One of the most anticipated releases of Watches & Wonders is finally in hand in the new Defy Extreme Diver from Zenith. This watch made a strong first impression, and now that we’ve had some time with the watch in-hand and on-wrist, it turns out there’s a bit more to the story. While there is certainly some throwback influence here, I’d still call this watch wholly original and modern in its approach, and that’s exactly what the market needs. Zenith swung big with this one, leading off with a high-performance 600M diver, but does it do enough to get out of its own way?
Having spent some time with the watch, I can say that it still manages to hit a lot of the right notes, but there’s a few misses here as well (which is to be expected). More than anything, though, this watch is sending some mixed signals, and doesn’t fully commit to the over-engineered diver it’s presenting itself as. There is a big personality to wrangle with this one, and it can get lost at times, but when it comes through, this is a watch that has me very excited to see Zenith making divers again.
Now, to get this thing in the water and see how it stands up to some proper use. Keep an eye out for that in the near future, and until then, enjoy these initial impressions.