Created in collaboration with nature photographer Kourosh Keynejad, the Zenith DEFY Extreme Desert captures the atmosphere of barren desert landscapes. It is the first model in a series inspired by harsh environments. The watch has a special case with falcon’s eye, a dark quartz gemstone. Inside operates an El Primero movement with no less than two escapements, which allows the measurement of hundredths of a second. However, the watch is a special edition, limited to only 50 pieces.
The Zenith DEFY Extreme Desert was created in collaboration with California-based artist Kourosh Keynejad. The photographer usually travels solo to the most remote places on earth to capture the beauty of nature. The special edition DEFY Extreme Desert presented together with Zenith is inspired by the barren desert landscapes of North America. As the artist himself describes the result, “The DEFY Extreme Desert certainly captures the majestic grandness and inspiring beauty of the dry plateaus and mountains of sand”. To mark the launch, Keynejad has taken an exclusive series of images that will be on display as part of a travelling exhibition.
The watch has a brushed titanium case that measures 45 mm in diameter and 15.40 mm in height. However, the pusher guard and the dodecagonal bezel are made of falcon’s eye. This dark quartz gives off an areal shimmer after polishing. Since each stone has unique structures, this also makes each copy of the watch unique. This is the first time such a gem has been used in the manufacture of the cases. The watch also has a sapphire crystal case back and water resistance to 200 metres.
The front reveals the inside of the watch with a tinted sapphire crystal. Above it are the power reserve indicator for the chronograph and the counters in warm beige tones. At 9 o’clock is the small seconds, while the 30-minute counter is opposite. At 6 o’clock, Zenith places a 60-second counter. Meanwhile, the time is indicated by two main hands, which, like the indices, are coated with beige Super-LumiNova. Last but not least, there is a ring with 1/100th of a second scaling, which indicates the result of the central chronograph hand.
The Zenith DEFY Extreme integrates the El Primero 9004 calibre, which has two escapements. One is for the main time and operates at a frequency of 36,000 A/h or 5 hertz. The second remains in idle mode until the wearer starts the chronograph. Then it drives the central hand at a frequency of 360,000 A/h or 50 hertz, which enables the measurement of 1/100th of a second. The hand rotates around the dial once per second, which is a particular spectacle. The chronograph also has its own barrel, to which the energy must be supplied manually by hand.
In contrast, the main time display has automatic winding and a power reserve of over 50 hours. Finally, the watchmakers decorate the movement with black galvanisation on both the rotor and the main plate. Furthermore, the movement bears the chronometer certificate of the COSC, which guarantees, among other things, a maximum rate deviation of – 4 and + 6 per day.
The watch comes on a strap made of beige rubber. In addition to the titanium bracelet with a folding clasp there is also a Velcro strap in the box. With the new interchangeable strap system, the wearer can swap these quickly and without tools. The Zenith DEFY Extreme Desert is a special edition and limited to 50 pieces. It is available now for a price of 21,600 euros.
