189 articles · 20 videos found · page 4 of 7
Monochrome
Camouflage dials have been a big hit in the past couple of years, and we’ve covered several combat-ready models. Zenith pushes the camouflage concept to the extreme, giving its Defy Extreme a radical makeover with a reflective mirrored surface. Undoubtedly the boldest take on its high-performance 1/100th-of-a-second chronograph, the latest manifestation blends into its surroundings […]
Time+Tide
The most advanced chronograph in the brand's line-up gets a fully reflective makeover.The post The Zenith Defy Extreme Mirror is a high-tech love letter to chrome appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
From black to grey and a zippy movement to boot, this 200-piece LE is a welcome surprise.
Time+Tide
If you're looking for a stealthy, IYKYK sports watch, there are few better options we can think of.The post The Zenith Defy Skyline Black Ceramic is a brawnier sequel to a modern classic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The Zenith Defy Skyline is loosely based around the historical Defy, which had a faceted bezel (arguably the very first octagonal steel sports watch in 1969), but the Skyline switches it up to a dodecagon (12-sided polygon) and a bolder case silhouette. And this is not the only reason Joshua Munchow is so enamored.
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ARD/NDR TV Documentary and Article about me and my workshop:
Time+Tide
As one of our favourite collaborations to date, we look back at the stories of the Night Surfer.The post Celebrating the second anniversary of our Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton Night Surfer Time+Tide Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Zenith Defy Revival Shadow is the first of the collection to undergo a more modern makeover in microblasted titanium.The post The Zenith Defy Revival Shadow brings modern noir to a vintage design appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Zenith teams up with legendary British club DJ and record producer Carl Cox on a second music-inspired signature edition, this time based on the bold DEFY Extreme.The post Zenith DEFY Extreme Carl Cox appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Zenith’s colourful limited edition from last year has returned, this time in black ceramic too The white variant now features a subtly different colour gradation An El Primero movement and openworked dial provides plenty of visual drama There’s just something undeniably fun and alluring about a rainbow watch. There’s a sort of horseshoe effect with … ContinuedThe post The Zenith DEFY 21 Chroma II is another high-tech taste of the rainbow appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
For fans of the Zenith Defy, it’s practically impossible not to compare the new Skyline models to the now retired Classic references. As a self described Defy fan, I’ve found myself doing this on a routine basis whenever I get a chance to handle a newer reference. I’ve long held that the Defy, over the years, is pound for pound the very best sports watch line out there. The watches in this collection are adventurous in their design, inherently robust, and naturally distinctive in a sea of sports watches that kind of all look alike. From the very beginning, the Defy has been a trailblazer, something truly unique, but frequently overlooked in favor of watches that it clearly influenced along the way. Zenith’s release strategy with the Defy almost begs for comparison between generations. The Defy Classic, after being issued in titanium with both solid and skeletonized dials, was made in a trio of ceramic models (black, white, and blue) with skeletonized dials. Similarly, the Skyline was introduced in steel first, was eventually given a skeletonized dial, and finally at this year’s Watches & Wonders we got a ceramic version on a full ceramic bracelet, with both the star motif dial seen here, and a skeletonized version similar to the one reviewed earlier this year by Blake right here. No colored ceramic Defy Skylines have been released yet, but it’s easy to see the similarities between Defy generations. There definitely appears to be a roadmap. And yet, after spen...
Video
The Rolex Submariner is supposed to be the ultimate, rugged tool watch, a piece of engineering meant to dive to the bottom of the ocean and take a beating. So why does the two-tone Rolex Submariner Serti with sapphire...
Time+Tide
Kyriakos Mitsotakis has enjoyed a great run of late. The Greek Prime Minister recently surged to a landslide victory in his country’s general election with his right-of-centre New Democracy party taking 40.6% of the vote to win a second four-year term. The result delivered Mitsotakis an overall majority of eight seats in the 300-member parliament, … ContinuedThe post Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wears the Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton “Night Surfer” Time+Tide Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
A red Defy for the Ron Burgundy actor.
Deployant
Discover the Zenith DEFY Extreme E 2023 Limited Edition watch, a remarkable timepiece crafted in carbon fiber and featuring sustainability-inspired design elements. With its high-frequency chronograph movement and recycled parts, this exclusive watch embodies innovation and environmental consciousness. Limited to 100 pieces, it is available at Zenith boutiques worldwide.
Time+Tide
Zenith introduces a striking new reinterpretation of the historic Defy Revival for Watches & Wonders 2023. An evolution of the vintage look of previous editions, the Shadow boasts full lightweight titanium construction for both the case and bracelet. The titanium gets a microblasted matte finish that renders the material a stealthy dark grey. I’ve been … ContinuedThe post The Zenith Defy Revival Shadow cuts a super-spy profile appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Let us be honest; there are already quite a few high-end, time only watches in stainless steel with an integrated bracelet design to choose from. So what possesses a brand to enter this market with yet another model? I have no idea, but Martin Green is glad Zenith took this bold move last year with the Defy Skyline.
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ARD/NDR TV Documentary and Article about me and my workshop:
Hodinkee
A funky vintage revival gets an unexpected lightweight, monochromatic update.
Hodinkee
Plus, an update on Vintage Watches here at Hodinkee!
