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The Zenith Defy Extreme Ultraviolet is bold, unapologetically big, and has major wrist presence. And we love it!

The Zenith DEFY Extreme is a cool watch, no matter how you look at it. This is the third DEFY Extreme I’ve been able to wear, and every time I put one on my wrist, it just feels right.

Yes, it’s not exactly a technical analysis to start a watch review with, but there’s something about these watches that makes me smile. Last year, when I reviewed the DEFY Extreme Diver Shadow, I found it to be a surprisingly easy-wearing watch thanks to the titanium construction and the way Zenith has crafted the case design and bracelet. It wore exceptionally well on the wrist, although slightly smaller at 42.5mm.

However, I did then spend some time with the DEFY Extreme Lapis Lazuli with the high-polish two-tone case, which would be the Ultraviolet’s more flamboyant cousin. Again, easy to wear, but on the heavier side thanks to the steel and gold case construction.

So, now I get the chance to fuse two worlds – the microblasted titanium case of the diver with the look of the Extreme Chronograph in the new DEFY Extreme Ultraviolet, on the rubber strap, and see how it feels to take it out on the wrist for a week.

Initial Thoughts

The DEFY Extreme Ultraviolet is just that: Violet, or purple if you’re not into naming shades of a colour. Not only do I have the pops of purple on the dial, but I’ve also got the matching purple rubber strap, which is incredibly comfortable on the wrist. The Ultraviolet really stands out, and this is only accentuated by the rubber strap.

What I love most about this watch is the combination of the purple and fluorescent yellow accents on the dial and hands. It creates something a little different from the colour combinations you would normally see on a watch. And the wearing experience is great. It is weirdly comfortable, and on the lighter side for a larger watch, so this plays with your mind somewhat. It is genuinely enjoyable.

It’s big, it’s chunky, it’s bold, but that’s exactly the appeal of this piece. At the end of the day, you’re not buying a DEFY Extreme to be subtle. You’re buying it to be noticed. And notice it you do!

The Design

I’ve covered quite a lot of the design elements of the DEFY Extreme over the past couple of years in various reviews, and the wider Watch Advice team has also covered the releases of these pieces. They’re unapologetically large and bold, but that’s also what I love about them.

The edgy, almost brutalist design of the case, with its many facets and sharp edges, looks as if it has drawn inspiration from modern architecture. In fact, the DEFY range draws inspiration from modern design cues rather than the watch world, and the DEFY Extreme has an industrial feel unlike almost anything else on the market.

The way the chronograph pushers are angled into the case makes them surprisingly ergonomic to use, and I found operating the 1/100th of a second chronograph both easy and intuitive. Combined with the screw-down crown and 200 metres of water resistance, it makes for a seriously robust watch.

The transparent purple sapphire dial, combined with the semi-skeletonised construction beneath it, really comes alive in bright light and allows you to catch glimpses of the El Primero movement underneath. In lower light or indoors, you don’t notice the transparency as much, but the purple rehaut still stands out, as does the fluorescent yellow “100” at the 12 o’clock position.

The rubber strap is equally well thought out. It’s detailed, faceted and reinforced, giving it a solid, premium feel. Paired with the sandblasted titanium folding clasp with push-button release, it’s easy to get on and off the wrist. Now, the watch does come with an interchangeable titanium bracelet and a black Velcro strap too, but we had it on the rubber for the sake of this review due to the DEFY Extreme Shadow being reviewed on the bracelet.

The design carries all the hallmarks of the DEFY collection from Zenith, except everything has been turned up several notches.

How It Wears

As I mentioned earlier, for such a large, chunky watch, the DEFY Extreme is surprisingly comfortable. If it were made from steel, it would be substantially heavier, but the titanium construction makes it wear much lighter than its appearance would suggest.

Because of the almost lugless design, the strap integrates seamlessly into the case and wraps naturally around the wrist. So while you’re certainly aware of the watch visually, you don’t necessarily feel its weight throughout the day. In fact, out of all the larger watches I’ve worn over the years, the DEFY Extreme, especially on the rubber strap, is one of the best on the wrist, hands down. Now, I will caveat that I have 17.5cm wrists. Anyone with small wrists may want to rethink it, but Champs wore it as well on his 16.5cm wrist and still looked and felt good, according to him.

This isn’t a watch you wear with every outfit or for every occasion. I’d describe it as a weekend warrior — something you throw on casually when you want to have a bit of fun and make a statement. The colourway certainly lends itself to that, and so does the overall design. If you are a suit-and-tie person, you may want to rethink this one on the weekdays, but it allows you to let your hair down on the weekend. However, if you are like me and don’t wear a suit to work, then this could be a watch that takes you out of the daily grind, even for a little bit.

