# Zenith Defy classic discontinued?



## J__D (Feb 15, 2021)

I've seen a few comments online saying the current titanium Defy classic is being discontinued, anyone else hear the same?

I noticed on an interview with the CEO about the new Defy skyline that he eluded to the "former titanium classic line". 

Thankfully I have one, but seems a shame!


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## zigg (Apr 18, 2019)

I hope not - I seem to be gravitating back to the Defy, especially the blue dial since selling my skeleton. Fortunately, both blue and skeleton are still in the window at my local AD.

But then there is the Skyline now


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## cordi7 (Jan 27, 2019)

I think skyline is supposed to complement the lineup, not substitute existing models?


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## 2FLY_NYC (Jul 8, 2021)

Damn I was going to trade in my Defy Skeleton but if I gets discontinued I think I’ll hold on to it.


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## Sailadad11 (May 24, 2021)

The blue version has been discontinued and replaced by the Defy Skyline. Still able to order some last remaining pieces directly from Zenith in Switzerland though. Shame.


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## joshd2012 (Apr 2, 2018)

Sailadad11 said:


> The blue version has been discontinued and replaced by the Defy Skyline. Still able to order some last remaining pieces directly from Zenith in Switzerland though. Shame.


Not surprising as they do seem to be targeted at a similar demographic. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are working on a skeletonized dial for the Skyline so they can retire the Classic line for a few years.


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## One-Seventy (Mar 25, 2019)

Sailadad11 said:


> The blue version has been discontinued and replaced by the Defy Skyline. Still able to order some last remaining pieces directly from Zenith in Switzerland though. Shame.


This... seems like a misstep. Shame; to ditch a watch that's not even four years old makes it look like it was a failure.


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## GConn (Oct 27, 2014)

I hated its clasp, but everything else on this watch was 👌 shame, I was actually considering to get this one towards the end of 2022


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## 2FLY_NYC (Jul 8, 2021)

Well either the value of my Zenith is going to tank further, or the new skeleton design will be ugly and the value will rise. I was thinking of selling but I think I’ll hold onto it if they’re discontinuing. Might become a collectors piece down the road who knows.


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## J__D (Feb 15, 2021)

One-Seventy said:


> This... seems like a misstep. Shame; to ditch a watch that's not even four years old makes it look like it was a failure.


I was surprised given it's only been out a short while. Maybe Zenith buyers tend to go for the less "classic look" and they're aiming to be a bit more out there


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## J__D (Feb 15, 2021)

2FLY_NYC said:


> Well either the value of my Zenith is going to tank further, or the new skeleton design will be ugly and the value will rise. I was thinking of selling but I think I’ll hold onto it if they’re discontinuing. Might become a collectors piece down the road who knows.
> View attachment 16419003


I can't imagine the price will tank (at least in the UK they've never had the same issue as in the US), but I guess it depends on the branding overall over the next couple years, they seem to be doing a big push


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## 2FLY_NYC (Jul 8, 2021)

J__D said:


> I can't imagine the price will tank (at least in the UK they've never had the same issue as in the US), but I guess it depends on the branding overall over the next couple years, they seem to be doing a big push


For me in the US, the price for this particular piece has historically dropped. Retail is $7000. I got it from the gray market with full zenith warranty for about $5000. It goes for around $4000 used on ebay. So almost 50% off from retail price. But at the same time, the Zenith Chronomaster Sports have actually held their value so maybe Zenith is heading in the right direction with the brand.


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## One-Seventy (Mar 25, 2019)

J__D said:


> I was surprised given it's only been out a short while. Maybe Zenith buyers tend to go for the less "classic look" and they're aiming to be a bit more out there


I can see the logic in the major movement upgrade, but it wouldn't have been that hard for Zenith to retain the plain round bezel for continuity and titanium construction (the Skyline is now steel). It's also expensive to tool up for titanium, make a handful of watches in it, and then mothball all the tooling again. Seems like Zenith isn't sure what it's making (see below). Why not continue with the general case and bracelet architecture, and upgrade the movement, signifying it with a new dial? The move to a proprietary bracelet clip-on design is backwards, too. More expensive and less convenient than the regular 22mm lugs of the Classic.

