Zenith releases the Defy Extreme E ‘Island X Prix’ watch
The all new Zenith’s limited edition watch is made to celebrate the Extreme E racing series
Extreme E Rally is an international off-road racing series where specially built electric SUV’s race through remote parts of the world.
Zenith is the official timekeeper and founding partner of the Extreme E series. To celebrate the second season of this electric rally race, the swiss manufacturer has released the Zenith Defy Extreme E “Island X Prix” limited production watch which pays a tribute to the double header Island race that took place from July 6th-7th and July 9th-10th 2022 on the Island of Sardinia in Italy.
This is not the first time Zenith has released a special edition for the Extreme E racing series, and Zenith plans to create a series of different Defy Extreme Carbon watches, each paying a tribute to different races. The previous edition paid tribute to the “Desert X Prix” race that took place in Saudi Arabia.
This special edition is based on the ultra-lightweight Defy Extreme Carbon edition, but the “Island X Prix” incorporates upcycled materials from the Extreme E racing cars itself.
The new Zenith Defy Extreme E “Island X Prix” features an angular 45mm case made out of carbon fiber. It’s pusher protectors and the 12-sided bezel are made out of micro blasted titanium while the pushers and the screw down crown are carbon fiber units. The watch boasts 200 meters of water resistance as well as a pair of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal on both the sides of the watch.
The watch gets a power reserve indicator at the 12 o’clock position and the three subdials receive a bright orange finish, the official color of the Island X Prix race. Hints of the orange color can be found throughout the entire dial. The rhodium plated hands and hour markers receive a coating of Super-LumiNova SLN C1 for easy viewing in very low light conditions.
Like the other versions of the Zenith Defy Extreme Carbon edition, the new “Island X Prix” also features a multi-layered openworked dial that lets you see the very advanced high-frequency 1/100th of a second chronograph movement which is it’s pièce de résistance. This 9004 self winding chronograph movement is celebrated for being the highest frequency automatic chronograph in production that is capable of providing you 1/100th of a second time measurements. What makes this movement even more special is that it features two different escapements, each with it’s own frequency. The timekeeping side of the watch already runs on a high rate of 36,000 vph (5Hz) while the chronograph escapement runs at a mind boggling 360,000 vph (50Hz). The benefit of using two different escapements is that it permits you to measure incredibly precise partial seconds while still being able to provide users a power reserve of 50 hours.
The strap of the Zenith Defy Extreme E watch, is in the official orange color and it is made out of the CrossContact tires that were used during the first season of the races supporting the message of sustainability. Two additional straps are also provided with the watch which are black rubber and black velcro, and the strap changes are made easy with zenith’s tool-free attachment system. Zenith further promotes the message of sustainability with a watch case made out of various recycled materials that were used during the races that is both waterproof and crushproof.
The Zenith Defy Extreme E “Island X Prix” will retail for $27,100 with only 20 pieces limited production and will be available for purchase only from physical Zenith Boutiques around the globe.
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