Zenith proudly presents 21st century Defy El Primero legend in hundredths of a second age.
Swiss watch manufacturer Zenith has a century and a half behind it and is resolutely taking its place in the third millennium with a new 100th of a second chronograph movement.
While remaining true to its legendary roots, Zenith flaunts its 21st century Defy El Primero with outstanding performance.
The watch is a COSC-certified in-house movement driving a hundredth of a second display by means of a central hand, with its unique and exclusive dynamic signature of one rotation per second, making it ten times faster and more accurate than its illustrious predecessor.
Dual Architecture
Representing the aesthetic, visual and audible signature of the new Defy El Primero 21, its central chronograph hand performs a full turn of the dial in one second. This simple, immediate and direct reading of the hundredths provides an opportunity to grasp the reality of the second being measured.
The frequency reaches an impressive 360,000 vibrations/hour ensuring its hundredth of a second precision, and energy consumption is ten times higher than in the original.
Another unique characteristic stems from a determination to avoid any risk of the chronograph interfering with the smooth running of the watch: the Defy El Primero 21 is therefore equipped with two independent “gear boxes”: one for the time and the other for the chronograph. Each has its own transmission and escapement system and there is no coupling clutch.In tribute to its historical roots, the watch balance oscillates at the already high frequency of 5 Hz – the famous 36,000 vibrations/hour characterising El Primero chronographs since 1969.
Timeless Allure
The exceptional physical and mechanical properties of this balance-spring with its graphene matrix render it insensitive to temperature and to the influence of magnetic fields, well beyond the known 15,000 Gauss standard, thereby guaranteeing peerless precision in all conditions of use.
Alongside its integrated construction, its double-chain architecture and the remarkable chronometric performance of its new balance-springs, the El Primero 21 movement features a patented chronograph-reset control mechanism composed of three heart pieces and an exclusive starter mechanism, ensuring simultaneous resetting of the seconds as well as tenths and hundredths of a second.
This new-generation twin-barrel El Primero drives central hours and minutes functions, small seconds at 9 o’clock, a 100th of a second central chronograph hand sweeping around a scale on the circumference, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, seconds and tenths of a second at 6 o’clock, and a percentage indication of the chronograph power-reserve at 12 o’clock. Performed via a crown with two positions (for winding and time-setting), manual winding works in both directions: clockwise for the chronograph, counter clockwise for the watch. 25 turns of the crown are enough to obtain a 100% charge of the chronograph barrel. An oscillating weight with a star-shaped open worked oscillating weight handles one-way automatic winding of the watch function.
Centesimal signature
The Defy El Primero 21 embodies the new generation of Zenith chronographs, based on contemporary mechanics endowed with an unprecedented visual, auditory and dynamic identity.
With a 44 mm-diameter case in grade 5 titanium – inspired by the original El Primero models. Defy El Primero 21 is equipped with a fluted crown and chronograph pushers, the case with its short lugs displays alternating brushed and satin finishing, while its rubber strap with a leather insert is secured by a double-blade folding clasp.
The hundredths of a second display creates an immediate visual impact, with its inner bezel ring featuring a graduated scale running from 0 to 100 and swept over by a spectacularly swift 100th of a second chronograph hand performing one full turn per second.
Epitomising the face of the new Zenith range, the openwork dial of 35.5mm reveals an elegant contemporary décor. A star-tipped sweep-seconds hand, large luminescent baton-type hands and facetted hour-markers: all the key identifying characteristics of the El Primero are there, along with counters picking up two of the colours – blue and anthracite grey – gracing the legendary 1969 chronograph.
Defy El Primero 21, the signature of an authentic Swiss manufacture, and the promise of new innovations to come.
