Iconic watch art prints. Made in Switzerland, lifetime guarantee

The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

I was able to get my hands on this magnificent example of the Zenith DEFY reference A3645 NATO equipment. The faceted case looks a bit like a bolt with a succession of geometric shapes and different polishes. The glass is composed of a first belt then a domed one which gives the whole a very nice coherence. The dial with its hands and indexes typical of the 70s brings a discreet charm. Everything fits together, the 37mm is enough to bring a presence, the thickness is contained to house the 4hz auto movement, the black rally strap is discreet. The icing on the cake, this example is incredibly well preserved. It is a discreet watch but which displays a beautiful personality that I love to take out as a Daily.

A Defy over 50 years old

This 250-piece edition Opphav Damascus green dial model is simply magnificent! It captures the light in a crazy way and darkens completely in low light. The indexes and hands are very well finished. The caseback is nicely decorated to avoid a direct view of the undecorated movement. The comfort and consistency of the watch are excellent.

An exceptional dial

This version with a rubber strap is breathtaking!
Even the strap is of remarkable quality, solid and supple, with a textured pattern that's both pleasant to the touch and to the eye.
The dial seems alive in varying light. It's vivid, expressive, and impressive as soon as a ray of sunlight caresses its surface. The watch's highly accomplished and special construction speaks volumes about how everything holds together. There are four hollows around the 3, 6, 9, and 12 hour markers, and the dial is held by the circumference of the caseband. The decoration of the ETA 2892 A2 movement is fantastic, and thanks to the large opening in the back case, the whole thing can be easily admired. The caseband and lugs benefit from exemplary hand-polishing, worthy of the finest Japanese watchmakers. Under a magnifying glass, it's simply incredibly precise and exemplary in its execution. The shape of the lugs, the date window, the crown, and the concave side shapes of the case are perfectly balanced. The different polishes reflect from black to mirror-like, which is stunning.

A high-level identity and finish

The Zenith brand was created in 1865 by Georges Favre-Jacot in Le Locle, Switzerland. A pioneer in Swiss watchmaking in the creation of a true vertically integrated manufacture, Zenith aimed to create the most precise watch of its time at the best price. Over the years, it has established itself as a benchmark for precision and expertise in many fields.
In 1899, the marque Zenith presents its first pocket chronograph and wins various prizes, including first prize at the Paris Motor Show. In 1911 Georges Favre-Jacot handed over management of the factory to his descendants, who named it Zenith, the name of the highest point in the trajectory of a star in the sky.
In 1920, Zenith launched its first wristwatches and continued its development until, in 1960, it purchased the Martel Watch Co. Nine years later, the brand gave birth to the El Primero movement, the first chronograph equipped with a rotor winding mechanism. central. This world first makes El Primero today the most precise mass-produced movement in the world, thanks to its balance wheel and its cadence of ten vibrations per second. Over the years, Zenith will sign numerous innovations. The company owns three of the largest movements: the El Primero integrated automatic chronograph, the 22-line manual 5011K and the ultra-thin mechanical Elite, all available with several complications, moon phase, dual time, fly-back.
After numerous buyouts, the company that owns the Zenith factory decides to stop the production of mechanical watches in favor of quartz. In order to save these calibers from destruction, Charles Vermot hid cams, cutting tools, presses and machines, while recording the production process in a small notebook, secretly hoping for the return of mechanical movements. It was only nine years later that Zenith returned to the hands of Swiss investors who revived the brand's mechanical movements such as the El Primero.
The range now includes models like the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/zenith/defy_skyline"> Zenith Defy Skyline</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/zenith/chronomaster_original"> Zenith Chronomaster Original</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/zenith/defy_extreme"> Zenith Defy Extreme</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/zenith/chronomaster_el_primero_open"> Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Open</a> and the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/zenith/captain_chronograph"> Zenith Captain Chronograph</a>.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a Zenith watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Zenith watches sold on the brand's website vary between $6,400 and $194,900 depending on the models and finishes. As an example, count $11,300 for a Zenith Chronomaster Sport and $85,600 for a Zenith Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon.
<h2 dir="ltr">Zenith: A fantastic story that goes beyond the El Primero movement&nbsp;</h2>
Zenith is a brand owned since 2000 by the LVMH group, in the same way as the brands <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/tag_heuer">Tag Heuer</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/hublot"> Hublot</a> or<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/bulgari"> Bulgari</a>, and produces around 11,000 watches per year, all models combined. The reputation of the Zenith brand is illustrated by its presence in the ranking of<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_luxury_watch_brands"> Most popular luxury watch brands</a>. To choose a Zenith that best suits you, the Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real owner experience.
(Updated January 2024)

