xtreme in both form and function. The Defy Extreme Diver is the latest in a long line of purpose-built Defy watches, going as far back as 1969. As a collection designed to brave the elements and offer exemplary robustness and ruggedness, a diver’s watch was always a natural extension of Zenith’s most daring line.

Maintaining the Defy’s distinctive design with its signature angular case and faceted bezel, Zenith incorporated all the necessary elements to create a diver’s watch, including a rotating bezel and bright colour accents for instant readability underwater and the most extreme conditions where visibility is limited.

Inspired by both historical Defy diver’s references as well as the modern incarnation of the Defy line, notably the Defy Extreme, the Defy Extreme Diver is a feature-packed diver’s watch that is inherently a Zenith Defy, built to withstand the extreme conditions encountered in the harshest environments where ice, mist and deep dark waters call for enhanced performance and legibility.

With a singular yet familiar and modernistic silhouette, this Defy Extreme Diver’s highly intricate case design serves to enhance its depth-defying performance. Measuring 42.5mm in diameter, the angular case is crafted in titanium, a metal that not only boasts a significant weight-to-strength ratio but is also highly resistant to corrosion from salty seawater. The case is equipped with a helium escape valve for saturation diving. Above the fixed dodecagonal bezel, the black ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel features grooved edges for a better grip when operating – even with gloves on. The bezel is engraved and filled with Super-LumiNova for effortless reading underwater where light is scarce.

Designed to be tightly secured in place but with enough grip to easily operate, the oversized screw-down crown is protected by titanium crown-guards on either side. 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 – a symbolic number for the Defy diver. It not only meets the ISO 6245 standards for diver watches, which includes ISO 764 for paramagnetism and ISO 1413 for shock resistance, making it a comprehensive diver’s watch suited to the most demanding conditions.

Something of a signature in the contemporary Defy line, the dial features a geometric pattern of engraved four-pointed stars, a symbol that first appeared on the Defy models on the case back and crown in 1969. Specially for this new Defy Extreme Diver, the dial is done in a silvery-white tone, with sunburst finish featuring rays emanating from the applied Zenith star at 12 o’clock. The date at 3 o’clock is colour-matched to the dial.

Keeping readability in mind, the Defy Extreme Diver’s dial is set with oversized hands and applied hour markers that feature three different pigments of “X1” grade Super-LumiNova, with light emissions in blue, green and yellow. This light display helps to instantly distinguish between the hours, minutes, and seconds. The bright orange accents are a nod to historical Defy diver models, from a time when it was believed that bright orange was the most highly legible colour underwater.

The Defy Extreme Diver is powered by the El Primero 3620-SC automatic high-frequency manufacture calibre with 60 hours power reserve, visible through a sapphire display back – an uncommon feature among diver’s watches. This version of El Primero features a paramagnetic escapement with key components in non-metallic silicon.

Completing the Defy Extreme Diver is its titanium three-link bracelet as well as two supplied straps. The first additional strap is a black FKM rubber with a Cordura-effect texture that features vents on the side, allowing water to pass through. For more professional uses, the Defy Extreme Diver also comes with an extra-long strap, made of recycled fishing nets, that’s meant to be worn over a wetsuit, with specific end-pieces to pass the single-piece strap through and under the case for a secure fit.

The new Defy Extreme Diver is available exclusively from Zenith’s physical, online boutiques and through authorised retailers worldwide.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Reference: 95.9600.3620/01.I300

Key points: El Primero 3-hand watch, stop-second mechanism, black ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel filled with Super-Luminova, starry sky pattern on the dial, screwed-in crown, helium valve, 600m water resistance, full Interchangeable strap system.

• Movement: El Primero 3620 SC
• Frequency: 36’000 VpH – 5Hz
• Power reserve: approx. 60 hours
• Functions: hours and minutes in the center, central second hand, date at 3
• o’clock
• Finishes: new star-shaped oscillating weight with satined finishings
• Material: brushed titanium
• Water resistance: 60 ATM
• Case: 42.5m
• Thickness: 15.5 mm
• Dial: silver-toned sunray-patterned
• Hands: rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova X1
• Hour markers: rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova X1
• Crystal: flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides Case-back: transparent sapphire crystal
• Bracelet & Buckle: full interchangeable strap system. 3 straps included: 1 black rubber with folding buckle, 1 white fabric strap with pin buckle & 1 metal bracelet with folding clasp
• Price: 10’900 CHF