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We asked you if the Zenith Defy was underrated, and this is what you said We asked you if the Zenith Defy was underrated, and this is what you said
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We asked you if the Zenith Defy was underrated, and this is what you said

James Robinson

A few days ago, we uploaded a photo of the Zenith Defy Classic Ref.95.9000.670/51.R790 and asked our 120,000 followers this question: “Is the Zenith Classic underrated?”

The response was resoundingly confirmative, with many people opining that not only the Defy Classic but the Defy range in general was, more often than not, overlooked and it shouldn’t be, because it’s a great collection of timepieces.

For example, @styleinternity wrote: “Think most of their lineup is underrated to be honest.”

@modernthrills commented: “Totally underrated.” @dwwright55 concurred, writing: “So underrated.” As did @k_temae, who added: “For sure underrated! Price is very ‘soft’ regarding quality and look.”

We also posited the same question on our Instagram stories with a poll asking if the Zenith Defy was “underrated” or “rated” and, once again, the sentiment was largely the same, with 64 per cent of the 2000 voters saying the collection was underrated.

With all this in mind, and as fans of the Zenith Defy collection here at T+T ourselves, we thought we’d pick out three of our favourite iterations … enjoy.

Zenith Defy Classic Ref.95.9000.670/51.R790

Zenith Defy collection
Image: instagram.com/nicedily/

This probably should’ve been obvious to most of you, seeing as it’s the very watch that kicked off this topic. This Defy Classic, especially with its FKM-quality blue rubber strap, is a convincing package. The sunburst blue dial is captivating as it catches light from different angles, the 41mm bushed stainless steel case is well-proportioned and slim enough to be eminently versatile, and the self-winding movement, the Calibre Elite 670 SK, offers strong performance. This is a watch that could easily be your daily wearer, and it would do so with a compelling blend of aesthetic uniqueness and technical capability.

Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Land Rover Ref.97.9000.9004/01.R787

Zenith Defy collection

A true standout at last month’s LVMH Dubai Watch Week, the Defy El Primero 21 Land Rover is a car collaboration timepiece that actually works. In fact, it does more than work … this is a hot timepiece, period. The micro-blasted, 44mm titanium case looks cool and brooding with its dark grey tone, and the splashes of orange found around the watch, including the unassuming power reserve indicator, provide an arresting contrast that really makes the watch pop. The movement on offer is also nothing short of a beast – the Calibre El Primero 9004 offers up a chronograph complication accurate to 1/100th of a second, a silky smooth operating frequency of 36,000 (5Hz) vibrations per hour and 50 hours of power reserve.

Zenith Defy Midnight Ref.16.9200.670/01.MI001

Zenith Defy collection

Another timepiece unveiled at LVMH Dubai Watch Week, the Zenith Defy Midnight marks an important step in the watchmaker’s mission to engage more with the female watch audience. The ladies-only timepiece is deadset gorgeous thanks to its graduated blue dial, diamond indices and complementing full-diamond bezel. The Defy Midnight is so nice, in fact, that when T+T founder, Andrew McUtchen, saw the timepiece first hand, he reckoned that it could be a (very) early contender for women’s collection of the year.