Model that I knew when Zenith released the revival, I went in search of the original model. 
I who like divisive watches, with this Zenith we are served. 
A case with a lot of edge, rounding, polishing, brushing and a bezel described as a "bolt". 
A safe of time as Zenith said when it was released in 1968 to highlight its solidity and its water resistance. 
Mine is equipped with the 2552PC movement, the very first version of the defy, a real tractor that still runs perfectly today. 
I also like its prominent crown, the faceted indexes that reflect a lot of light and its bracelet that gives an impression of integration into the case. 
Negative points, there are always some: wear and tear of time requires, mine has been relumed and polished and the "ladder" bracelet or scales signed Gay Frères is not the original one. 



Zenith Defy: the safe of time

I presented this watch on a street watch of the youtube channel Dialicious so for all the technical information I refer you to the video that you will easily find with the keywords tv-dial and zenith. During the presentation it was mounted on a poorly made Milanese mesh bracelet and I already mentioned my quest for the original gay-freres bracelet. It took me a year to find it, all things come to those who wait. A great meeting with the watch enthusiast who sold it to me, he had gotten his hands on a magnificent batch of GF "NOS" bracelets, including the famous so-called "ladder" bracelets that went on other defy ranges from the 70s. Mine is from 72. A pure sport chic look and undeniable originality. A retro-futuristic look that doesn't please everyone but personally I love it! I find it has a Gerald Gentesque side! On that note, I've already been told that it was copied from the design of the Nauticalius, to which I replied that it came out 4 years before this blockbuster... and there you go!

Zenith defy TV dial: the quest!

More and more interested in vintage and "original" cases, I really appreciated the reissue of this Zenith Defy, so I looked for the original, much more accessible and all the more charming with its patina. Totally won over upon receipt, I am delighted with the pleasure it brings me. Hyper recognizable by connoisseurs, it remains totally unknown to the general public. In this sense, it remains easy to wear on a daily basis. Delighted to wear this little jewel full of history.

The little vintage bolt “the safe of precision”

Here is a real Zenith Defy bolt from 1968. It was called "the safe" for its screwing system of the back.
the model of diving watch par excellence.
In this model, we find an original movement the 2552PC.
A real pleasure on the wrist with its angles,
its pretty reflections and its off-white dial..
An icon!!

Zenith DEFY called "safe"

What an amazing, simple but honest 70s style watch using a 5hz caliber! This reference 01-0160-346 is in mint condition. Caliber Zenith 34.6, day-date, genuine Zenith strap and buckle. It just ticks like as fast a Zenith El Primero. This vintage style Zenith is just outstanding… 300 bucks for such a piece, can you believe it? When you love those TV dials stuff, you can’t pass your way. 5 stars vintage!

Zenith+70s equals Zenith Defy TV Dial

Should I thank Xavier who convinced me of the benefits of vintage through videos?
The future will tell. But here it is more about the past since this sub sea from the 70s, nicknamed a safe at the time, has kept beautiful burgundy colors (sorry I do not spit on Margaux but I prefer Burgundy in general).
There you go, my first Zenith is here and I did not need to drill a safe to get it... I think I will give it a little polishing and I hesitate to find its original lobster bracelet because I think the leather suits it well.