Worn & Wound
There was one watch we saw at the LVMH Watch Week still under wraps, and it was also one of our favorites, even though it’s based on an existing model. The perfectly odd Defy Revival welcomes the new A3690 reference, with a brilliant teal dial with vignette effect that darkens towards the perimeter. If you’ve followed the first two releases of this Defy Revival, you won’t be surprised to hear that this is also based on a historic reference from 1969. This is a dial color that saw usage throughout the Defy collection of the era, another example of which you can see in this Affordable Vintage spotlight on the Defy from 2015. Side note, when are we getting the Revival treatment on the A781, A782, and A783? There’s not much left to say about the A3690 from a technical perspective, as it’s identical to the A3691, and A3642 we’ve seen released in recent months. The 37mm octagonal case and 14 sided bezel piece remain as funky as ever, and if you liked it on the other references, you’ll likely find a lot to love with this one. The dial is the biggest departure here and it makes just as big a statement as the case. While the teal dial thing has kind of jumped the shark at this point (hasn’t it?), Zenith gets a pass thanks to the historic reference point, and the fact that the Defy was doing integrated bracelet sport watches since the ‘60s. Plus, this is a great teal dial. It stands up to the bold design of the case and the accordion hour markers demanding equal at...
Time+Tide
It’s been a good couple of years for Zenith (waiting lists and all), and they’re off to a blazing start for 2023 with the release of the new Defy Skyline Skeleton at LVMH Watch Week in Singapore. This integrated model has been a popular pick since it was introduced, and the new version features some … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton is a superstar in their 2023 lineup appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The idea of a re-edition within the watch market is nothing new. Many brands have woken up to the huge demand for revivals, recreations, or remixes of their lauded vintage references. But when these designs date to the specialist era of watchmaking, where multiple brands turned to the same dial, case, and movement manufacturers, there … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The new Zenith Defy Revival A3691 & A3690 Boutique Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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ARD/NDR TV Documentary and Article about me and my workshop:
Teddy Baldassarre
Swiss watch manufacture Zenith traces its roots to 1865, when it was founded in the village of Le Locle by precocious 22-year-old watchmaker Georges Favre-Jacot. As one of the first watchmaking maisons to integrate all aspects of the watchmaking process under one roof, from case manufacturing to movement production to final casing and assembly, Zenith has long prided itself on its quest for timekeeping precision. The company has earned a record number of chronometry prizes over the years, and its most influential contribution to watchmaking history is its El Primero chronograph caliber, released in 1969. (Learn more about El Primero here.) In that same pivotal year, Zenith also released an avant-garde wristwatch series called Defy, whose bold, edgy design proved to be ahead of its time, and found its expression in the now-legendary Ref. A3642. The Original Defy (1969) That watch was nicknamed the “coffre-fort,” a French term translating to “bank vault” or “safe,” a reference to its robustly angular, octagonal case, 14-sided bezel, and high-for-the-time water resistance of 300 meters, secured by its crown, caseback, and mineral crystal, all of which screwed securely into the case. Its “ladder-style” bracelet from legendary chainmaker Gay Frères also made the original reference notable. The Defy was positioned as Zenith’s toughest watch, featured in an advertisement in which six of the watches were strapped to the spokes of a motorcycle in a speed test a...
Worn & Wound
Around this time last year, Zenith introduced a new watch to their Revival series focused on the A3642 Defy “Bank Vault”, a particularly stylish example of the brand’s willingness to skirt conventional designs. The Revival perfectly captured that watch’s charming size and smokey aesthetic, and this year they are returning to the platform with the Revival A3691, honoring the first Defy model with a vividly colored dial, released in 1971. The newest Defy Revival A3691 gets the same deep red dial as the original, and keeps all the funk of the design in the process. The late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s were a pretty wild time for watch design, and Zenith was among those at the forefront of pushing the boundaries. Seriously, check out some of their old Port Royal and Defy designs and marvel at their oddity. As far as I’m concerned, we could use a bit of the same thinking today. These Zenith Revival watches are an apt reminder of their creativity, both then and now. Not only do the Revival watches do a great job of looking back, they balance against other Defy watches that are looking to push ahead, such as their latest Defy Skyline range. Or their collaborations with the likes of Felipe Pantone. The Defy Revival A3642 featured a dramatic smokey gradient dial that faded from light to dark, and the latest A3691 retains a bit of this quality within the rich red hue, with a gentle shift from light to dark at the dial’s edge. The oversized hour markers look a bit lik...
Revolution
At LVMH Watch Week 2023, Zenith did not only unveil new novelties for the Defy Skyline collection, but added a second revival model of the original Defy collection from 1971. The Defy Revival A3691 is a follow-up to last year’s limited edition remake of the genre-defining A3642 “coffre-fort”, now with a glossy red dial with […]
Time+Tide
LVMH Watch Week is back, and Zenith is bringing out the big guns to kick off 2023. And one of the biggest and boldest has to be the new limited-to-50 Defy Extreme Glacier chrono, a technological tour-de-force in a striking package that incorporates a unique material. The 45mm titanium case still retains the angular, architectural … ContinuedThe post LVMH Watch Week: The Zenith Defy Extreme Glacier brings intrigue with a subtle pop appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Kicking off LVMH Watch week, we get some hands-on time to get up close and personal with the new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton.
Video
What can we expect tomorrow at Watches and Wonders 2026? Kai and I take a deep dive into all of Rolex’s announcements in this podcast. Enjoy!
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