Who needs Rolex? The Zenith Defy collection

If you want a sizey, sporty stainless steel watch, you can always opt for the obvious. The well-known heavyweight brands will offer at least three excellent options: Patek Philippe Nautilus, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Rolex Submariner – so long as your wallet is willing. There’s no question that all three deserved their status, but they have become so commonplace that they may no longer catch the appreciative eyes of collectors or connoisseurs, or at best maybe a fleeting glance acknowledging that you even managed to snag one in all the hype.

Zenith’s Defy collection, however, is still new territory for many. Most of their models are more affordable than the watches of the big three, but are in no way inferior, and they all enjoy a similarly rich heritage. As one example, in 1969 Zenith introduced the El Primero, one of the first column wheel chronographs in the world. We have selected a few Defy models here to hopefully convince you that Zenith deserves much more than just a fleeting glance!

Standard Defy

Titanium, clean lines, no frills. The Defy Classic, reference 95.9000.670 / 51.M9000 (6.500 €) exemplifies sporty elegance in its very own Zenith style. With a diameter of 41mm the watch has a modern size without falling completely out of the frame, especially thanks to the remarkably light titanium. 100 meters water resistance is welcome both on the yacht and by the pool, and the Elite 670 movement remains accurate in any event. But let’s not waste any more words here – the pictures say it all.

Ceramic Defy

If you find metal watches a little dull, or if you just want to defy expectations, we recommend the Defy Classic in white ceramic with a white rubber strap, reference 49.9002.670 / 01.R792. The state of the art ceramic is superbly smooth, calling to mind a stone polished by flowing water, and allows this Defy to withstand much more than many watches made of steel or titanium. The skeletonized dial, through which the movement can be seen, makes a clear statement on the wrist, and especially in combination with casual clothes the watch is super stylish. If white is not really your color, a case can also be made for the Defy in blue or black ceramic.

Haute Defy

The Zero G, with its ingenious “Gravity Control” module in clear view, demonstrates quite impressively that Zenith not only has a rich tradition, but is still at the forefront of technology. Here is the heart of the watch, the balance wheel, suspended in a tiny gyroscope like a ship’s compass, so the mechanism remains in the same relative position and can always work with maximum accuracy. Of course such innovation isn’t exactly inexpensive, and you can expect a 96,400 € asking price for the ZERO G with titanium case and bracelet or 121,500 € in rose gold.

Feminine Defy

It’s no coincidence that the first three watches were for men. Until recently there was simply no Defy for women, an obvious shortcoming in the collection. Thanks to the Midnight in 36 mm, the sporty woman is finally no longer forced to give her business to other brands. The reference 16.9200.670 / 01.MI001 is the flagship, with a diamond-set bezel and diamonds on the hour markers. The highlight of this wonderful watch is not so much the diamonds, but rather the beautiful, deep blue dial with a starry sky look. If you don’t want to stand out quite so much you can order the watch with a plain bezel, and there are also versions with dials in black or mother-of-pearl.

If your watch horizon has widened so much that you are ready to invest, or if you’re just in a bit of a defiant mood, rest assured that we have prepared a little something for you right around the corner.