Zenith Defy 21 Chroma II black ceramic skeleton dial rubber strap 44 mm

Zenith Defy: Creating the future of watchmaking

With the return of the DEFY collection in 2017, the star-spangled brand never ceases in its never-ending pursuit of precision through innovation. Indeed, this collection represents Zenith's creative "laboratory", combining state-of-the-art Manufacture movements with futuristic shapes and materials, perpetuating Zenith's heritage, always surpassing itself and setting new standards of performance and elegance.

In fact, the DEFY collection allows the Manufacture to showcase not only its unparalleled technical prowess and most advanced developments, but also its bold, modern aesthetic language. Whether set pieces or artistic collaborations, ZENITH represents high frequency through a full range of colors and contrasts. Always seeking to push boundaries and explore new creative avenues, ZENITH has developed a unique expertise in the art of applying striking colors in the most unexpected places. With the DEFY 21 Chroma II limited editions, ZENITH proves that there are no limits to the use of color - even on the world's most innovative high-frequency chronograph.

A brand new edition!

Unveiled at LVMH Watch Week 2022, the limited edition DEFY 21 Chroma was an immediate success. It proved convincing thanks to the exceptional combination of a white ceramic case, a wide palette of colors and the world's only mass-produced 1/100th of a second high-frequency automatic chronograph caliber. Today, ZENITH has revisited this unique recipe to create the two editions of the DEFY 21 Chroma II, one in black ceramic, the other in white ceramic, each with its own range of colors.

Light, color and speed: chromatic expression

Just as white is not a color in itself, but a combination of all the colors in the visible light spectrum, black is a chromatic field grouping together the darkest hues! So it was only natural to make a Chroma II darker than the white variant! This DEFY 21 Chroma II in black ceramic features a bead-blasted finish over the entire surface to provide perfect contrast and accentuate the colors displayed by this piece. The ceramic case gives way to a refracted rainbow harmoniously diffused over the openwork dial, hand tips and movement, with a perfectly progressive color gradient that covers the entire spectrum with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and pink.

The meticulously applied colors on the hour markers and hundredths-of-a-second scale extend beyond the dial and case: the rubber grip ring on the crown and the stitching on the Cordura-effect rubber strap reflect the order of colors on the dial. This also applies to the chronograph counter hands, each with a different tone.

Finally, the openwork dial, which features raised chronograph counters matching the case color, allows the extraordinarily decorated movement to shine through. Each bridge is covered in a different metallic color, again according to the gradation of the hour markers.

A very high-frequency automatic caliber!

Since its creation in 1865, ZENITH has never stopped striving to become the leader in precision and performance. "Master of Chronographs" is not just a title but an aspiration to aim higher, to go further. It also bears witness to the Manufacture's illustrious past and its many achievements in the development of mechanical chronographs. And the Manufacture has succeeded in pushing back the limits of precision and performance with its revolutionary El Primero 21 reference 9004 movement!

Both on the front and through the sapphire caseback, you can indeed admire the unique construction of the El Primero 21 high-frequency automatic chronograph to 1/100th of a second. The movement, at the cutting edge of performance and precision, incorporates two independent gears and regulating organs, with frequencies of 5 Hz (36,000 vph) and 50 Hz (360,000 vph) respectively for the time display and chronograph function. This extremely high operating frequency offers precision and time-measurement to 1/100th of a second: it's the only chronograph movement of its kind in production.

Furthermore, the two barrels of this caliber ensure a 50-hour power reserve and up to one hour of continuous chronograph operation. It features 53 jewels and is chronometer-certified by TIME LAB. The rotor is in the shape of the Zenith star with a blue satin finish, and an additional part has a pink PVD coating. Functions include: hours, minutes and seconds to 1/100th chronograph, 30-minute counter, 60-second counter, small seconds and power reserve indicator.