Oh and Zenith isn't even sure what the Skyline is made of. According to their keywords, it's titanium!


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## J__D (Feb 15, 2021)

I guess they're wanting to save titanium for their more expensive offerings like all other brands, making the 'old' classic a "value proposition" in the line up. A good way to increase their pricing without questions as to why they're doing it...


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## joshd2012 (Apr 2, 2018)

I think there are likely two things driving the return to steel. 

First, the aura surrounding "stainless steel sport watches" has exponentially increased with the overwhelming demand for Rolex and AP offerings. While titanium is a novel case material, it just doesn't carry the same weight (pun intended) as stainless steel. As other's have rightfully noted, people are pricing SS watches over similar models in gold, even though the raw material is worth more. 

Second, titanium watches aren't as unique as they once were. There are sub-$500 titanium watches on the market now from major brands. Yes, the Defy has a better crafted case in comparison, but consumers are more sensitive to drawing parallels to unobtainable watches than to a unique material. If Rolex decided go with titanium, I think you'd see many brands quickly follow rather than try to push consumers in that direction. Its one of the reasons Rado has a niche audience with their ceramic watches. They just aren't in demand.

I really like the weight savings with titanium, but its not a deal maker or breaker for me. I assume most will look right past the case material when making their decision on whether or not to buy.


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## 2FLY_NYC (Jul 8, 2021)

joshd2012 said:


> I think there are likely two things driving the return to steel.
> 
> First, the aura surrounding "stainless steel sport watches" has exponentially increased with the overwhelming demand for Rolex and AP offerings. While titanium is a novel case material, it just doesn't carry the same weight (pun intended) as stainless steel. As other's have rightfully noted, people are pricing SS watches over similar models in gold, even though the raw material is worth more.


That does make sense. They want to turn the defy skyline into their flagship sports stainless steel integrated bracelet model. It also is a bit more “luxurious” than the previous defy.


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## EnderW (Mar 16, 2015)

hmmm.. Way too many model changes and discontinuations. Some are part of business, but too frequent and it's hard for buyers to know what will be around for awhile and what will be serviceable.
Espada, Inventor, Defy Classic - all great watches discontinued on a pretty aggressive time table. Skyline looks great but as a buyer I have no ability to see if it's still a model in 2-3 years.
More consistent messaging and model range segmentation would be welcome


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## ms55 (Jan 31, 2017)

Is there an official announcement re: its discontinuation?


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## One-Seventy (Mar 25, 2019)

EnderW said:


> hmmm.. Way too many model changes and discontinuations. Some are part of business, but too frequent and it's hard for buyers to know what will be around for awhile and what will be serviceable.
> Espada, Inventor, Defy Classic - all great watches discontinued on a pretty aggressive time table. Skyline looks great but as a buyer I have no ability to see if it's still a model in 2-3 years.
> More consistent messaging and model range segmentation would be welcome


Quite so - so much for "going their own way". Zenith didn't need to try hard with the stainless steel sports watch; they could have kept making it in titanium, if only to differentiate it. But buyers are a simple lot, easy to please - and easy to annoy, too.


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## zigg (Apr 18, 2019)

Confirmed - Defy Classic is on its way out unfortunately


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## WTSP (May 6, 2012)

One-Seventy said:


> I can see the logic in the major movement upgrade, but it wouldn't have been that hard for Zenith to retain the plain round bezel for continuity and titanium construction (the Skyline is now steel). It's also expensive to tool up for titanium, make a handful of watches in it, and then mothball all the tooling again. Seems like Zenith isn't sure what it's making (see below). Why not continue with the general case and bracelet architecture, and upgrade the movement, signifying it with a new dial? The move to a proprietary bracelet clip-on design is backwards, too. More expensive and less convenient than the regular 22mm lugs of the Classic.
> 
> Oh and Zenith isn't even sure what the Skyline is made of. According to their keywords, it's titanium!
> 
> View attachment 16420505


I totally agree.Zenith could have maintained a smaller Elite based Defy Classic style model in addition to the Skyline.

