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Results for Zenith Defy

189 articles · 20 videos found · page 2 of 7

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The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow: The Ultimate Adventure Watch WatchAdvice
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow Jul 25, 2025

The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow: The Ultimate Adventure Watch

It’s dark, it’s stealthy, and it’s bold. But it’s a lot of fun! The new Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Shadow is built for those who love some adventure. So we put it to the test… What We Love The muted matte shadow look The lightweight construction The ease of wear for a larger watch What We Don’t Lack of micro-adjust The ‘give’ in the bezel The taper of the bracelet isn’t as balanced as it could be Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10 Value For Money: 8.5/10 Design: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 The Zenith Diver dates back to the early 1960s when the Le Locle brand designed and released the Super Sub Sea. But, it wasn’t until 1969 when the Defy Diver was released that Zenith had hit on a good thing. The Defy A3648 was a bold watch, and its design codes echoed those of the time. This watch is what the Zenith Defy Diver Revival is modelled after, which Mario took out for a spin last year. However, Zenith didn’t have a deep diver or saturation dive watch like many others out there. Think of the likes of the Rolex Sea-Dweller and the Omega Planet Ocean. So last year, the brand released a new watch – the Defy Extreme Diver in both blue and black colourways that would recify the gap in the market. It had all the hallmarks of the Zenith Defy range, closely mirroring that of the Defy Skyline, but just a little more bold and robust. So it was no surprise that the brand looked at this watch, along with the A3648 and decided to release a pair of “Shadow” e...

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Defying Expectations: Hands-On with the Zenith Defy Revival Shadow Diver Worn & Wound
Zenith Defy Revival Shadow Diver Jul 9, 2025

Defying Expectations: Hands-On with the Zenith Defy Revival Shadow Diver

When the Zenith Defy Revival diver was released last year, I somehow missed it. I didn’t see it when it passed through the office, nor at any press events, and honestly, I just didn’t take notice of articles. I guess I was busy. While unfortunate in one sense, perhaps it was for the best, as my first in-person experience with it was with its follow-up model, the Zenith Defy Revival Shadow, and I was immediately taken. Small, dark, weird, vintage-y, and yet also with a 90s vibe, it sank its titanium teeth into me fast. I’m not surprised, to be honest, as the “shadow” watches by Zenith have been their coolest models in the last several years, at least to yours truly. An aesthetic outlier within their collection, these occasional brooding models utilize not just the best-metal-for-a-sports-watchTM, titanium, but also a unique micro-blasting, which gives them a charcoal tone that is more nuanced than black coatings. Light and dark in one package, I’m surprised I don’t already have a Shadow in my watch box. The Shadow Treatment But, even among the Shadow models, the Defy Revival stands out. It’s a remarkably compact, tough tool watch with unique vintage styling that comes to life with shocks of neon yellow. The only shadow model to use a color, Zenith wasn’t shy, and it paid off. A love it or leave it hue, it was a risk. This is the kind of unexpected design choice that will make me take notice of a brand. To use an expression I truly hate, “I see you,” Ze...

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First Look - The new Zenith Defy Extreme Diver and Defy Revival Diver Shadow Editions Monochrome
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Jun 3, 2025

First Look - The new Zenith Defy Extreme Diver and Defy Revival Diver Shadow Editions

One of the pillars of Zenith’s collection, the Defy is a descendant of late 1960s models known for their sturdy construction and angular design. Marketed as the Time-Safe, the collection included a full-fledged diving version, the Defy Plongeur (Ref. A3648 and its variations), a 600m water-resistant watch equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel. Following the […]

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Zenith Defy Skyline Review Teddy Baldassarre
Zenith May 13, 2025

Zenith Defy Skyline Review

While the El Primero movement architecture may serve as the face of the Zenith brand, it is the Defy collection that remains its soul. The Defy represents an historically significant ethos for Zenith, a creative foundation that is just as important to the Swiss brand’s past as it is to its future. Originally meant to be a showcase of innovation and ideas, the Defy collection serves dual purposes: to preserve and celebrate innovations of the past in the “Revival” subfamily, and to continue innovating for the future in the series’ other branches. In 2022, the brand took a big step toward the future of the collection with the release of the Zenith Defy Skyline, a watch that simultaneously looked to build on successful elements of the past and also to capitalize on the integrated-bracelet sport watch trend that had taken hold of the industry. The Zenith Defy collection has roots in the 1960s and ‘70s, when many of the brand’s most iconic and exciting references were released (you can read a more in-depth history here). Many of these have been reborn in the form of modern Revival references, allowing a new generation of enthusiasts to discover them again, or for the first time. These designs weren’t afraid to take risks, from the shape of the case, to the bracelet integration, right into the dial colors and textures. The Defy name quickly came to signify a huge amount of character, and that’s on full display within the brand’s current stable.  In finding a mo...

