Zenith's ambitious full-carbon Defy Classic Carbon

Zenith's Defy Classic Carbon boasts a bold design, lightweight comfort, and an unprecedented price. We take a closer look at the appeal of this model, including a comment from Zenith CEO Julien Tornare.

Lightweight and comfortable to wear, with high visibility

　Zenith, which boasts a 155-year history since its founding, celebrated its most significant anniversary in recent years in 2019: the 50th anniversary of the launch of the brand's signature high-frequency automatic chronograph movement, El Primero. The timepieces inspired by this commemorative year ranged from faithful reproductions of the original El Primero, released in 1969, to avant-garde pieces combining a chronograph with two tourbillons. Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic in 2020, Zenith continued to release new timepieces without slowing down. One of the most notable examples was the Defy Classic Carbon, introduced here. Released in the fall of 2020, this is Zenith's first "full carbon" watch, featuring a case, crown, and bracelet made entirely of carbon.

　Due to the difficulty of processing carbon material, "full carbon" watches are still rare and often priced at a high level. Other brands that have already adopted carbon fiber cases include the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Carbon Flying Tourbillon, Richard Mille's RM 07-01, and Bvlgari's Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon. Zenith also used a carbon fiber case in its limited edition Defy Fusee Tourbillon in 2019, but this is the first time they've used a full carbon fiber bracelet.

　Zenith CEO Julien Tornare is proud: "No one has yet produced a full carbon watch in this price range. The production costs of the Defy Classic Carbon were twice as much as the existing Defy Classic model. However, we have created a watch that is both affordable and luxurious." The price of this model, including tax, is 2,365,000 yen.

　The Defy Classic Carbon's movement is the Caliber Elite 670 SK, rather than the El Primero. It's a simple three-hand watch with a date display, rather than a complicated chronograph. This allowed Zenith to create an attractive model with a highly visible see-through dial at a reasonable price.

　The 41mm diameter case features the textured stripes that carbon fiber is known for. The sides of the case feature thin lines that resemble a more subtle wood grain. This is a different look to the smooth checkered pattern of carbon fiber. Tornare describes it as "camouflage-like."

　Inside the flat sapphire crystal is a see-through dial with a striped pattern that matches the case. The five-arm motif is inspired by Zenith's star logo. The indices and hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova. Even among the many see-through dials available, the Defy Classic Carbon boasts exceptional legibility. The date display at 6 o'clock features a date wheel with cut-out black numerals superimposed on an aperture coated with luminous material.

　The carbon fiber material and the see-through movement give the watch a light and comfortable feel. The bracelet, made up of many links, is extremely smooth to wear. Tornare attributes this revolutionary new bracelet to the hard work of his product development team. "I asked them to develop the case, but I never expected them to succeed in developing the bracelet as well. The moment I put on the prototype, I felt a comfort that was different from existing models. The bracelet alone is made up of 50 different parts, yet it is 40% lighter than existing titanium bracelets, weighing just 65g. This is the first time Zenith has produced a bracelet like this. It is extremely high-tech and meets our ideal."

　The Caliber Elite 670 SK beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. The pallet and escape wheel are made of silicon, which is highly antimagnetic.

　The Defy Classic Carbon is not a limited edition, which shows how Zenith has solidified this technology and is keen to further develop it in the future.

　Under Tornare's leadership, Zenith has embraced new materials. To date, the company has introduced a silver case for the Pilot Type 20, a bezel made from the proprietary aluminum alloy "Aeronité" for the Defy Inventor, and a platinum El Primero A386 with a lapis lazuli dial, created exclusively for the Phillips charity auction. "While we want to continue creating reissues that celebrate our history, it's also important to continue incorporating innovative and dynamic elements," Tornare said. "The Zenith artisans who created the El Primero in the 1960s shared this vision, and we want to continue that spirit."