Zenith’s intensely mechanical Defy collection has always been a bit of a neo-futuristic showcase of everything Zenith can do; now it seems they’ve extended their skillset to working with ceramic in the new Zenith Defy Classic Black Ceramic.

‘Classic’ might seem the opposite of what you’re looking at, but it refers more to the 41mm case than anything else. That case shape is taken directly from the original Defy back in the 70s, a model that often gets overlooked for the more modern iteration. Still, as a watch this is anything but traditional.

The openworked dial is magnificent, looking as much like the alloy wheel of a hypercar than a traditional dial. Granted the movement beneath is on the simple side – it’s the Elite 670 SK Automatic calibre – but given its treatment it’s displayed like serious haute horology.

Then of course there’s the ceramic. As the new release from Zenith stablemate Hublot shows (and you can see more on that here), Ceramic is being given a serious push at the moment and it’s not hard to see why. Aside from its natural properties – hardness, scratch resistance, corrosion resistance and pretty much everything but lightness – there’s something entrancing about the pure black here.

Between the brushed treatment and faceted case, Zenith know how to show off the ceramic. Thankfully they’ve kept the case as minimal and monochromatic as possible, right down to the black rubber strap, to contrast with the technical nature of the dial, otherwise it would all be a bit much. As things stand, the Zenith Defy Classic Black Ceramic is an impressive piece of watchmaking; now we just need to wait for it with a more advanced movement and we’ll have a serious watchmaking showcase on our hands. Hopefully on our wrists.

Price & Specs:

Model name: Zenith Defy Classic Black Ceramic

Ref: 69.9000.670/78.R782 Dial/Case: 41mm diameter x 10.75mm thickness, ceramic case, openworked dial Movement: Elite 670 SK Automatic

Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz) Power reserve: 48 hours Water resistance: 100 meters Price & availability: $7,500 USD (available March/April 2019)



Find out more on Zenith’s website.