Swiss luxury watch manufacture Zenith unveils two strikingly hued models from its original 1971 Defy collection – the A3691 and A3690.
Is it a retrospective or a revival, or maybe even a reintroduction? Whatever the approach, there’s no denying that “old is gold” at Zenith right now.
Following the success of last year’s return of the very first Defy wristwatch model from 1969, Zenith is unveiling the remake of not one but two iconic models, the A3691 and A3690, to join its permanent collection.
With stunning accuracy to detail, the two models are faithful reproductions of the 1971 timepieces, known for its audacious coffre-fort geometry, and most strikingly, the colourful dials with a marked “vignette” effect that darkens towards the edges – one in tropical teal blue and the other in deep ruby red.
The iconic codes of the Zenith watch have also been retained, including the faceted octagonal case paired with a fourteen-sided bezel, unusual applied square hour markers feature horizontal grooves, and the now-iconic Gay Frères steel “ladder” bracelet, which has now been updated with a more modern and ergonomic folding clasp.
The main difference beats away under the hood – instead of the original’s solid case back emblazoned with a four-pointed star that became one of the brand’s logos and recurring design element for years, the Defy Revival A3691 features a sapphire display back showing the automatic Elite 670 manufacture movement, operating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 VpH) and providing an autonomy of 50 hours.
Images courtesy to Zenith, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
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Zenith Defy Revival A3642: Throwing Shapes
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