{"id":21030,"date":"2023-07-17T11:03:40","date_gmt":"2023-07-17T09:03:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.watchinsanity.it\/?p=21030"},"modified":"2026-02-26T10:23:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T09:23:13","slug":"zenith-defy-revival-shadow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.watchinsanity.it\/en\/zenith-defy-revival-shadow\/","title":{"rendered":"Zenith DEFY Revival Shadow: light and mysterious"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At the latest Watches and Wonders,\u00a0Zenith<\/strong>\u00a0boldly turned to modernity. On the one hand, the brand has completely updated the\u00a0Pilot collection<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 that we have written of in the past weeks. On the other hand, they have dressed one of their legendary watches, the\u00a0Defy<\/strong>, in a more contemporary suit. What\u2019s more: in the classic configuration with the famous\u00a0Gay Fr\u00e8res<\/strong>\u00a0ladder bracelet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Zenith<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Defy Revival Shadow<\/strong>\u00a0is a very current interpretation of a piece that has made watchmaking history. To create it, Zenith undertook a challenge which led the designers to mix avant-garde materials with a classic look. So classic that it deserves a brief excursus before going into detail about the Defy Revival Shadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ZENITH DEFY? ALWAYS A STEP AHEAD<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Zenith Defy<\/strong>\u00a0was launched more or less together with the\u00a0El Primero<\/strong>\u00a0movement, in 1969. It was powered by a workhorse caliber, the 28,000 vph, chronometer-certified 2562PC. A patented suspension system protected it from shocks. For this reason, it was described as a robust watch, to be worn every day. That reliability earned it the nickname of \u2018time safe\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first model had an octagonal-shaped case that was water-resistant up to 30 bar, mineral glass, screwed-down case back and crown. All classic features of a watch designed for life in the open air, ready to face any type of conditions, but also elegant. A concept that anticipated by a few years the\u00a0sporty-chic timepiece<\/strong>philosophy, that would later be embodied by Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak. This gives an idea of how much the Defy was ahead of its time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To confirm the success of this combination of movement and shape designed to withstand the toughest conditions, in 1971 six Defys were tied to the spokes of the rear wheel of a motorbike during a speed contest at Wembley Stadium, in London. The watches passed the test \u2018very well\u2019, as the Zenith staff certified. The same year the brand put the watch on a monoski to cross the Channel: even in that case, it passed the test without a hitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly thereafter, the Defy changed look, because Zenith introduced that\u00a014-sided bezel<\/strong>\u00a0that made it recognizable and gave it a more sober appearance, in line with the brand’s range. The Defy thus became cleaner, more refined and elegant. The first\u00a0chronograph<\/strong>\u00a0was also introduced to the collection, powered by the in-house Zenith caliber 3019 PHC, an El Primero movement with an additional date function. For a decade, the Defy collection was the flagship not only of Zenith, but of the entire Swiss watchmaking sporty-chic segment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the 1970s, the\u00a0quartz<\/strong>\u00a0crisis forced Zenith to keep pace with demand and changing tastes; thus, watches with that kind of movement also entered the Defy collection. A decision and a strategy that the brand would later retract in the following years. In 2000, the LVMH group took over Zenith and six years later the Defy line was relaunched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last years, the Defy Classic and the Defy Xtreme soon made up a quarter of the Zenith range. As proof of how much the Defy has been an avant-garde watch since its birth, in 2017 the CEO\u00a0Julien Tornare<\/strong>decided to strengthen this futuristic soul of the collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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