After taking on wild terrains and exploring the raw and elemental side of nature, Zenith is giving the DEFY Extreme a decidedly sporty execution with the first watch in carbon fibre, dedicated to the motorsport of the future.
Built to withstand the elements and equipped with the world’s fastest and most precise automatic chronograph movement, the DEFY Extreme is the embodiment of the Manufacture’s spirit of innovation and emphasizes the DEFY line’s core attributes of ruggedness and exceptional performance. Introduced in 2021 as the boldest and most rugged iteration of Zenith’s groundbreaking 1/100th of a second automatic high-frequency chronograph to date, the DEFY Extreme has already proven that it’s more than capable of withstanding even the harshest elements during the first season of EXTREME E. Now, the DEFY Extreme arrives in a resolutely sporty carbon fibre execution inspired by the world’s first off-road electric rally racing championship, of which Zenith is proud to be the Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner.
Visually striking and astonishingly light, the case, as well as the pushers and crown, are made of highly durable layered carbon fibre. Commonly used in the automotive and aviation industries among many others, carbon fibre offers a unique set of performance properties that simply cannot be matched by metals. It also offers an unmistakable aesthetic that’s synonymous with cutting-edge. Highlighting the audaciously angular geometry of the case, the pusher protectors, as well as the twelve-sided bezel, are made in micro-blasted titanium.
Within the monolithic case, the open multi-layered dial features a mix of racy colours inspired by the EXTREME E’s “X Prix” colour schemes adapted for each race. The 1/100th of a second chronograph scale features bright yellow markers, while the tinted sapphire crystal dial’s chronograph counters are in bright blue, green and white, with matching-coloured small hands. Partially visible through the dial as well as the case back is the fastest automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre, offering1/100th of a second time measurements, with two escapements beating at 5Hz (36’000 VpH) for the timekeeping part and 50Hz (360’000 VpH) for the chronograph.
The DEFY Extreme is delivered with three straps that are easily interchangeable without requiring any tools, simply by using the case back’s ingenious and intuitive quick strap-change mechanism. These are a black textured rubber strap with a microblasted titanium folding buckle, a red textured rubber strap and a black Velcro strap with a carbon fibre buckle.
Zenith looks forward to embarking on the second thrilling season of EXTREME E that promises to be even more spectacular, starting with the DESERT X Prix in Saudi Arabia in February 2022 and for the occasion, special editions of this watch will be developed for each of the upcoming EXTREME E races.
