Zenith Goes Off-Road With New Defy Extreme Desert

Inspired by the desert, Zenith recently made a nice departure from urban chic and moved into the outdoor activity space – in a dry and inviting way. The new Zenith Defy Extreme watch was introduced to the world earlier this  year in Paris and then again last week in Miami during Art Basel Miami at a photo exhibition with an exclusive series of images shot by Kourosh Keynejad.

The rugged 1/100^th of a second chronograph that is the Defy Extreme was inspired by the barren desert landscapes and the extreme environment.  Crafted in titanium, the watch boasts pusher protectors and a bezel crafted from a blue/grey quartz gemstone called falcon’s eye. Because each stone is different, the colors and structures of the veining are all different – making each of the 50 pieces being made a unique piece. At $22,000, it should be.

The Defy Extreme Desert watch features an open-worked dial for better viewing of the famed El Primero 21 movement inside. This movement is equipped with a chronograph hand that rotates once per second since it beats at the high frequency of 5 Hz. There are two escapements inside, one for the timekeeping functions (5Hz)  and one for the chronograph (50 Hz). The automatic watch is also a certified chronometer and offers 50 hours of power reserve.

A tour of the dial showcases counters and power reserve created in a sandy beige hue. Even the luminescent markers and hands have a beige luminescence to them. The watch is sold with a black Velcro strap and with an interchangeable alluring beige rubber strap that totally completes the desert look.

For the launch of the watch, Kourosh photographed some desert shots that are exclusive to Zenith. In total, nine images, with the theme Wind Carved Canyons, comprise the collection. All images were taken across North America’s four deserts. All of the original photographs are up for sale during the exhibitions that started in Paris.  The 45mm watch retails for $22,000.