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In Between Sizes? Spending Time With The Zenith Defy Skyline 36 Fratello
Zenith Defy Skyline 36 It Mar 16, 2025

In Between Sizes? Spending Time With The Zenith Defy Skyline 36

It is no secret to regular readers that I like the Zenith Defy line of watches. These are some of the very few integrated-bracelet sports watches with a clear identity. They do not take the design-first approach of, say, a Royal Oak, nor do they strive for elegance like a Laureato. Zenith, instead, pushes into […] Visit In Between Sizes? Spending Time With The Zenith Defy Skyline 36 to read the full article.

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Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Fratello
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Mar 10, 2025

Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton

What would happen if you started working out in 1969? How would you look today? Well, if you were a watch, you would probably look like the 42mm Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton. When the athletic Defy A3642 came to life 56 years ago, the watch, with its muscular octagonal case and chiseled tetradecagonal (14-sided) […] Visit Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton to read the full article.

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[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Zenith Defy Revival Diver Worn & Wound
Zenith Defy Revival Diver Mar 6, 2025

[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Zenith Defy Revival Diver

For most of my watch-buying life, fun dive watches have mostly been big dive watches. Colorful, loud, capable waterproof options have tended to correspond with case dimensions of equal impact and presence, while the sub-40mm dive watch space has belonged to relatively sedate interpretations of the classic dive watch formula - and even then, 39mm has been the sweet spot for ‘small’ divers. But over the last few release cycles (if those even exist anymore), we’ve started to see signs of a shift, and I can think of few better examples of this change than the Zenith Defy Revival Diver A3648, released last year as part of Zenith’s grand re-entry into the dive space. Last summer, I got to spend a few weeks with the Zenith Defy Revival Diver’s bigger, brasher brother, the Defy Extreme Diver, and I came away wildly impressed. The Defy Extreme Diver was a watch that punched way above its weight class (or at least its price point) while feeling like a genuinely novel take on a modern dive watch from a brand with shockingly little history in the space. So when I had the chance to spend some time with that watch’s vintage-inspired counterpart, I jumped. This extended visit with the Revival Diver wasn’t my first hands-on experience with the watch - I got to spend a few minutes with it when I went to pick up the Extreme Diver back in June - but on that day, I didn’t find myself particularly taken with the Revival. While I’ve long admired Zenith’s dual identity...

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Hands-On: the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Worn & Wound
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Feb 13, 2025

Hands-On: the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton

There’s no sports watch that I have a stronger connection to than the Zenith Defy. I’ve long told anyone who would listen that the Defy is, bar none, my favorite sports watch collection. From its inception, the Defy has been a watch associated with pushing both design and watchmaking boundaries, through the use of uncommon materials, avant-garde designs, and over-the-top specs. For whatever sports watch from a major Swiss brand you can name, I could probably think of a Defy that matches it in terms of what it can do, and eclipses it in terms of the always hard to quantify cool factor. Yes, of course this is subjective. But, I mean, is it really?  Now that we’ve established that I love the Defy potentially all out of proportion, we can consider the latest entry in the growing collection, the Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton. This is a combination of words that were always meant to meet in the form of a Defy – the writing has been on the wall since the intro of the first Defy Skyline, or least since the introduction of the Skyline Chronograph. One of the nice things about the Defy, as a collection, is that it truly offers a different flavor of the core watch for every taste, with dials that are skeletonized, or not, cases that are made from steel, or ceramic, and now chronographs offering some of those same decision points.  My feelings on the Defy Skyline collection oscillate quite a bit. Whenever I put one on, I can’t help but compare it in my mind to the Defy...

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REVIEW: What We Love About The New Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton WatchAdvice
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Jan 24, 2025

REVIEW: What We Love About The New Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton

For LVMH Watch Week, Zenith adds to their Defy Skyline collection, taking their Defy Skyline Chronograph and giving it the skeleton treatment. And it’s good! What We Love The skeleton dial looks stunning, especially in blue It has a great wrist presence Quick change strap and bracelet makes it easy to change looks What We Don’t No date! But I can maybe overlook that. Bracelet has no micro-adjust, so a perfect fit isn’t as easy to achieve The lume could be brighter on the hands and indices Overall Score: 8.9 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 For those of you who are familiar with Zenith’s Defy Skyline range the new Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton will be a watch that has come as no surprise to you. It’s the natural evolution of the Defy Skyline range as we saw last year with the Defy Skyline Skeleton coming out and then the Defy Skyline Chronograph. This new model does justice to both of those models in a fusion that works wonderfully well. RELATED READING: Hands On Review With The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph So when I heard that the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph was getting a makeover and the skeleton treatment, I was a little excited to see how these would look, and more importantly, how they looked on the wrist in daylight. If I cast my mind back to the middle of last year when I had the trio of Skyline Chronographs at my disposal, I recall that they all looked great and felt great on the wrist. I ended ...

