The “Pilot” watch company has decided to bring in a new line which dives into the deep blue sea. Here’s the in-depth review of the latest Zenith Defy Extreme Diver.
Review: the new Zenith Defy Extreme Diver
The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver has a retail price of SGD 16,400.00. Price is inclusive of GST.
As far as memory serves us, LVMH’s Zenith never struck us as a maison who have dive watches in their collection. Not in recent years. They are better known as the only watch maker that is allowed to put “Pilot” on their dial (due to the copyright reasons) and for their iconic El Primero chronograph.
Enter Watches and Wonders 2024, and Zenith’s latest releases included the Defy Extreme Diver. It was presenting along with the Zenith Defy Revival A3648 which is Zenith’s first diver’s watch
First Impression/ The Case
When the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver was presented to us, we were impressed by the colours of the watches. We love it that we have a choice of either blue and black. But that really fascinates us is how the design team incorporates the colours of the vintage A3648 and it’s elements into this new dive watch. The DNA is so strong that one could immediately link up that they are from the same family. One strong element of the A3648 is the orange rehaut, and this returns to the Extreme Diver as the most striking feature, contrasting to the rest of the dial and bezel, as well as a reminder of its roots.
The watch’s foundation is held together by a brushed titanium case. When we don the watch, it feels weightless despite the relatively large 42.5mm case size with 15.5mm thickness. Although it is quite a chunky piece, it is wears small, and certainly still wearable on Stanley’s 6.25 inch wrist, and manage to avoid the disaster of looking like a kid who has stolen his father’s watch. We think this is probably due to the relatively short lugs.
The size of the watch is understandable as it is a watch that has a helium escape valve to which enables its user to do saturated diving. Though 90% of the watches would only see tonnes of desk diving instead, the Defy Extreme Diver is rated to 600 metres of water-resistance. 600m is 1,969 feet – a silent nod to the year Zenith’s first diver watch was born. It meets the ISO 6425 requirements for professional diver watches, which include ISO 764 for paramagnetism as well as ISO 1413 for shock-resistance.
The Dial
The Defy Extreme Diver comes in two colours. A blue and a black. It is a sunray patterned dial with the respective colour that was earlier mentioned. An orange ring on the outer circumference of the dial pays homage yet again to the vintage diver of Zenith.
The dial of the watch is well thought out just like every other professional watch in the market. What we like on the dial is when the lume is activated. The lume used is the Superluminova X1 which glows in green on the hour indexes, hour hand and second hand. In dive situations, the minutes are the most critical element, and the Extreme Diver minute hand glows in blue which helps the diver differentiate the hands during the low light and visibility environment. The 10 minute markers on the unidirectional bezel also glow orange, linking up to the orange rehaut and the historical watch.
The Movement
The El Primero 3620 SC movement on the watch is something we have definitively seen before on the Zenith’s line up. It is a movement that is derived from the famous numero uno automatic chronograph but removing all that chronograph fluff leaving just the date and time function.
The movement features a high beat rate of 36,600vph which rightfully leaves it with a smoother sweeping second hands. Having this high beat rate is not that noticeable for most users, appearing only in the smoothness of the center seconds hand. But it certainly increases the feel good factor about the watch and certainly offers the Defy Extreme Diver a leg up on its rivals.
The Strap/ Bracelet
The Defy Extreme Diver comes with 3 straps in the box. The full titanium bracelet, the rubber bracelet with deployant buckle and a fabric strap. The most interesting amongst the three strap configuration is the fabric strap. Why?
To put on the fabric strap, an “FXD” attachment is fixed to the case. With this attachment, strap change is easy, and the watch roars to life as a strap monster. Any NATO style strap will fit.
Competitive Landscape
Let’s be very frank, diver’s watches is one of the most common themes in the market. At the price bracket of Zenith, one is also spoilt for choice. But here are a few considerations.
Jaeger Le-Coultre Polaris Date is our first candidate. The JLC also has historical roots, and draws its inspiration from the 1968 Memovox Polaris. (Just like the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver with the A3648)
However, what sets the Polaris apart from the Defy Extreme Diver is the gorgeous lacquered dial. Quite nice and unusual for a diver watch. The JLC not only looks good in the front but the transparent case back proudly showcases the movement.
Next, we consider the Montblanc Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810. Also fresh from its release in Watches and Wonders 2024. The watch’s depth rating is an ode to the height of Mont Blanc, an interesting trivia, but we think a cool one. One where only the nerds and those we explain it to would know.
However, that’s just a tip of the iceberg (no pun intended). Montblanc uses a technique known as gratté-boisé is used to make the textures on dial which depicts an image of the ice of one of Mont-Blanc’s largest glacier – the Mer de Glacé. The technique is quite an interesting métiers d’art, and unusual for a diver watch.
Concluding Thoughts
For those out there who is willing to pay SGD 16,400 for a watch then the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver in blue would be one of our top choice. The watch is tough, good looking and is quite practical as a daily watch. It also comes with 3 straps in the box so you could dress it anywhere you like for any occasion. Plus with the attachment, you can use it with any NATO strap to suit your mood. This could jolly well be your only watch. Able hold its ground in most occasions…bar very formal ones.
