Zenith Defy 21 El Primero Chronograph 44mm Titanium

The series was introduced in 2017 and immediately became much-loved and sought-after by the brand's admirers. We must start with the dial, as it is the most impressive thing about this watch – skeletonized, executed with great attention to detail, it is a reference to the epic limited edition Defy Lab from 2017. Its other remarkable quality is that, unlike most similar watches, this one is legible – due to the large, generously "illuminated" hour markers, which are anchored to the contrasting color of the case's outer ring. The hands are also large, in the form of double swords, the chronograph subdials are in the usual positions for an El Primero – overall, the dial of this watch manages to be interesting without being cluttered. The case is the next thing that attracts attention – besides being reminiscent of the original Defy from the 1970s, it is more than contemporary – comfortable, light, made of a modern material, with incredible detail and multiple planes. And the fact that it is only 14.5 mm thin not only contributes to its comfort, but also shows that an equally remarkable movement is hidden inside the watch! And of course, the back of the watch – as with most of the brand's modern models, this one is... Wow! Besides allowing us to enjoy the integrated movement, which is a work of art in itself, the entire architecture is very well thought out, proportional, and somehow very complete. The movement deserves special attention, because under the in-house abbreviation El Primero Calibre 9004 lies a true masterpiece of technical thought and the art of watchmaking! Not for nothing is the series named Defy 21 – because this is truly a 21st-century movement. The El Primero 21 is created with two separate regulating organs, each with its own balance spring, made from the brand's patented Carbon-Matrix Carbon Nanotube material. One takes care of the timekeeping and operates at the usual El Primero frequency of 36,000 vph, while the second is made entirely for the chronograph and operates at the mind-boggling frequency of 360,000 vph!!! This means that when the chronograph is started, the seconds hand makes a full rotation of the dial in one second! The seconds are then counted on the 60-second subdial at "6 o'clock", and the minutes are counted on the 30-minute register at "3 o'clock". Due to the large amount of energy required to power the chronograph at 360,000 semi-oscillations per hour, the chronograph function can run for up to 50 minutes, and in order to monitor this indicator, a power reserve indicator is built into the watch. The watch is truly wonderful and we sincerely hope that it will become a worthy part of a connoisseur's and expert's collection, because such a fine example at such a reasonable price for such series will be hard to find again.