Zenith Colors Defy 21 Ultrablue

After the Defy 21 Ultraviolet, which Zenith introduced last year, the brand is continuing its quest for vibrant colors with the new Defy 21 Ultrablue. This combines in an exciting way past and present, as blue also played an important role in the history of the El Primero. When launched in 1969, it was also this color that underscored how unique that watch was. When we fast forward to 2021, that hasn’t changed a bit.

The best thing about the Defy 21 Ultrablue is, without a doubt, that Zenith didn’t overdo it. They applied the blue on the bridges of the caliber El Primero 9004, which show through the skeletonized dial. They kept the rest rather sober, with grey subdials, matching the micro-blasted titanium of the case. As a result, the blue pops and also lays a visual connection with the exceptional movement that is powering this Zenith.

There are plenty of watches that feature a 1/100th of a second chronograph, but all except one are quartz. The Defy 21 is the exception to this rule. It features two escapements, one for the time-keeping and another one dedicated to the chronograph. The first runs at 36,000 VpH/ 5Hz, the traditional frequency of the El Primero since its launch in 1969. The latter only comes in motion when the chronograph is activated but runs at a frequency ten times higher than that of the movement itself. As a result, the centrally placed chronograph hand takes one second to make a full rotation and does so in one hundred steps. Zenith also cleverly highlights this special movement at the back of the Defy 21 Ultrablue. Thanks to the microblasted titanium and a minimum of engravings, the blue oscillating weight stands out through the watch sapphire case back. It emphasizes that even half a century after it was first launch, the El Primero is still at the top of the food chain.