Zenith’s new DEFY watch is what you’ll want on your wrist for nighttime dives

Earlier this year, Zenith announced a collection of new watches at Watches and Wonders 2024. Sitting amongst the new additions was the Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver, a robust dive watch with a fun, textured dial – and the brand has just given this model a new colour upgrade.

Dating back to 1969, the DEFY line has been known for its ruggedness and ability to withstand extreme conditions, both underwater and in low visibility. The new Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver has many of the same features and distinctive design as the other models within the DEFY collection – and it’s definitely the watch you’ll want on your wrist while partaking in nighttime dives.

As a dive watch, the Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver measures 42.5mm in diameter and has an angular case made from titanium, a metal that’s highly resistant to seawater and corrosion. The case also has a helium escape valve for saturation diving, and an oversized screw-down crown which is still easy to grip and operate while underwater or wearing gloves. It’s water resistant to 600 metres and meets ISO 6245 standards.

Powered by the El Primero 3620-SC movement, the Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver has a 60 hour power reserve. The movement is visible through the caseback – a unique feature for a dive watch – and like the rest of the watch, is built to withstand extreme conditions and still be visible in low light and dark water.

The unidirectional rotating bezel of the Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver is displayed in black ceramic and has grooved edges that are easy to grip and operate. It loops around the new dial colour which has been designed with readability in mind. On the new silver-white dial, the Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver has oversized hands and hour markers, and a bright orange accent around the outside.

The dial still has the geometric four-point star pattern, with a date window at the three o’clock position. The hour markets also feature three X1 grade Super-LumiNova pigments with blue, green and yellow light emissions to help distinguish between hours, minutes and seconds when in dark conditions. The watch is finished with a titanium three link bracelet and comes with two additional strap options.

The Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver is £10,200 / $11,300 and available to buy on the Zenith website and in select boutiques. For more details on this watch, check out our hands on with the Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver.