The Zenith DEFY line is a collection that has been launched, discontinued, and resurrected several times by our friends at Le Locle through different periods of time. Originally released in 1969, the DEFY line has seen numerous facelifts and at one point it was responsible for almost killing Zenith taking the brand down an abyss from where it had to be later rescued by Mr. Biver's protégée Jean-Frederic Dufour —now CEO of Rolex. Perhaps the most unsuccessful watch line ever released by Zenith during the reign of Thierry Nataf as CEO of Zenith between 2002 and 2009, the Zenith DEFY collection has made a glorious comeback after its revival and facelift in 2017.
This collection is currently getting a lot of traction and attention from watch collectors and connoisseurs. A watch that sorta looks like a hybrid between a TAG Heuer and a Hublot and that was relaunched in 2017 after Mr. Biver took the reigns of Zenith after Aldo Magada’s sudden departure. Frankly, if TAG Heuer and Hublot were to have a child, the Zenith DEFY El Primero 21 would be it and that is not a bad thing. The Zenith DEFY El Primero 21 is an impressive looking watch that honestly doesn't look much like a Zenith even when you compare it to the early DEFY watches from the 70s.
Powered by a 1/100th of a second chronograph mechanism, the DEFY El Primero 21 is the new lineage that continues to prove why Zenith is one of the leaders and pioneers in making the most reliable and very accurate chronographs.
When you handle the new DEFY El Primero 21 in the metal, its craftsmanship speaks volumes about the brand and also why this new collection is doing so well nowadays. While Jaeger-LeCoultre is the brand that gives you the most bang for your buck when it comes to pretty much any watch, when it comes to in-house chronographs, the Zenith DEFY El Primero 21 comes in up to par. Especially if you are looking for a more modern and less traditional and classic timepiece.
Things to Know About the Watch
The Zenith DEFY El Primero 21 features a 44 mm titanium case with an open-worked dial with black and blue elements and one of the best integrated bracelets we’ve experienced so far. A first glance the DEFY El Primero 21 ticks all the boxes if you are looking for an underrated, very sporty in-house chronograph under $15K USD. After its revival, the DEFY line takes some design elements from its predecessors from the 60s and 70s in what we think is a flawlessly executed watch.
With its angled lugs and modern design somewhat ‘Hublotesque’ looking, the DEFY El Primero 21 is a very sporty and sophisticated looking Zenith, that strays away from the classic and more elegant look of the El Primero Chronomaster or the Elite collections. The 44 mm titanium case is very well balanced in terms of wearability and exquisitely finished. It features rectangular pushers that are soft like butter when activating the chrono functions. The signed crown with the Zenith star features an o-ring for improved grip. Despite the winding crown not being of the screw-down type, the watch is water-resistant to 100 meters.
The watch features a central chronograph hand with a red tip that makes one turn each second —1/100th of a second—, a 30-minute chrono counter at 3 o'clock with blue ring, a 60-second chrono counter at 6 o'clock with a black ring, a three-spoke running seconds indicator at 9, and a gauge-type chrono power-reserve indicator in black and red located at 12 o'clock. The open-worked design allows for full view of the timekeeping balance wheel between 7 and 8 o’clock and the chronograph balance wheel at 10 o’clock. All chronograph hands feature red tips to ease their reading.
The chronogra[ph is powered by its own mainspring and runs with a separate escapement and balance wheel located at 10 o’clock. After winding the chronograph, the Chrono power reserve lasts approximately 50 minutes, which is way over the 30-minute chronograph functionality this watch comes with.
The red, black, and blue elements stand out against the monochromatic color scheme of the open-worked movement behind them. The applied markers seem to float over the light grey minute track located next to the dark grey flange with 100th of a second scale. The hour markers as well as the hour and minute hands feature very long-lasting luminescent material.
The chamfers, the sharp angles, the combination of satin-brushed and high polished areas throughout the case, bezel and bracelet, along with the flat top case are just some of the things that we love about this watch. Somehow, this watch features certain design elements that remind us of the Rolex Oysterquartz or the IWC Ingenieur, perhaps is that very 70s vibe brought into the 21st century with this new iteration of the DEFY.
The titanium integrated bracelet is extremely comfortable and very well designed. Even when wearing the watch relatively snug on the wrist, the bracelet doesn’t pinch your skin or pull your hairs. The finishing is top-notch and the look and design are very similar to that of the new integrated bracelet released by Hublot this year. Not surprising as nowadays groups like Richemont or LVMH —in this case— share designs, technology, or improvements across their different watch brands. Below we’ve added two pictures of the Hublot bracelet for comparison purposes. As you will see, even the double-folding deployant clasp seems identical.
The Movement
Turning the watch over reveals a sapphire crystal display case back with a full view of the automatic movement powering the Zenith DEFY El Primero 21. This movement, calibre El Primero 9004 is composed of 293 parts, open-worked star-shaped oscillating weight, two independent escapements, and two independent balance wheels —one for timekeeping and the other for the chronograph. While the balance wheel for the chronograph beats at a frequency of 360,000 vph —yes, not a typo—, the timekeeping one beats at a frequency of 36,000 vph. When fully wound, the movement provides a power reserve of 50 hours and 50 minutes for the chrono function.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the Zenith DEFY El Primero 21 in titanium wears true to its size and extremely light due to its case construction —the total weight for the watch is 143 grams. A very underrated watch that capitalizes on the prowess and long expertise of the brand making exceptional chronographs since 1969.
In terms of price and value equation, without a doubt, you are getting a lot of watch for the money. The excellent finishing, the overall design and quality of the watch, and how comfortable it wears, makes the DEFY El Primero 21 an absolute winner in our book.
Honestly, why would anyone pay above retail and close to $28K for a stainless steel Rolex Daytona when you can have this stunner?
Sticker Price $13,500 USD. For more info on Zenith click here.
