Watch Overview: Zenith Defy Excessive

Amongst many different issues, trendy Zenith watches have had their fare of “excessive” faces during the last twenty years. And lately, the Swiss watchmaker reintroduced the Zenith Defy Excessive. The final time I recall this product title within the Zenith catalog was throughout the Thierry Nataf years. He wasn’t an excellent product designer, however he was a charismatic showman. He didn’t know what a pleasant watch seemed like, however he did assist usher in a contemporary strategy for Zenith design that hit its “zenith” level when the model was briefly being run by the now-retired Jean-Claude Biver. In the present day, the Zenith Defy Excessive title is again — in a way more smart, albeit nonetheless attention-grabbing, enthusiast-oriented timepiece bundle.

Zenith designed the Defy Excessive to incorporate its fancy 1/one centesimal of a second El Primero automated motion in addition to a principally see-through sapphire crystal dial. The in-house-made caliber 293 El Primero motion has skeletonized bridgework, which lets you see by means of a lot of it. Related in trend to an Hublot Large Bang UNICO (Zenith sister firm), the Defy Excessive dial is supposed to be each legible and 100% counsel a transparent view of the mechanical elements inside. This can be a key model aspect that the watches have in frequent, in addition to the geometric industrial case designs.

The motion combines Zenith’s 5Hz (36,000 bpm) El Primero 21 motion with a lot quicker 50Hz (360,00 bpm) 1/a thousandth of a second chronograph. The chronograph makes use of a variety of energy and thus solely measures as much as 60 minutes. It should even be independently wound manually provided that it’s too high-torque to be wound utilizing the automated rotor. The ability reserve indicator below the 12 o’clock place on the dial is for the chronograph solely, and helps you recognize prematurely of utilizing it if there’s sufficient energy within the mainspring barrel that’s particularly used for the chronograph. In a way, the caliber 293 motion is 2 programs in a single. First, it’s a 5Hz-frequency time-indicating system with a 50-hour energy reserve and an automated winding system. The motion additionally occurs to include a 50Hz 60-minute chronograph with its personal manually wound energy supply and even higher-frequency regulation system.

The most effective a part of the chronograph (with what some would possibly think about costly given the underlying engineering occurring right here) is the “flying” chronograph central hand which is the 1/a thousandth of a second indicator. Whereas the chronograph is in operation, the hand wildly spins about and is a delight to look at and listen to hum in motion. It additionally by no means occurred to me that I didn’t discover something significantly fascinating to time for which figuring out 1/a thousandth of a second accuracy proved extra fascinating than simply sporting a hip up to date El Primero round. Winding the chronograph is fascinating. It’s completed by unscrewing the crown and spinning the crown in a single route, whereas the opposite route winds the mainspring for the time. For efficiency assurance, the caliber 293 El Primero actions have silicon escapements and have been awarded COSC Chronometer certificates.

If I needed to criticize the design of this new technology Zenith Defy Excessive, it might merely be that it fails to strike a very distinctive chord. It’s designed like a pleasant Cadillac or Lincoln. No, they won’t be award-winning designs, however they’re usually deceptively well-thought-out and good to dwell with. Zenith affords a variety of nice options on this watch, starting from the supplies, motion, legibility, bracelet, and many others… It actually finally ends up being a sexy bundle, even when it seems like you’re getting an Acura or Lexus in a world that in all probability places an excessive amount of inventory in Audi or Porsche.

Not everybody will love the design of the Defy Excessive, however just like the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute, it manages to efficiently compete in a class hungry for luxury-sport life-style watches with fascinating actions inside. I did like sporting the Defy Excessive loads provided that, no matter its 45mm-wide case, it wears very comfortably and has thought of ergonomics. The case can be about 16mm-thick and has a roughly 52mm lug-to-lug distance. It’s most comfy on the rubber strap and truly consists of three sporting choices proper exterior of the field. Extra on that in a second.

Zenith produces a number of variations of this Defy Excessive mannequin assortment sequence. This reference 87.9100.9004/03.I001 has a bead-blasted titanium case (with matching bracelet) and a few 18k rose gold sections for the bezel and the chronograph pushers. It additionally has matching rose gold-toned hour markers and fingers. The identical gold tone is fashionably carried over into the motion for the bridges, in addition to for the colour of the Zenith star brand skeletonized automated rotor, which you’ll view by means of the sapphire crystal caseback. For those who look by means of the proper angles, you’ll be able to see throughout the opposite facet of the motion.

Zenith engineered the 200-meter water resistant can to have a particular strap launch system that makes use of a small button on the underside of the case to launch the strap finish. It really works properly sufficient, however is one other occasion when watch fanatics won’t be able to simply swap out straps with their very own. It’s unclear how a lot new straps will value, and what selection Zenith has out there. With that mentioned, Zenith would possibly say that whereas they perceive individuals’s curiosity in utilizing third-party straps, they meant every of their watches to be paired with one of many three included straps — and for these to have a singular expertise. Which is true…

If you see the Zenith Defy Excessive on the included micro bead-blasted titanium bracelet (completed in a slick gunmetal shade), it’s exhausting to not argue that Zenith was aiming for the look of the bracelet on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (a design which, at this level, has been emulated extra so than not). That doesn’t change the truth that it’s a good bracelet, which is sized utilizing screw-bars and closes with a butterfly-style deployant.

Zenith additionally features a cloth strap with a Velcro-style enclosure (that was too massive to suit my wrist) and a stylized rubber strap that comes on a unique sort of fold-over deployant — which is what I most popular for my wrist when it got here to general consolation. Zenith packed a variety of options, starting from technical prowess to up to date fashionability, into the Defy Excessive watch. It doesn’t have a longtime persona within the fanatic neighborhood, nevertheless it does deserve the possibility to develop one. Value for this reference 87.9100.9004/03.I001 Zenith Defy Excessive watch is $22,000 USD. Be taught extra on the Zenith web site right here.

Crucial Information
>Model: Zenith
>Mannequin: Defy Excessive reference 87.9100.9004/03.I001
>Value: $22,000 USD
>Measurement: 45mm-wide, ~16mm-thick, and ~52mm lug-to-lug distance.
>When reviewer would personally put on it: To high-style occasions the place there are sure to be different timepiece fanatics.
>Pal we’d suggest it to first: Daring luxurious watch lover who enjoys mechanics and playfulness of their timepieces.
>Greatest attribute of watch: Nice combination of recent options and sporting choices make for a flexible and artistically fascinating high-accuracy mechanical watch with high-end appointments.
>Worst attribute of watch: Design execution comes throughout as a bit generic even whether it is eye-pleasing. Troublesome to make a utilitarian argument for needing a 1/a thousandth of a second chronograph. Dial general feels very very similar to many different Zenith watches and would possibly profit from extra distinctive design parts to go together with the Defy Excessive case form.