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First Look - The new Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton (incl. Video) Monochrome
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Jan 21, 2025

First Look - The new Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton (incl. Video)

The Defy Skyline is Zenith’s answer to the trend of elegant sports watches with integrated bracelets. Introduced in 2022, it has become one of the pillars of the brand’s collections. With its octagonal case and dodecagonal bezel, its design is a modern nod to the 1969 Defy. The Defy Skyline chronograph joined the lineup in […]

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Introducing: The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Fratello
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton Jan 21, 2025

Introducing: The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton

Some watches are so perfectly on-brand that you have to look twice to see if they’re actually new. I had this experience with this Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton. Between the regular Defy Skyline Chronograph and several Defy Extreme and Defy skeleton versions, this looks comfortably familiar. Still, this watch is indeed new. So let’s […] Visit Introducing: The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton to read the full article.

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Ending The Year On A Bold Note With The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A And The Zenith Defy Extreme Jungle Fratello
Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon Dec 9, 2024

Ending The Year On A Bold Note With The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A And The Zenith Defy Extreme Jungle

Imagine yourself sitting or standing in a concert hall. The band or orchestra performs what clearly is the last song of the night. After the final note, though, the crowd goes wild and keeps clapping, hoping the concert won’t end just yet. Finally, the performers decide to play one more song - the encore. Sometimes, […] Visit Ending The Year On A Bold Note With The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A And The Zenith Defy Extreme Jungle to read the full article.

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New: Zenith DEFY Extreme Jungle Deployant
Zenith DEFY Extreme Jungle DEPLOYANT Dec 7, 2024

New: Zenith DEFY Extreme Jungle

The Zenith DEFY Extreme Jungle is a limited edition timepiece that draws inspiration from the untamed energy and captivating mystery of the jungle. As the final installment in Zenith's series of watches inspired by extreme environments, this model follows the Desert and Glacier editions. Limited to just 50 pieces, the DEFY Extreme Jungle combines innovative design with high-performance features, making it a notable addition to Zenith's DEFY collection.

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Introducing - The Roaring Tiger Version of the Zenith Defy Extreme Jungle Monochrome
Zenith Defy Extreme Jungle Following Dec 3, 2024

Introducing - The Roaring Tiger Version of the Zenith Defy Extreme Jungle

Following the trail set by the Desert and Glacier editions, Zenith sends its Defy Extreme into the jungle to complete its trilogy of hostile environment-inspired models. The boldest, most robust and technical-looking model in the brand’s collection roars loudly with tiger stripes and lush green jungle accents. Zenith’s Defy Extreme collection, released in 2021, is the […]

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Introducing - The New Zenith Defy Skyline C.X Edition for Collective Horology Monochrome
Armin Strom Czapek Nov 19, 2024

Introducing - The New Zenith Defy Skyline C.X Edition for Collective Horology

Since its inception in 2018, Collective Horology, a “proudly headquartered in Ventura, California” club for watch enthusiasts, has become quite famous through the Collective Series, which involves collaborations and limited editions with watch brands like IWC, H. Moser & Cie., Armin Strom, Czapek and Oris, to name a few and the Portfolio Series, which commissions […]

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Introducing: The Monochromatic Zenith Defy Skyline C.X Edition Fratello
Zenith Defy Skyline C.X Edition Nov 19, 2024

Introducing: The Monochromatic Zenith Defy Skyline C.X Edition

Since Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly founded Collective Horology in 2018, the company has become known as one of the leading US-based retailers of watches from independent brands. But Collective has also collaborated with several brands on an impressive number of limited editions. For its tenth collaborative effort, Collective teamed up with Zenith again for […] Visit Introducing: The Monochromatic Zenith Defy Skyline C.X Edition to read the full article.

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Video - A Closer Look at the Edgy Zenith Defy Revival A3648, Rekindling that 1969 ‘Everything is Possible’ Spirit Monochrome
Zenith Defy Revival A3648 Rekindling Nov 18, 2024

Video - A Closer Look at the Edgy Zenith Defy Revival A3648, Rekindling that 1969 ‘Everything is Possible’ Spirit

The year 1969 proved to be pivotal for Zenith. The manufacture introduced the El Primero automatic chronograph, which would become one of the most influential movements ever made. Besides that monumental feat, it also launched the formidable Defy collection that year. This sporty series of watches had an unprecedented design, with an octagonal case topped […]

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Hot Take: The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Silver Dial Fratello
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Silver Nov 10, 2024

Hot Take: The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Silver Dial

In April 2024, Zenith introduced the Defy Extreme Diver, a bold and modern dive watch. The brand is most famous for its chronographs, so a new diver is big news. The initial release brought a pair of black- and blue-dialed watches. Today, an icy silver version joins the lineup as a serial-production model. This year’s […] Visit Hot Take: The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Silver Dial to read the full article.

