Zenith Defy Classic, back in black in 2019
At Zenith in 2019, black ceramics will make its debut in the Defy Classic collection. A choice that makes sense since this ultra-resistant material perfectly underlines the high-tech character and design of the Defy Classic watch in a particularly attractive blackened skeleton movement version with a resolutely urban look.
A striking silhouette
The DEFY Classic has made its mark as Zenith’s expression of neo-futuristic watchmaking in its purest form. With the DEFY Classic Black Ceramic, its distinguishing features are brought to life from its subtly nuanced darkness and the sense of volume it conveys through balanced geometry and a unique, visionary architecture – inside and out.Forged from wear-proof black zirconium oxide ceramic, the DEFY Classic’s faceted 41mm case features a combination of polished and satin-brushed surfaces, emphasizing its geometric and resolutely contemporary case inspired by the original Zenith DEFY collection first launched in the 1970s. The angular, silhouette of the case is softened by the perfectly circular bezel that haloes above it.
Stellar blackness
The centrepiece of the DEFY Classic Black Ceramic’s is its avant-garde open dial. Taking on a stellar form with ultramodern angles, the multi-layered element seamlessly blends the neoteric display with the movement. In broad daylight, the faceted hands and applied markers appear as one with the blackened complex of the open dial and visible portions of the movement, with their polished ruthenium-treated surfaces gleaming through the darkness for surprisingly easy legibility. Come nightfall, they emit a subtle green glow from the Super-LumiNova® SLN C1 coating, recalling the night-lights of a city that never sleeps.
Form and function as one
Visible through the open dial as well as the sapphire case back of the DEFY Classic, the automatic Elite 670 manufacture movement beats unerringly. A staple movement in Zenith’s lineup for decades, the DEFY Classic represents the first time the Elite caliber has been openworked. Its entire anatomy has been reimagined – not just aesthetically, with its restructured and open bridges with cutting-edge finishing – but also in its performance, as the Elite caliber in the DEFY Classic features a silicon pallet-lever and escape-wheel. Perfectly integrated with the contours of the case and following the structured lines of the dial and movement, the DEFY Classic Black Ceramic is fitted with a black unistructure rubber strap, offering sporty, casual elegance and comfort in all situations an urban explorer may encounter.
