The word from Zenith as they launch a box set of four Defy Extreme E models. The Defy Extreme is a skeleton dial model, with all its impressive engineering on show, powered by the famous El Primero movement. Not a battery in sight, all gears n cogs. Beautiful. Can we say those recycled straps are beautiful as the watch movement? Hmm, not sure.
Zenith makes a great deal of the recycling involved in the watch – strap made from old Conti tyres, old tarpaulin made into the box etc. They are also keen on rewilding the desert at Neom in the press kit, which is the futuristic city where you can live in a sort of long corridor of greenery, waterfalls and shopping malls, covered by a tinted glass roof.
But is it really eco-effective to turn the desert into some kind of Eden project for the rich and their servants? Surely the same billions could be spent turning already habitable land and cities into more energy efficient places to live and work, or creating more arable land to grow more food for Earth’s ever expanding population? We can understand why watch brands are allying themselves to the Globalist ideology, they have all the money and power right now, but it’s still tedious to wade through woke PR guff when what really matters is the quality of the timepiece, its heritage, manufacturing spirit and design. Like woke politics in sports, it will all backfire on the brands one day. Maybe.
Anyway, if you are a fan of electric cars rallying around the deserts, or other terrain, then here’s the word from Zenith on their gift set. Each watch costs 29,600 CHF by the way, or about £26,500 per watch. At over 100K for the set this collection is the preserve of super-wealthy watch fans and the limited number of just 20 suggests this will be a rare box set in the future.
The third season of EXTREME E is set to start this weekend in NEOM, promising to be even more action-packed than ever. To mark the occasion, ZENITH is offering the rare opportunity to acquire all four DEFY Extreme E Season 2 pieces numbered 0/20 in a one-of-a-kind box set.
Ahead of the debut of the 2023 Extreme E championship, which ZENITH is proudly continuing to support as its Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner, the Manufacture is offering a unique opportunity to acquire all four editions of the DEFY Extreme E pieces in a single boxed set – all bearing the special limited edition number of “0/20”.
Crafted in lightweight yet rugged carbon fibre and titanium and featuring the high-frequency 1/100th of a second El Primero 21 movement, each of the four pieces bears the official colours of a championship race: Yellow for Desert X Prix, orange for Island X Prix, purple for Energy X Prix and coppery-brown for Copper X Prix.
The lucky buyers will also bag some more collectables, including a signed helmet from the Extreme E series, plus a VIP pass for a race.