three different pigments of “X1” grade Super-LumiNova with blue, green, and orange illumination, enabling easy differentiation between hours, minutes, and seconds. The bright orange accents are a nod to historical DEFY diver models. Just like the historical Defy A3648 from 1969, the Defy Extreme Diver is rated to 600 metres (60 ATM) of water resistance, which happens to be 1’969 feet! It meets the ISO 6425 requirements for professional diver watches, including ISO 764 for paramagnetism and ISO 1413 for shock resistance, making it a comprehensive diver’s watch.

EL PRIMERO 3620-SC MOVEMENT

The DEFY Extreme Diver is powered by the El Primero 3620-SC automatic high-frequency manufacture calibre, which has a 60-hour power reserve and is visible through a sapphire display back. This version of El Primero features a paramagnetic escapement with key components in non-metallic silicon.

BRACELET & COLOUR VARIATIONS

1 SOLDAT 1 DEFY Extreme Diver 95.9601.3620.51.I301 4x5

1 SOLDAT 1 DEFY Extreme Diver 95.9601.3620.51.I101 4x5

1 SOLDAT 1 DEFY Extreme Diver 95.9600.3620.21.I001 4x5

1 SOLDAT 1 DEFY Extreme Diver 95.9601.3620.51.I001 4x5

1 SOLDAT 1 DEFY Extreme Diver 95.9600.3620.21.I300 4x5

1 SOLDAT 1 DEFY Extreme Diver 95.9600.3620.21.I100 4x5

The Defy Extreme Diver comes with a titanium three-link bracelet and two supplied straps. The first additional strap is made of FKM rubber, matching the dial colour. It has a Cordura-effect texture and vents on the side, allowing water to pass through. In line with Zenith’s HORIZ-ON initiative to reduce the brand’s environmental impact and produce more sustainably, the DEFY Extreme Diver also comes with an extra-long strap made of recycled fishing nets, intended to be worn over a wetsuit. It features specific end pieces to pass the single-piece strap through and under the case for a secure fit. The metallic dials in black and blue with matching ceramic bezels 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, completing a cohesive look.