# Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Subjective Impressions



## Timeless: Now WoS (Jan 18, 2010)

*Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Subjective Impressions*

Probably the most exciting new watch of 2017 is the Zenith Defy El Primero 21. The watch highlights one of Zenith's many quirky traits, like including the movement's name in the name of the watch. It's also a subtle way of demonstrating the brand's priorities: movements come first and when that's done they'll get around to building the watch around it. 2017 has been amazing year to showcase this fact because if the El Primero 21 is a significant evolutionary step, the upcoming Defy LAB is an outright revolutionary leap. But I'm getting ahead of myself.










At our recent Zenith event I finally got to spend some time with the watch one on one. I wanted not just to give an overview of the watch, but to reveal some subjective impressions of the watch not often covered elsewhere. The thing that surprised me the most about this watch was actually the sound. Running the chronograph near your ear doesn't even sound like a watch.










Since the chronograph is running at a ridiculous 360,000 BPH while the watch itself continues to run at an extremely high 36,000 BPH, you don't hear ticking. Instead, you're basically hearing a low frequency, but nonetheless consistent, tone. Your brain doesn't perceive it in the way you hear a normal watch, which is basically a sort of on-off-on-off pattern. This is more like a low note being played.










One of the things you start to realize looking at the skeletons is that the El Primero 9004 (yeah, that's what it's called) is basically a new stage in the development of the integrated chronograph. Now, to be clear, this isn't the first time something like this has been attempted before, but I do think this is particularly impressive because this is a surprisingly affordable full production watch, not an ultra-expensive haute horology piece. The implementation is also unusually radical. Normally, we discuss integrated chronographs as chronographs that are, well, literally integrated into the same space as the timekeeping watch components, as opposed to being on an entirely separate layer.










The El Primero 21 is not that kind of integrated chronograph. What we're really looking at here is, more or less, two separate watches coexisting in a beautiful synthesis. The chronograph is literally not a complication on the watch, it's just a stopwatch. Although it's sharing space, and a crown stem, with the other components that keeps time, they basically don't rely on one another in any important way. They have their own escapements and power reserves, for instance.










Because they do share a crown stem but not mainsprings, you get some more fascinating weirdness. Setting an El Primero has always been a unique experience given Zenith's idiosyncrasies, a tradition they're keeping alive here. Although an automatic watch, as far as I can tell the rotor can only wind the timekeeping half of the movement. However, manual winding the watch in one direction winds the timekeeping part of the watch while turning it in the other direction winds the chronograph. As if that weren't unique enough, the prototypes we had actually hacked! Curiously, the Zenith rep said that the production models would have hacking removed. We'll have to see if that's true, but that's a strong commitment to weirdness to actually create and manufacture a hacking function and then to remove it after the expensive R&D part was over.










Lastly, I wanted to talk about my impressions of how the watches looked. Initially, the Defy El Primero 21 was a bit divisive, due to a distinct "Hublotness" to its case, but quite oddly for me, no fan of Hublot, I liked it from day 1. To me, the case, or at least the bezel, is almost more of a rounded Patek Nautilus, lacking screws in the bezel, but with a brushed top surface, a finely beveled and polished slope, and the rest of the top part of the case brushed. It's subtler than a Big Bang, or at least, the case is. The Defy's case is very bold and strong, but it isn't especially in your face. It looks and feels extremely well made. The unusual shape of the case has precedent in the brand's history. Fans usually call this the "vintage" case, I suppose thanks to Zenith reissuing it in a model called the "New Vintage" for the El Primero's 40th anniversary.

Having the watch on my wrist in real life didn't change my feeling about how it looks; I liked it in photos and I liked it in person.










Sadly, the model I really wanted to see, the much more subdued non-skeletonized model, wasn't available, so that'll have to wait. I think the skeletonization, although perhaps not for me, was a smart choice for Zenith, because they really want to showcase this crazy new movement, and because you can actually see the separate balance wheels from the front of the watch, it really makes a statement. That said, I do expect to like the more conventional dial more.

