Anyone who reads this site on a regular basis already knows that I can’t resist a Zenith Defy. I’ve long claimed the Defy collection is the great overlooked sports watch line in watchmaking, offering an unparalleled mix of creativity, robustness, and history that no large brand can compete with. It’s evident throughout the collection, even in the most run of the mill, bare bones Defys that Zenith makes. They are inherently weird when you consider the case shapes, styling, and high frequency movements. It’s no surprise, though, that as you get into the higher tiers of the Defy lineup, things get stranger and cooler, and that’s what we have here today with the new Defy Extreme Chroma Limited Editions.
We return to the Defy Extreme, the most exotic take on the Defy, for the second time in less than a month. These Chroma executions are admittedly a bit less “extreme” in some ways than the lapis lazuli accented edition we told you about in November, but they’re honestly probably a little better for it. The Chroma concept is not new for Zenith – it allows them to play with color in a very specific way, using a spectrum of bright colors across a very busy dial to great effect. The Defy 21 chronograph received the Chroma treatment last, but now it’s the Extreme’s turn in two limited edition variants: a blacked out titanium as well as a lighter version in titanium and white ceramic.
These watches exist, effectively, as two sides of the same coin, with the microblasted black titanium version offering a cool, stealthy nighttime vibe while the brushed and polished titanium matched with ceramic edition is a pure summer watch. I have to admit, as I type this while observing the season’s first major snowfall in New England, the white ceramic variant has the most appeal. As with previous Chroma editions, the hour markers represent a range of colors shifting from blues, to reds, to greens as you make your way around the dial, with exposed movement bridges just underneath to match. The black version takes a similar approach but with a color palette that is a little heavier on shades of orange and darker greens.
The Defy Extreme is a love it or hate it proposition. I have to admit, it’s not my favorite to wear, but I’m a fan of the design and think as big watches go, these are about as fun as in-your-face oversized sports watches can get. The measurements come in at 45mm in diameter, 15.4mm in thickness, and 51mm from lug to lug. Honestly, on paper, that’s not obscene as big sports watches go. My preference just sits with something a little more compact.
The Defy Extreme runs on the El Primero 9004 caliber, which beats at a frequency of 5 Hz and features a 1/100th of a second chronograph movement. That equates to one rotation per second of the centrally mounted chronograph hand. It’s a very cool thing to activate and the experience of seeing that hand whip around the dial so quickly never gets old, even if you need the hand-eye coordination bordering on supernatural to make effective use of it in the real world. That’s obviously not what these watches are really about though. They are design oriented pieces that show off some incredibly prodigious watchmaking as opposed to practical chronographs one might use as tools. My perspective is that this is perfectly acceptable and maybe even preferable, and I’ve always liked how Zenith leans into this idea.
The watches are mounted to matching black or white rubber straps, but also ship with an additional bracelet and Velcro strap, continuing the welcome trend of providing a bevy of strap options from the factory with the purchase of an integrated bracelet style sports watch. This is a lesson more brands should learn as this style of watch continues to be incredibly popular and has evolved into its own self contained category.
Each of the new Defy Extreme Chroma variants is a limited edition of 100 pieces each. They’ll be available directly from Zenith through their boutiques, both online and in-person, as well as through authorized dealers. The retail price on both versions is $20,600. Zenith
Zach Kazan
2025-12-03 15:00:00