Introducing the Zenith Defy 21 Ultraviolet

Following the incredibly strong releases in their Revival collection, a question that may be asked is: Has Zenith defaulted to creating watches that are inspired by things uncovered in the attic?

For an answer, we need only to examine the Defy El Primero 21 Land Rover from earlier in 2020. Here is a watch that was just as much a success as the Revival timepieces and one that is definitively the forward-looking spirit of Zenith.

Progressing this very narrative, we now have the Defy 21 Ultraviolet. Speaking about the watch at the afore mentioned Zoom video presentation, Julien shared saying, “here again we wanted to bring something new [and] special [so], we played with colors.”

He explains further that on the electromagnetic spectrum ultraviolet light takes up the next highest frequency just after visible light. And the color that is at the end of the visible light spectrum, just before we are in ultraviolet territory is the color violet itself.

Taking this as a point of inspiration, Julien and his team made some attempts to see how the color might pop set against a parred down grey microblasted titanium Defy 21 case. And the result? “Everybody fell in love with the rendering,” says Julien, “[the team concurred] that his is a very, very cool Defy 21. We really fell in love with it.”

Zenith clearly has not defaulted to creating vintage inspired timepieces inspired by things uncovered within its famed attic. Although, Julien did share in passing that the attic is only one of many rooms spread out across three historical buildings at the manufacture; there yet remains much to be explored and uncovered.

Zenith clearly has not defaulted to creating vintage inspired timepieces inspired by things uncovered within its famed attic. Although, Julien did share in passing that the attic is only one of many rooms spread out across three historical buildings at the manufacture; there yet remains much to be explored and uncovered.

But it’s watches such as the Defy 21 Ultraviolet — with the dual 5 and 50 hertz escapement El Primero 9004 movement — that affirm that as much as Zenith is rooted in its past, the brand has no qualms about growing its future.