Zenith Adds Two New Members to the Defy Extreme Chroma Line

Zenith seems to enjoy pushing the Defy collection into a more playful territory every couple of years, and the brand is doing it again with two new limited editions in the Defy Extreme Chroma series. If you're into big, technical, colourful chronographs, these might grab your attention.

Source: MonochromeWatches

The Chroma Formula, Revisited

The Chroma releases from the last few years already set the foundation for Zenith’s colourful approach, and these two newcomers follow the same idea. Both watches are built around a chunky 45mm titanium case, but each one takes on a very different personality depending on the ceramic components used.

One model pairs microblasted titanium with black ceramic, giving the whole thing a darker, high-contrast look. The other uses brushed and polished titanium with white ceramic for something much brighter and a bit more futuristic. They both measure 15.4mm thick and stretch to 51mm lug-to-lug, so they're not exactly discreet, but that’s the whole point of the Extreme line (it’s kinda in the name after all).

Up front, Zenith sticks with a sapphire dial that lets you look straight into the mechanics. The crown screws down, keeping things secure and maintaining 200 meters of water resistance, which is always nice to see on a chronograph that’s this visually busy.

Source: MonochromeWatches

Inside - The El Primero 

Zenith again uses the El Primero 9004 inside these models. It’s a wild movement with two separate escapements: one beating at 36,000 vibrations per hour for normal timekeeping and another racing at 360,000 vph to measure 1/100th of a second.

The bridges are coated in a rainbow of colours, giving the whole watch a bit of an art-piece vibe. On the black edition, the rotor is blue, while the white version gets a green rotor. The specs remain practical, too. You get a 50-hour power reserve and automatic winding, meaning this isn’t a toy you need to wind every morning. Always a nice touch, if you ask me.

Source: MonochromeWatches

Three Straps Included - And Quick to Swap

Zenith packages each watch with three distinct strap options:

• a rubber strap matching the case colour
  
  

• a titanium bracelet
  
  

• a black Velcro strap
  
  

All of these can be swapped out in seconds thanks to the quick-change mechanism visible on the back. No tools, no stress. 

Honestly, I think Zenith isn’t given enough credit for the strap options they include with their watches.

Source: MonochromeWatches

Price, Availability, and Numbers

Both models are limited to 100 pieces each. The price is €19,000, and they’re already available through Zenith.

A Few Personal Thoughts

I’ve always admired the Defy Extreme models from a distance. At 45mm, I’d need superhuman wrists to pull one off comfortably, but I get the appeal. Zenith has found a way to make colourful pieces that don’t look like toy watches. The Chroma treatment gives the movement depth, and the ceramic pieces act like frames that keep the watch from looking messy.

It’s also refreshing to see the El Primero 9004 continue to get the spotlight. Plenty of brands put out “extreme” chronographs, but very few actually have the technical firepower to justify the name. Zenith does.

Source: MonochromeWatches