There is so much more to talk about these watches, but I'll get to that down the road in the review. Also, please remember that these are just prototypes, so some things may change.​


----------



## dizneyman (Nov 18, 2013)

Great writeup thanks. "Hublotness", pretty funny as I thought the same, but you expressed it better. Cheers, life is good.​


----------



## Timeless: Now WoS (Jan 18, 2010)

dizneyman said:


> Great writeup thanks. "Hublotness", pretty funny as I thought the same, but you expressed it better. Cheers, life is good.​


How do you feel about its Hublotness? Is it overstated by collectors or do you think it fits?


----------



## Hartmut Richter (Feb 13, 2006)

In my opinion, the term is apt - and because of that, the design, sadly, not at all to my liking. It is a sad day that Zenith has to borrow designs from others - and an even sadder day that it is made by others to borrow in this way!

Hartmut Richter


----------



## Timeless: Now WoS (Jan 18, 2010)

Hartmut Richter said:


> In my opinion, the term is apt - and because of that, the design, sadly, not at all to my liking. It is a sad day that Zenith has to borrow designs from others - and an even sadder day that it is made by others to borrow in this way!
> 
> Hartmut Richter


What specifically would you highlight as its most Hublotesque features?


----------



## EnderW (Mar 16, 2015)

I don't see Hublot here... Modern styling - sure. Skeletonization - without a doubt. Hublot - not so much.

I have to say - these watches impressed me. 44mm and in-your-face style is very different from my collection. Yet, because of tiny lugs, I found it very wearable on my puny 6.25" wrist. And because of case styling and dial design - it actually looks really good. I'm now seriously considering one of these, even though none of my watches get close to this size.
This is certainly a conversation piece.


----------



## Timeless: Now WoS (Jan 18, 2010)

EnderW said:


> I don't see Hublot here... Modern styling - sure. Skeletonization - without a doubt. Hublot - not so much.
> 
> I have to say - these watches impressed me. 44mm and in-your-face style is very different from my collection. Yet, because of tiny lugs, I found it very wearable on my puny 6.25" wrist. And because of case styling and dial design - it actually looks really good. I'm now seriously considering one of these, even though none of my watches get close to this size.
> This is certainly a conversation piece.
> View attachment 12629289


That's a really good point. The lugs really hug the case so it wears a little smaller, especially due to the really bold bezel. It's still a large watch, of course, just not uselessly large.


----------



## Hartmut Richter (Feb 13, 2006)

1. The overall case shape

2. The distinctive raised bezel

3. The added end links on the strap that make the case look tonneau shaped

4. The lack of dial, making the watch look "industrially skeletised"

...and possibly some more I can't place my finger on at present. Sure, you may well say "There are loads of other watches with those features out there" - and you would be right. However, those watches don't necessarily have all these features together. On top of that (the emotional aspect), none of the others are in the same group as Hublot, had their CEO removed and replaced by the former CEO of Hublot and then started to make watches looking like Hublot watches!!!

Some might welcome Zenith watches looking like Hublot watches. I am not among them. For one thing, I was never the greatest fan of the Hublot style (although I could just about live with that) but I was most certainly never a great fan of what I would think of as the Hublot philosophy. Making (overly) huge and chunky watches, putting copies of generic movements inside and calling them in house, making all black watches that you can barely use to read the time off and that are deliberately called mere fashion statements..... All these things have at some time happened in Hublot's recent history under JCB.

Hartmut Richter


----------



## davelemi (Mar 28, 2016)

Wow! Thank you for the wrist shot. At 44mm it actually wears well on your smaller wrist due to those lugs.


----------



## js1 (Jul 7, 2011)

I really like the watch. It wears much smaller than it looks - because of the lack of lugs obviously.
The watch is really light. The chrono seconds hand movement is mesmerizing - one revolution feels slower than 1 second.
Really nice watch with excellent technology.

