Zenith DEFY Extreme Carl Cox
Jamie Weiss- Zenith teams up with legendary British club DJ and record producer Carl Cox on a second music-inspired signature edition
- For the first time ever, the DEFY Extreme’s case is crafted in matte-finished stainless steel and yellow gold
- It features subdials styled after vinyl records and a stroboscope-effect rehaut styled after a record player
Carl Cox is one of the most famous and important DJs of all time. A pioneer of three-deck mixing and an influential figure in the development of the modern electronic music scene, the affable Englishman (and Zenith ambassador) is well-known across the world for his expansive live shows and innovative spirit. In recent years, he’s even branched out into motorsport, with his Carl Cox Motorsport outfit notably entering the innovative electric off-road racing series Extreme E as a new team this year.
Zenith too is active in Extreme E, being a founding partner and official timing partner for the fast-growing sport. Perhaps that’s why Zenith and Carl Cox have chosen the DEFY Extreme to be the second act to the DEFY 21 Carl Cox released in 2020. Bold yet tasteful and featuring unique aesthetic touches that pay homage to the world of DJing, it’s a watch that perfectly epitomises Carl Cox’s many passions.
While the DEFY Extreme can hardly be called a shy or retiring watch, the Zenith DEFY Extreme Carl Cox is slightly more restrained than the DEFY 21 Carl Cox yet still contains plenty of DJ-inspired touches. For instance, its chronograph sub-counters feature fine concentric grooves to resemble vinyl records, with the 9 o’clock sub-counter sporting a Carl Cox logo. That there are three of them also pays homage to Cox’s innovative three-deck DJing technique. The power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock also reads ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’, like the power switch on a deck or an amplifier. Its rehaut also features a dot matrix design that recalls the stroboscope effect found on the sides of Carl Cox’s favourite turntables, such as the iconic Technics SL-1200.
Even its case material is inspired by DJing. The Zenith DEFY Extreme Carl Cox marks the first time Zenith has used matte-finished stainless steel and yellow gold for a DEFY Extreme’s case, with the matte yellow gold accents on its dodecagonal bezel and pusher guards inspired by the golden tonearm of a turntable stylus. You could also argue that the mesmerisingly rapid sweep of its El Primero 9004 chronograph seconds hand also evokes a high-BPM record spinning away… Additionally, the star-shaped oscillating weight as well as the main plate of the movement have been specially decorated in black for the DEFY Extreme Carl Cox – another nice little point of differentiation.
Three different strap options are available for the Zenith Defy Extreme Carl Cox: an integrated matte-finished steel bracelet, a black rubber strap and a black Velcro strap, which can all be easily swapped without any tools by using the watch’s nifty quick strap-change mechanism. Additionally, to commemorate the release, Carl Cox has curated a special playlist entitled ‘Carl Cox X ZENITH’ which also includes the first soundtrack Carl Cox ever created for ZENITH, called “This is our Time”, which is available on Spotify and on ZENITH’s website. You don’t even have to buy the watch to listen to it.
Zenith Defy Extreme Carl Cox pricing and availability
The Zenith DEFY Extreme Carl Cox is a limited edition of 100 pieces that will be available to order starting from September 25, exclusively from Zenith’s online and brick-and-mortar boutiques. Price: A$45,500.
| Brand | Zenith |
| Model | DEFY Extreme Carl Cox |
| Reference Number | 06.9100.9004/21.I001 |
| Case Dimensions | 45mm (D) x 15.4mm (T) x 52mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Matte-finished stainless steel and yellow gold |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Smoked sapphire with three black-coloured counters, gold PVC indices and hands, stroboscope effect rehaut |
| Strap(s) | Steel bracelet, midnight slate rubber strap with micro-blasted stainless steel folding clasp, dark graphite velcro strap with micro-blasted buckle |
| Movement | El Primero 9004 |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, 1/100th of a second chronograph, power reserve indicator |
| Availability | Limited edition of 100 pieces, available to order from September 25 |
| Price | A$45,500 |