Zenith Gets Colorful with the High Frequency Defy 21 Chroma II

It’s been said over and over again, on podcasts, in our posts, reviews, DMs, and private conversations: Zenith is effectively unmatched in their ability to straddle the line between their history and a forward looking, contemporary design language. Heritage focused models like the various Defy Revival releases that we’ve seen in recent years recreate the original watches they’re based on to a fastidious, almost obsessive degree, while releases on the other end of the spectrum are unapologetically modern in their materials, design cues, and ethos. Today, Zenith releases a pair of watches that find themselves in the latter camp, part of a platform that continues to evolve and exist as a showcase for the brand’s most adventurous ideas. 

The Defy 21 chronographs have one of my personal favorite watch industry tricks up their sleeve. It’s an ultra high-frequency chronograph capable of measuring down to the hundredth of a second, a level of accuracy that frankly outpaces the fine motor skills of just about anyone who will operate it. But that’s (somewhat) beside the point. When you push the “start” button on one of these things, and see the second hand whip around the dial at a speed that’s frankly somewhat frightening if you’re used to chronos that operate at a traditional pace, it’s kind of intoxicating. Even if you’re been around watches a long time, it’s hard to synthesize that what you’re seeing is the result of springs, gears, and wheels operating in sync, the same as what you immediately recognize as a more pedestrian watch that is likely to be on your wrist. 

These new Defy 21 releases are a continuation of the “Chroma” idea first presented at LVMH Watch Week 2022, which saw a limited edition white ceramic Defy 21 with rainbow accents on the skeletonized dial. The Chroma II limited editions consist of an entirely new black ceramic Defy 21 with accents that replicate those on the white version from 2022, which is basically a catalog of primary colors, throughout the hour markers. The new white ceramic version is a little more complex to my eye, with a more narrowly focused color palette consisting of bright blues and pinks. Each case measures 44mm in diameter and is water resistant to 100 meters. 

The star of the show, as always with the Defy 21, is the movement. The dial is open, so visible bridges abound below the raised chronograph totalizers. Those bridges have been finished in colors to match the markers they appear closest to, adding a great deal of coherence to the overall design. The El Primero 9004 caliber, in addition to timing to the hundredth of a second, has another unique quirk in that the chronograph has its own escapement, and is actually wound separately from the caliber’s mainspring. The power reserve indicator at 12:00 refers to juice left in the chrono’s tank. 

The retail price for the new Defy 21 Chroma II releases is set at CHF 15,500. Each is limited to 500 pieces. Zenith