Zenith has broken with the trend for trimmer timepieces by introducing a new 45mm case size for its 2021 Defy Extreme collection.
Sébastien Gobert, designer at Zenith, says the case has been reworked in a more muscular, contemporary style.
“The character of the Defy Extreme comes from its sharp titanium case, faceted and carved like a boulder in a storm. We wanted to make the Defy design even more futuristic and assertive,” he describes.
There are titanium and titanium with rose gold versions, both with matte-finished micro-blasted surfaces.
There are interchangeable straps in rubber and velcro or titanium bracelets.
Both models house Zenith’s El Primero 9004 automatic 1/100th of a second chronograph calibre, with separate escapements for timekeeping and the chronograph functions. It is rated with a 50 hour power reserve.
Prices range from £15,300 to £18,500 for the rose gold and titanium bi-colour watch.
Extreme E
Zenith has also decided to link the Defy Extreme to its sponsorship of a new electric car off road racing championship called Extreme E. Zenith will be the Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner of the series.
Zenith CEO Julien Tornare says the partnership is part of the company’s commitment to the environment.
“Building a green and sustainable future is something very much at the core of what Zenith is doing today and the reason why we began the Zenith Is Green initiative two years ago,” Mr Tornare says.
We are absolutely thrilled to join Extreme E as its Official Timing Keeper and Founding Partner. It’s exciting to be at the start of what will undoubtedly become the future of off-road extreme racing, while also bringing environmental issues to the forefront. When we conceived the Defy Extreme, this is exactly the kind of environment we envisioned for it: Innovative, off the beaten path and pushing the limits of performance to the extreme, where every millisecond counts and every racer can leave his mark,” he adds.