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First Look - A New Silver Dial for the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver (Incl. Video) Monochrome
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Incl Nov 6, 2024

First Look - A New Silver Dial for the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver (Incl. Video)

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 […]

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Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Revival Diver A3648 WatchAdvice
Zenith  Defy Revival Diver A3648 Oct 10, 2024

Hands-On With The Zenith Defy Revival Diver A3648

Part of Zenith’s Watches & Wonders 2024 releases was a long-overdue Revival of a popular retro model. But does the 70s aesthetic still hold up today? Let’s find out! What We Love: Retro design & old-school cool Tough specs make for good for daily wear Plenty of adjustments for even the smallest wrists What We Don’t: Clasp feels lacking in design Challenging to pull off and style with outfits Smudges easily – a byproduct of all high-polish watches Final Score: 8/10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 8/10 Build Quality: 8/10 We at Watch Advice were busy throughout all of 2024’s Watches & Wonders. So many brands, so many releases, and all in one place? April was the season for Watch Heaven. With your eyes darting from brand to brand, it’s easy to get lost in the fog of the amazing new models – however, if you don’t slow down and look around, you might realise that you missed something special. ‘Under-the-radar’ is a somewhat apt description of Zenith’s releases at this year’s biggest watch fair. While there were two new modern defy models worth celebrating, one release didn’t seem to get as much press as everything else did. Designed in the ’60s, the Zenith Defy lineup was a distinctive collection in a sea of retro timepieces. However, they were built for one purpose: survival. Zenith wanted to make the most resilient Swiss watch of its time, and they made sure that no stone was left unturned.  The vintage goodness that is the Zen...

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Introducing: The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Boutique Edition Fratello
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Boutique Sep 20, 2024

Introducing: The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Boutique Edition

In January 2023, Zenith released the first Defy Skyline Boutique Edition. The release flew under the radar for most watch fans, but it was a stylish version of Zenith’s popular integrated-bracelet sports watch. Later that year, the brand unveiled a boutique-only version of the Defy Skyline Skeleton as well. Now it’s time for the third […] Visit Introducing: The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Boutique Edition to read the full article.

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Introducing - The New Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Boutique Edition Monochrome
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Boutique Sep 11, 2024

Introducing - The New Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Boutique Edition

An important range for the brand, Zenith keeps enlarging its Defy collection. The name of the collection dates to Zenith’s 1902 line of robust pocket watches bearing the name ‘Defi’, which popped up again in 1969 to distinguish the toughest member of the first El Primero references known as the A3642. The Defy Skyline sub-collection appeared […]

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Introducing - The Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone Edition Monochrome
Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Aug 27, 2024

Introducing - The Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone Edition

For their latest collaboration piece, Zenith and Felipe Pantone are teaming up once again, bringing a fresh burst of colour and artistic innovation to the brand’s collection. Pantone, renowned for his electrifying kinetic art that merges dynamic colours with geometric patterns, first collaborated with Zenith in 2020, when he transformed the Le Locle-based manufacture’s façade […]

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[Video] Review: the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver Worn & Wound
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver When Aug 14, 2024

[Video] Review: the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver

When I write reviews, I find myself bucketing watches into two distinct categories. The first of these is home to watches that feel like they’re meant for a different version of me, if not a different collector altogether. These are the watches that, whether I love them or not, I’d be hard-pressed to really see as part of my day-to-day life - at least as my life exists now. The other bucket is where watches like the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver live. This is the bucket for the watches that seem to hit right in my wheelhouse - the watches that seem like they were purpose-built to appeal to me (and possibly to my wallet). The minute I saw the press release for the Defy Extreme Diver, I knew it sat in this second bucket, and I knew I needed to spend some time with it, if not for a review, then certainly to consider whether this watch was one I needed in my life. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait all too long, and after a couple of weeks with the Defy Extreme Diver on my wrist I can easily confirm what at first I only suspected - it is very, very good. There’s an inherent irony that comes along with the very concept of a luxury tool watch. The tension between building a rugged tool watch ready to tackle the world’s most demanding environments and building a high-end luxury product is palpable. To make a watch that straddles those two worlds without looking too much like a Submariner is even harder.  With the Defy Extreme Diver, Zenith has managed to make somethi...

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