It seems the whole industry is heading toward smaller batches and more rapid discontinuation of lines. This is probably a good thing in some respects. Nobody mentions the Stratos, Rainbow, Portal Royal, and certainly not the Class lines anymore.


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## J__D (Feb 15, 2021)

I guess with Hublot launching the Big Bang Integral, with the Zenith Elite movement and in titanium for £15k , they have to change the strategy up a bit across the board!


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## joshd2012 (Apr 2, 2018)

zigg said:


> Confirmed - Defy Classic is on its way out unfortunately


Great video! I actually like the watch more having watched it. I didn’t realize that you get both the rubber strap and bracelet as a set. Very cool. I still will be holding onto my Classic, but there may be a version down the line that gets me to trade up.


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## zigg (Apr 18, 2019)

Looking at the video, I get the impression that the case may be a bit too slabsided for me, much like 41mm Tudors. As plain as Classic is, it's very slim and hides its height very well. This, however, looks very tall. Spoke to my AD and they are getting them end of Feb/early March so will have a look then.


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## LosAngelesTimer (Aug 24, 2017)

Bummer. I found the Defy Classic to be simple and elegant. Only reason I don't own one is that I have too many blue watches. The Skyline is just a wee bit tackier to my eye.


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## joshd2012 (Apr 2, 2018)

LosAngelesTimer said:


> I have too many blue watches.


I don’t understand that sentence.


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## Robotaz (Jan 18, 2012)

Sad. I don’t care for any of the Defy other than the Classic and I think the Classic is killer. The other ones are cheesy in my opinion. 

I don’t get this decision at all and see it as a mistake. They should have expanded the Classic, not killed it. Zenith is starting to remind me of 2010 Concord, which isn’t good news.


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## WTSP (May 6, 2012)

Robotaz said:


> Sad. I don’t care for any of the Defy other than the Classic and I think the Classic is killer. The other ones are cheesy in my opinion.
> 
> I don’t get this decision at all and see it as a mistake. They should have expanded the Classic, not killed it. Zenith is starting to remind me of 2010 Concord, which isn’t good news.


Concord! Surely things are not as dire as that! Sure, in that period Concord embarked on a project to produce some higher end and more complicated Hublot-esque pieces in various materials, for which there are some parallels to the current Zenith catalogue. I’m thinking of the C1, and it seems they even had a “Lab” model, much like Zenith did (until the Lab movements proved that they should have stayed in R&D a bit longer and were discontinued).

I think the big difference is that those old Concords didn’t sell well at the time, whereas Zenith seems to be having some real success with current designs and customer appreciation of their new technologies. Frankly I’m more worried that their success will stretch them too far and that they won’t be able to support the new tech that they’re putting out. Concord probably had the same problem, minus the success and increase in popularity.


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## pamdon (Sep 15, 2019)

I like the Defy Classic but tried it on twice and both times it pulled hairs which is a pet hate and irritating. I hope the Skyline doesn't do the same. The movement looks machine finished, anyone seen the movement up close to see how its finished?


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## joshd2012 (Apr 2, 2018)

pamdon said:


> I like the Defy Classic but tried it on twice and both times it pulled hairs which is a pet hate and irritating. I hope the Skyline doesn't do the same. The movement looks machine finished, anyone seen the movement up close to see how its finished?


Interesting. The Defy bracelet doesn’t pull my hairs where as other ones do.


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## J__D (Feb 15, 2021)

joshd2012 said:


> Interesting. The Defy bracelet doesn’t pull my hairs where as other ones do.


Same here, Defy bracelet has been perfect


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## WTSP (May 6, 2012)

pamdon said:


> I like the Defy Classic but tried it on twice and both times it pulled hairs which is a pet hate and irritating. I hope the Skyline doesn't do the same. The movement looks machine finished, anyone seen the movement up close to see how its finished?


It’s probably machine finished. I think that to get anything that has real’y hand finishing from Zenith you have to go with the Academy line.


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## Tpp3975 (May 23, 2021)

I am seeing crazy used prices for the defy classic online. 7 to 9k which is absurd. They were 4k 2 months ago. The skyline is ugly. The classic was well “classic”. What a shame to be discontinued. Gotta love the grey market for jacking up the prices on them.


