LVMH Watch Week: Zenith’s New Defy Revival A3643

In 1969, Zenith was one of three companies to release movements (and, of course, watches built around them) which were the first generation of automatic chronographs. Zenith’s El Primero caliber was groundbreaking in several respects; not only was it one of the first automatic chronographs, it was also the first automatic high frequency chronograph, running at 36,000 vph. Thanks to its historical importance (as well as an accident of history that saw a version of the EP used in the Rolex Daytona) Zenith and El Primero have become almost synonymous with each other. However, Zenith’s history is considerably deeper and more complex than the history (however impressive) of the El Primero caliber and its countless incarnations; the Zenith caliber 135, for instance, was one of the most sophisticated high precision observatory chronometers ever to come down the pike.

1969 was also the year that Zenith launched the first Defy watches, and with a name like that the designs had to step up, which they did in strongly built watches with octagonal cases and 14-sided bezels. First generation Defy watches from that era have very sharply defined case geometry and the first model, A3642, which was the first watch chosen to become a Defy Revival model in 2022, had very distinctive striped indexes that look a little bit like a layer cake cut in cross section. This year, Zenith has chose the slightly more restrained cousin of the A3642 to add to the Defy Revival series: the Defy Revival A3643.

The Revival A3643 is essentially an exact reproduction of the original, 37mm in diameter, and with the distinctive ladder-style bracelet made in 1969 by Gay Frères. The indexes in contrast to the A3642, are tapered rectangles with contrasting black edges, and the Revival version also revives the cream colored dial of the original, as well as the orange tipped seconds hand, which is the sole spot of color in this otherwise monochrome design.

The design of the Defy models from 1969 were not, at the time, major commercial successes, although they may simply have been a little ahead of their time; the large, extroverted, and often colorful watch designs of the late 1960s and early 1970s were just beginning to take hold and at 37mm, but with its rather aggressive case design (and name) the Defy may have been to prospective buyers in 1969, a watch which had one foot in the classic dress watch camp in terms of size, but the other in the new world of more flamboyant case and dial designs. What seems challenging in one era, however, can become an enduring classic in another (just ask the Royal Oak) and so it is with the Defy, which has become one of the largest collections at Zenith today, where there are now a total of 70 Defy Skyline models (including the Revivals) and which includes high complications like last year’s spectacular Defy Zero G Sapphire.

One thing that has changed (for the better) since 1969 is the movement; the original Defy A3643 used Zenith’s 2552 PC, which was also used by Movado – Zenith and Movado had merged the year before, in order to avoid a trademark battle with the Zenith Radio Company in the United States; Zenith Radio would actually end up acquiring Zenith in 1972 (the company would later be put up for sale in 1978 and would eventually be acquired by LVMH in 1999). The movement used today is the Zenith Elite 670, which was originally launched in 1994; the movement is automatic, running at 28,800 vph, with a 50 hour power reserve.

The new Revival is despite the distinctive angular case, probably the most versatile thus far of all the Zenith Defy Revival pieces, without losing any of the assertive charm of the original designs. Yes, it’s a somewhat polarizing design even today, but the Defy Revival watches have proven a success among collectors and enthusiasts, especially those who are looking for something with a strong identity and modern feel, but with a connection to an older design heritage. I suppose the other polarizing element to the watch is the 4:30 date window, but my feeling is that if it was OK in 1969, it’s fine now; I know it really bugs some folks although I sometimes wonder when I read (or hear) someone decrying a 4:30 date window, if they’re not just a foe of date windows in general.

The Defy Revival A3643 is a handsome watch overall; the passage of time has made the design an exercise in individualism, and the “bank vault” (as Zenith called it) case construction is as reassuring now as it was in 1969. For a watch that first appeared nearly sixty years ago, it remains a breath of fresh air in the often homogenous world of stainless steel, time-and-date sports watches.

The Zenith Defy Revival A3643: case, 37mm, stainless steel, 30M water resistant, with sapphire crystal. Sunray silver dial, with rhodium plated hands and indexes, with Super-LumiNova SLN C1. Movement, Zenith Elite caliber 670, running at 28,800 vph with 50 hour power reserve; time and date at 4:30. Price, $7,800.

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