ZENITH DEFY EXTREME LAPIS LAZULI II: PRECISION IN A STUDY OF NATURAL STONE AND ENGINEERED CARBON

ZENITH’s latest creation, the DEFY Extreme Lapis Lazuli II, takes an established idea and pushes it into a distinctly darker register. Developed as a continuation of the Maison’s exploration of natural stone within its high-performance chronographs, the new edition replaces the polished steel and yellow gold of the earlier Lapis Lazuli model with forged carbon and titanium.

The contrast is deliberate. Lapis lazuli, formed by geological processes over immense periods of time, has an irregular surface and naturally occurring pyrite inclusions that make each section of stone visually individual. Forged carbon, by comparison, is an engineered material chosen for its lightness and structural properties. Set together within the 45 mm DEFY Extreme architecture, the two create a watch defined by opposing textures: the stone introduces colour and variation, while the case delivers a distinctly technical, matte finish.

The concept also reflects a central aspect of the DEFY Extreme collection. Rather than concealing its mechanics behind a conventional dial, the watch exposes much of its construction through an openworked display. Against this intricate background, the blue lapis lazuli counters provide moments of colour and depth. Their natural pyrite inclusions can produce subtle golden flashes as the surface catches the light, adding an element that cannot be reproduced identically from one piece to another.

The visual composition is completed by yellow-gold-plated applied indexes and hands coated with Super-LumiNova, maintaining legibility while complementing the warmer tones within the stone. The arrangement remains highly functional: central hours and minutes are joined by a small seconds at nine o’clock, a 30-minute chronograph counter at three, a 60-second counter at six, and a chronograph power-reserve indication at twelve.

At the centre of the dial, the chronograph hand performs a complete revolution every second. This unusually rapid movement is not simply a visual detail; it reflects the architecture of the El Primero 9004 calibre that powers the watch.

The movement uses two independent escapements, separating conventional timekeeping from the high-frequency chronograph mechanism. The timekeeping escapement operates at 5 Hz, equivalent to 36,000 vibrations per hour, while the chronograph escapement operates at 50 Hz, or 360,000 vibrations per hour. This allows the chronograph to measure elapsed time to 1/100th of a second. ZENITH describes the DEFY Extreme’s architecture as the only mechanical chronograph in regular production capable of this level of measurement.

The dual-frequency construction is particularly significant because the two functions operate independently. The timekeeping mechanism offers a power reserve of approximately 50 hours, while the chronograph has a separate 50-minute reserve. The movement can also be viewed through the sapphire case back, where the specially finished oscillating weight is visible.

The specification extends beyond the movement. The carbon-and-titanium case measures 45 mm in diameter and offers water resistance to 20 ATM. The watch is supplied with a black rubber strap fitted with a folding clasp, alongside a black high-performance Velcro strap. Both can be exchanged using ZENITH’s interchangeable strap system, integrated into the case architecture.

This emphasis on advanced materials and high-frequency mechanics has deep roots within ZENITH’s history. Founded by Georges Favre-Jacot in Le Locle, Switzerland, in 1865, the Maison developed one of the earliest vertically integrated Swiss watchmaking manufactures, bringing multiple watchmaking disciplines together under one roof. The original Manufacture remains at the same site in Le Locle, in the Neuchâtel region, a town recognised as part of the UNESCO World Heritage landscape of Swiss watchmaking.

Precision became an early hallmark of the company. ZENITH records more than 2,333 chronometry prizes earned during the golden age of precision competitions, while its history includes hundreds of patents and numerous proprietary movements. That pursuit of accuracy found one of its defining expressions in 1969 with the introduction of El Primero, recognised by ZENITH as the world’s first automatic high-frequency chronograph.

The DEFY Extreme Lapis Lazuli II is therefore part of a longer technical lineage rather than an isolated exercise in contemporary materials. Its El Primero 9004 calibre carries forward the high-frequency philosophy associated with the El Primero name, while the DEFY architecture gives that mechanism a more open and assertive setting.

The use of lapis lazuli also connects the watch to an earlier ZENITH design exploration. The first DEFY Extreme Lapis Lazuli combined the blue stone with polished stainless steel and microblasted yellow gold, creating a brighter contrast between precious metal and natural material. The second edition changes the character considerably. Here, forged carbon absorbs much of the surrounding light, allowing the blue counters and gold-toned details to become the principal points of visual emphasis.

Limited to 25 pieces, the DEFY Extreme Lapis Lazuli II is positioned firmly within ZENITH’s contemporary haute horlogerie offering. Its individuality comes partly from the stone itself, but also from the way the natural material is incorporated into a highly engineered mechanical object. The result is neither an attempt to disguise the technical character of the DEFY Extreme nor an exercise in ornament for its own sake. Instead, the watch allows contrasting materials to retain their own identities.

The model is available through ZENITH boutiques, the Maison’s online channels and authorised retailers worldwide. In the United Arab Emirates, ZENITH’s current official store locator lists boutiques at Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, alongside an authorised retailer at Calibre 88 in Dubai and an official location at DFS Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The DEFY Extreme Lapis Lazuli II ultimately demonstrates how contemporary watchmaking can find character in the meeting of materials that behave very differently. Carbon brings controlled engineering, titanium contributes strength with reduced weight, and lapis lazuli introduces an element of natural variation that no manufacturing process can completely standardise. Within ZENITH’s high-frequency mechanical framework, that tension becomes the defining quality of the watch: precision remains exact, while the surface tells a less predictable story.