ZENITH UNVEILS THE DEFY EXTREME DIVER ALONGSIDE THE DEFY REVIVAL A3648

Since its inception in 1969, the ZENITH DEFY line of wristwatches has been all about steadfast reliability and ruggedness. Throughout the years, the DEFY has taken on many iterations with purpose-built features and designs. From the highest peaks to the wildest terrains, ZENITH is now taking the collection back to the deepest depths with the new DEFY Extreme Diver, as well as a remake of one of the most sought-after vintage ZENITH diver’s watches, the DEFY Revival A3648.

With a legacy going as far back as 1969, the DEFY Diver was in fact among the earliest DEFY wristwatch offerings. Keeping the collection’s distinctive design with its signature angular case and dodecagonal bezel, ZENITH incorporated all the necessary elements to create a diver’s watch, including a rotating bezel and bright colour accents for instant readability underwater.

With the same ethos of combining form and function for a specific purpose, ZENITH is now unveiling a modern diver’s watch inspired by both historical DEFY diver’s references as well as the modern incarnation of the DEFY line, notably the DEFY Extreme. The result is a feature-packed diver’s watch that is obviously and inherently a ZENITH DEFY, built to withstand the extreme conditions encountered in the harshest environments where ice, mist and deep dark waters require enhanced performance and legibility.

DEFY Revival A3648

One of the greatest sources of inspiration when creating the DEFY Extreme Diver was the DEFY reference A3648. Originally launched in 1969, it presented an alternative take on ZENITH’s

avant-garde and rugged steel bracelet watch with a specific purpose. The A3648 was not only among the earliest DEFY wristwatch models, but also one of the first DEFY diver’s watches. Even by today’s standards, the A3648 boasted incredible performance in a watch that seamlessly merges style and substance.

In ZENITH’s recent tradition of bringing back its most emblematic past references, the DEFY Revival A3648 represents the first time ever that a vintage ZENITH diver’s watch receives the Revival treatment.

A distinctive signature of the original DEFY line, the DEFY Revival A3648 features a highly angular stainless steel case measuring 37mm in diameter. The steel fourteen-sided bezel present in DEFY models from the same era is still present but positioned above the round rotating bezel. Crafted in steel, the unidirectional rotating bezel features a sapphire crystal insert instead of Plexiglas as in historical models, with the same black on bright orange markings – one of the historical A3648’s most coveted features.

The black and orange theme extends to the dial, where the matte black surface is contrasted with orange hands and minutes track. The hour markers as well as the hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova that emits a bright and long-lasting green glow.