Zenith has once again dug deep into its archives and is back with the Defy Revival A3648 dive replica watches for sale.
1969 was a pivotal year for Zenith. The Manufacture launched the El Primero automatic chronograph, which would become one of the most influential movements of all time. In addition to this landmark feat, Zenith also launched the powerful Defy collection that same year. This series of sporty watches featured an unprecedented design, with an octagonal case and a 14-sided bezel. In recent years, Zenith has been experimenting with the historical blueprint of the original Defy and recreating it stylishly in the Defy Revival collection. Following a series of time-and-date models, it was time for the Defy Revival to go even further. The result? The avant-garde Zenith Defy Revival A3648, based on the 1969 original.
As mentioned above, the Defy collection was first introduced in 1969 with several time-and-date watches, in addition to a 600-meter water-resistant diver’s watch called the Defy Plongeur. At the time, it was known as “The Vault” for its ultra-robust construction, a feature that has been retained in this new version that is faithful to the original.
The first models were already quite impressive when they were first released, but even today, their design remains very expressive and attractive. In the Defy Revival series, Zenith has taken a step forward by directly recreating the original Defy concept, starting with the A3642, A3691 and A3690, which feature gradient brown, red or turquoise dials. This was followed by the Defy Revival Shadow Titanium, which took a looser approach to the Revival concept, and now this one. best fake watches
Launched alongside the very modern Defy Extreme Diver, this new Defy Revival A3648 faithfully recreates the look of the 1969 original. The exterior is a 1:1 recreation of the original, which means we’re looking at a 37mm x 15.5mm stainless steel case. The octagonal base is topped by a 14-sided rotating bezel with an orange sapphire inlay. The screw-down crown is located at 04:30 and the watch is water-resistant to 600 meters, just like the original.
The dial has a deep black center surrounded by a wide orange chapter ring. The hands and hour markers are shaped exactly like the 1969 version and are generously coated with Super-LumiNova to improve readability in low-light conditions. The date window interrupts the minute track at 04:30, just like the original.
Under the sapphire crystal caseback, the Zenith Elite 670 movement roars, a movement that also appears in other Defy Revival models as well as the elegant Elite series (obviously). This automatic movement is produced in-house by Zenith and beats at 28,800vph. The power reserve is up to 50 hours, driven by a semi-skeletonised rotor, and the Zenith star logo is clearly visible.
While other Defy Revival models come with the iconic trapezoidal bracelet, the Defy Plongeur and Defy Revival A3648 do not. Instead, it has a five-link bracelet with solid links and a folding clasp with a diving suit extension, modelled after the original bracelet designed by Gay Frères in 1969.
If this vintage style isn’t your cup of tea, the rugged Defy Extreme Diver might be a good choice. This watch takes the spirit of the original Defy Plongeur in a more modern direction. Either way, both watches are great for diving! It may not be for everyone, but in my opinion, saying they lack originality would be a serious disservice to the collection.
Technical Specifications – ZENITH DEFY REVIVAL A3648
Case: 37mm diameter x 15.5mm thickness – Stainless steel, based on the original 1969 octagonal case, with 14-sided bezel, brushed and polished – Unidirectional rotating bezel in steel with orange sapphire – Screw-down crown at 4:30 – Domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective treatment on both sides, sapphire crystal case back – 600m water resistance
Dial: Matt black centre – Orange chapter ring with white transferred indexes, treated with Super-LumiNova C1 – Orange hour, minute and second hands with SLN C1 – Date window at 4:30
Movement: Zenith Elite 670 – Manufacture, automatic – 28,800vph 7 4Hz – 50h power reserve – Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Strap: Stainless steel, brushed and polished, replica of the original Gay Frères strap from 1969 – folding clasp with extension system
Reference: 03.A3648.670/21.M3648