The 1/100th of a second chronograph is undoubtedly the showstopper, or as I call it, a great party trick. The central chronograph hand completes one full rotation of the dial every second, allowing timing accuracy down to one hundredth of a second. A dedicated sub-dial tracks the chronograph seconds, while another records up to 30 minutes of elapsed time. It also has its own mainspring to power it, which I’ll talk more about shortly, that you can wind separately. Again, a fun thing to do.

Funnily enough, after wearing this watch for about a week, you begin to appreciate it for exactly what it is. That’s probably the best way I can describe the ownership experience. A fun, bold, cool (insert a range of other positive superlatives here at your leisure). As I said earlier, you don’t wear a DEFY Extreme to blend in. You wear a DEFY Extreme because you want to stand out.

The Movement

Flip the watch over, and you’re greeted by the El Primero calibre 9004 beneath Zenith’s signature purple star-shaped rotor. It’s become something of a hallmark of the DEFY range, with the openworked five-pointed star rotor revealing even more of the movement beneath. Being the Ultraviolet edition, Zenith has finished the rotor in matching purple, tying together the overall design beautifully.

What sets the Calibre 9004 apart from other El Primero movements is the dual escapement. One for timekeeping, the other for the insane 50Hz chronograph. The rotor powers the main module for the time, whereas the chronograph has its own mainspring that can be wound via the crown, with its own power reserve indicator on the dial. This ensures that the power-hungry 50Hz chronograph doesn’t suck the 50 hours of power from the main movement, as well as alleviating excess wear and tear on the movement itself.

I like that Zenith has come up with this style of mechanism, as it shows how the brand is thinking a little outside of the box, and it says a lot about what Zenith stands for as a brand that prides itself on technical excellence and accuracy.

Final Thoughts

When I reviewed the DEFY Extreme Diver Shadow Edition last year, I really enjoyed it and thought it was a genuinely fun watch. Getting hands-on with the two-tone DEFY Extreme Lapis was a completely different experience due to the materials combined with the size. But, after spending a week with the Ultraviolet, though, I think it takes things up a notch on both these previous models.

What this shows is that you can take a similar, if not the same, design, and make it feel very different with the materials and colours used. The way the purple contrasts against the dark grey microblasted titanium transforms it from what could have been another stealth-style sports watch into something aggressive, modern and full of personality.

Some people like to elevate an outfit with their watch. Others like to fully embrace the sports watch aesthetic. Zenith, with the DEFY Extreme collection, seems to say, “We really don’t care about fitting into either category.” It is a watch for people who want something different. Something fun. Something you’re simply not going to see on many other wrists.

In fact, I can’t remember ever seeing a DEFY Extreme out in the wild, whether it’s at a café, an airport, or just walking down the street. I know people own them, and I’ve certainly seen plenty on social media, but they’re far from common. To me, that’s a good thing, as after a while collecting, owning and working with watches, you start to look for a watch that isn’t on everyone’s wrist.

I’ve owned plenty of watches over the years, both large and small, and while I generally gravitate towards slightly smaller pieces these days compared to my early collecting years when I loved oversized watches, the Zenith DEFY Extreme bucks that trend for me, and brings me right back to that time.

I could quite easily see one of these in my collection because it’s unapologetically bold, genuinely fun and, despite its size, remarkably easy to wear. Whether it’s a weekend away or simply running errands, it’s the sort of watch I’d happily have on my wrist because every time I glance down at it, it makes me smile.

References & Specifications

Feature	Specification
Reference	97.9100.9004/80.I209
Dimensions	45mm case diameter x 51mm lug-to-lug x 15.1mm thickness
Case	Micro-blasted titanium
Dial	Openworked with violet-tinted sapphire, black & purple accents and Super-LumiNova filled hands and indices
Crystal	Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Caseback	Open, sapphire
Movement	Automatic El Primero Cal. 9004 with 1/100th second chronograph
Beat Rate	5Hz / 36,000VpH for the main movement 50Hz / 360,000VpH for the chronograph
Functions	Small seconds, hour and minute. 1/100th second chronograph, chronograph seconds and 30-minute counter. Chronograph power reserve at 12 o’clock
Power Reserve	50 hours for the main movement Approx 50 minutes for the chronograph
Beat Rate	5Hz / 36,000VpH (Standard) 50Hz / 360,000VpH (Chronograph)
Water Resistance	200m / 20bar
Strap/Bracelet	Interchangeable violet rubber strap with titanium folding clasp / black Velcro strap / titanium bracelet with butterfly clasp

Australian Retail Price: A$31,300

Availability: Available from Zenith retailers, or online at Zenith-Watches.com

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