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## J__D (Feb 15, 2021)

Tpp3975 said:


> I am seeing crazy used prices for the defy classic online. 7 to 9k which is absurd. They were 4k 2 months ago. The skyline is ugly. The classic was well “classic”. What a shame to be discontinued. Gotta love the grey market for jacking up the prices on them.


I think it's more that they had previously been very undervalued in the US. Around Europe they've been £5k-6k in grey market for years


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## WatchBri (Apr 24, 2008)

I really like the look of the new Skyline. The dial reminds me of a reverse "Clous de Paris". I can certainly live 12mm thickness on a 41mm diameter case since my tank of a Tudor is 14.8mm. I usually won't buy a watch with a butterfly clasp due to the lack of micro adjustment, but I could live with that too. There is one thing I'm not sure I can get past and it's the 10 second sub dial. If it was a 60 second sub dial or center sweep, it would be a real contender. Back to thinking about a Laureato for me.


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## One-Seventy (Mar 25, 2019)

WatchBri said:


> I really like the look of the new Skyline. The dial reminds me of a reverse "Clous de Paris". I can certainly live 12mm thickness on a 41mm diameter case since my tank of a Tudor is 14.8mm. I usually won't buy a watch with a butterfly clasp due to the lack of micro adjustment, but I could live with that too. There is one thing I'm not sure I can get past and it's the 10 second sub dial. If it was a 60 second sub dial or center sweep, it would be a real contender. Back to thinking about a Laureato for me.


What was wrong with the old Defy Classic? The dial was more "Zenith", the dimensions about the same (actually slightly thinner).


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## WatchBri (Apr 24, 2008)

One-Seventy said:


> What was wrong with the old Defy Classic? The dial was more "Zenith", the dimensions about the same (actually slightly thinner).


I'm not a fan of blue dial watches. I was really hoping they were going to release the Classic with a black dial because I really like everything else about it.


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## joshd2012 (Apr 2, 2018)

Confirmed by Zenith:









Zenith Defy Classic collection to be discontinued by end of 2022


CEO Julien Tornare has just announced that the Zenith Defy Classic collection will be discontinued by the end of 2022




timeandtidewatches.com





It sounds like they need the bandwidth for the Chronomaster Sport and whatever they have coming up In 2023


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## SWilly67 (Nov 5, 2019)

joshd2012 said:


> Confirmed by Zenith:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yup sounds like a pure business move, which makes perfect sense. Glad I have one in my box


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## sdiver68 (Aug 6, 2010)

I just grabbed a Defy Classic Skeleton before they dried up. I've always has Zenith on my radar...looked at several through the years. Finally have an incoming!


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## franksf (Apr 12, 2012)

LosAngelesTimer said:


> Bummer. I found the Defy Classic to be simple and elegant. Only reason I don't own one is that I have too many blue watches. The Skyline is just a wee bit tackier to my eye.


I tried both in the store a month ago and could not agree more with your last sentence. The refinement that I found if the blue classic was less apparent in the skyline. I found it's dial pattern to be too loud and not as refined as the grand seiko pattern dials for example, and I found the bezel to also be more chunky. I walked out with the old defy classic and could not be happier. Each is own and I am sure many will disagree but it is how I felt when comparing both, not mentioning the heftier size and weight. Love my elegant and refined defy as you can tell


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## J__D (Feb 15, 2021)

They've lost some of the refinement and restraint shown in the classic. I do respect the unique and more "fun" movement change. A photo of my classic, because, well, why not!


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## franksf (Apr 12, 2012)

J__D said:


> They've lost some of the refinement and restraint shown in the classic. I do respect the unique and more "fun" movement change. A photo of my classic, because, well, why not!
> 
> View attachment 16673421


Agree..why not?










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## lpg12338 (Jan 4, 2022)

J__D said:


> They've lost some of the refinement and restraint shown in the classic. I do respect the unique and more "fun" movement change. A photo of my classic, because, well, why not!
> 
> View attachment 16673421


Would you have a detailed picture of the bracelet, I am trying to see if I got ripped off on the TI bracelet that I bought on Chrono24.


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