Introducing: The Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Chronograph

Zenith is back with a new El Primero – the Defy El Primero 21. This new addition to the collection is a contemporary twist on an old classic with a titanium case, a skeletonized dial, and a new movement. The Defy (or as it was originally called, the Defi) has been a part of the brand's fabric since the old days when Georges Favre-Jacot started the manufacture in 1865. In 1969, the "i" was dropped and a "y" was added, thus creating the Defy collection. The collection remained in place until the late 1990s, with some rather loud designs. Today the Defy is back with the Defy El Primero 21, and it's got a totally different flavor.

Let's start with the basics. The Defy El Primero 21 is housed in a 44mm case reminiscent of the original El Primero, with oversized stepped chronograph buttons. There will be three versions, two in titanium and one in ceramised aluminum. The dial is open-worked in the aluminum version, with two registers and chronograph power reserve (more on that in a bit). The titanium version comes with either an open or closed dial. More importantly, it is powered by a brand new caliber, the El Primero 21 (named for the 21st century – yes, really) with COSC chronometer certification.

The Zenith El Primero Defy 21.

The El Primero 21 features two separate escapements, each with a balance spring made of a new patented material, Carbon-Matrix Carbon Nanotube (say that five times fast). One escapement is just for the time and the other just for the chronograph, with the first running at 36,000 vph and the latter running at 360,000 vph. This means that when the chronograph is in motion, the seconds hand runs around the dial once per second. The seconds are then counted on the 60-second register at six o'clock and the minutes are counted on the 30-minute register at three o'clock. Due to the amount of energy that it takes to run a chronograph at 360,000 vph, the chronograph function can only run for up to 50 minutes, hence the chronograph power reserve at 12 o'clock.

High-beat chronograph calibers have always been a part of Zenith's core competency and it's cool to see the manufacture pushing the envelope here. Sure, it's not the most practical chronograph on the planet, but it's certainly something technologically interesting, especially for die-hard chrono fans.

The Defy El Primero is available in titanium with solid silvered dial for $9,600, titanium with skeletonized dial for $10,600, and cermacized aluminum for $11,600. For more, visit Zenith online.

Zenith