Now to try the full dial version.


----------



## mitar98 (Jan 21, 2016)

I have to agree with a lot of what has been said. It does, at the end of day, look like a skeletonized Hublot. I really like Zenith and have toyed a lot with the idea of getting a chronomaster. However, I am not sure I like the direction they are going with this. Sure, its owned by the same company and Biver is co-managing these brands but I would have liked there to be more distinction between the brands. Now, someone could argue that a lot of watches look very similar today - which is a fair point. However, Zenith, in my mind, was always able to walk the fine line of offering a sporty watch that looked classic. This doesn't look classy anymore.


----------



## js1 (Jul 7, 2011)

Well said. Zenith was always on the sporty/classy side.
This latest gig with those strange musicians and that diamond 21 doesn't look like Zenith at all.
I wanted the 21, just waited for full dial. Now I don't know any more.


----------



## Boding (Sep 13, 2013)

EnderW said:


> I don't see Hublot here... Modern styling - sure. Skeletonization - without a doubt. Hublot - not so much.
> 
> I have to say - these watches impressed me. 44mm and in-your-face style is very different from my collection. Yet, because of tiny lugs, I found it very wearable on my puny 6.25" wrist. And because of case styling and dial design - it actually looks really good. I'm now seriously considering one of these, even though none of my watches get close to this size.
> This is certainly a conversation piece.
> View attachment 12629289


Is this version with the blue bridges a special edition of the Defy 21? Looks especially appealing to me.


----------



## Renown99 (Dec 3, 2016)

I have one on hold in Aruba. I was going to get another Panerai but when I saw this one I liked it and decided to order it. Going in March to pick it up. A lot cheaper there than in Canada. I tried it on at the local AD here. Beautiful watch in my opinion.


----------



## chriscentro (Nov 11, 2012)

I haven't seen one in person but I love what I see online. 
Btw, is servicing cost high at Zenith?


----------



## Hartmut Richter (Feb 13, 2006)

Depends on what you think is high. Their service rates are on the internet. An El Primero can easily reach 500 Euros - on the basic version (Cal. 400). The others are a little more.

Hartmut Richter


----------



## js1 (Jul 7, 2011)

These bracelet and the combo look stunning!


----------



## socciomz (Aug 7, 2015)

Sporty and busy in a good way. That strap sophisticates in, and makes it wearable in lot more settings. Love the watch, just read about them yesterday. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## WTSP (May 6, 2012)

js1 said:


> These bracelet and the combo look stunning!


Do you think there's a parallel between the Defy 21 bracelet and some of Zenith's classic models? I thought it looks a bit like a Girard Perregaux Loreato at first, but then I remembered the Zenith "TV screen" and other models from the 70s.


----------



## js1 (Jul 7, 2011)

For sure it's a modern take on the classic design. Very well executed I must say. Still impressed by this combo.
TV screen is very nice indeed!


----------



## js1 (Jul 7, 2011)

The full dial on bracelet looks even better! It's a much cleaner design.

DEFY El Primero 21 44.mm - 95.9001.9004/01.M9000


----------



## WTSP (May 6, 2012)

js1 said:


> The full dial on bracelet looks even better! It's a much cleaner design.
> 
> DEFY El Primero 21 44.mm - 95.9001.9004/01.M9000
> 
> View attachment 12818199


It does look pretty good. I wish that they had implemented some sort of linear power reserve display located lower on the dial. That way the Zenith logo and star could have been placed on a more central position as opposed to being crammed up at twelve o'clock. I'm sure that we'll see many other iterations though.


----------



## js1 (Jul 7, 2011)

Now that you said that, it’s really pretty high up. The star even overlaps the ring slightly. Interesting design choice. Maybe it’s just the renders.


----------



## js1 (Jul 7, 2011)

I saw non-skeleton version at my AD yesterday. The logo looks spot on in person, not too high at all.
This version is stunning. Can't wait to see it on bracelet.


----------