Hang in there Marty, we're going back to 70

Having already bought a small Zenith for my wife (see my review on Dialicious) I told myself that I had to continue on the principle of "Duet Watches" as with our respective PRX. I came across the Bay on this small Defy in 34mm (in reality it is larger) at a very reasonable price. Unfortunately it did not work very well. After a quick visit to a passionate watchmaker who will recognize himself, the beauty has regained its luster and precision. Its bracelet reminds me of the Santos and is now living happily with its alter ego. These watches from the 70s definitely have a crazy charm with their integrated bracelet. Only regret: it is an ETA 2872 movement and not an in-house Zenith. However, the ticking at 4hz reminds us that we are already on a fast caliber. Note that the same model existed in quartz movement.

The Other Ego

La marque&nbsp;Serica a &eacute;t&eacute; cr&eacute;&eacute;e en 2019 par J&eacute;r&ocirc;me Burget et 3 amis &agrave; Paris, en France. Le nom Serica vient d'une r&eacute;gion perdue au bout de l'Extr&ecirc;me-Orient que les Grecs et les Romains avaient baptis&eacute;e ainsi. Ce lieu fait &eacute;cho &agrave; la gen&egrave;se de la marque, qui vise &agrave; concevoir des montres m&eacute;caniques de qualit&eacute; au style n&eacute;or&eacute;tro, pr&ecirc;tes &agrave; vous suivre aux confins du monde.
La gamme comprend des montres telles que la <a title="Page Serica 4512" href="https://www.dialicious.com/serica/4512">Serica 4512</a>, la <a title="Page Serica 5303" href="https://www.dialicious.com/serica/5303">Serica 5303</a> et la <a title="Page Serica 8315 GMT Chronom&egrave;tre" href="https://www.dialicious.com/serica/8315">Serica 8315</a>. L'une des particularit&eacute;s de cette marque est que son nom n'appara&icirc;t nulle part sur le cadran, afin de pousser le passionn&eacute; &agrave; acheter un design, des finitions et des proportions, et pas seulement un nom. En juillet 2023, Serica a lanc&eacute; la Serica 5303 COSC une version chronom&egrave;tre certifi&eacute;e par le Contr&ocirc;le Officiel Suisse des Chronom&egrave;tres.
Leur avant-dernier mod&egrave;le est la <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/serica/6190">Serica 6190</a> surfant sur les bases de la 1&egrave;re r&eacute;f&eacute;rence de la marque, la Serica 4512. Cette 6190 &eacute;pouse les codes stylistiques de la marque, des anses lyres, un choix de cadrans diff&eacute;rents et la possibilit&eacute; de choisir la position de la couronne &agrave; 3 heures ou en mode "Destro" &agrave; 9 heures. Cette Serica 6190 est &eacute;quip&eacute; du calibre Soprod M100 certifi&eacute; COSC (Contr&ocirc;le Officiel Suisse des Chronom&egrave;tres) &agrave; l'intar des productions actuelles des autres mod&egrave;les 5303 et 8315.&nbsp;
Depuis le 21 novembre 2024, Serica propose une nouvelle collection tr&egrave;s audacieuse...&nbsp;Une montre habill&eacute;e sortant des sentiers battus nomm&eacute;e "Parade" sous la r&eacute;f&eacute;rence 1174. Ces 4 chiffres, comme toutes les autres r&eacute;f&eacute;rences Serica, propose une symbolique issue du nombre d'or ou divines proportions dont le ratio entre la longeur et la largeur sont de 1,174... Une nouveaut&eacute; propos&eacute;e en pr&eacute;-commande &agrave; 1,490 &euro; pour une livraison pr&eacute;vue en Mars 2025...
<h2>Quel est le prix d'une montre Serica ?</h2>
Les prix des montres Serica &eacute;voluent et diff&eacute;rent selon les mod&egrave;les. La plupart co&ucirc;tent entre 990 &euro; et 1,890 &euro; selon les mod&egrave;les et finitions. Le mod&egrave;le GMT de la marque, Serica 8315 GMT Chronom&egrave;tre co&ucirc;te 1,890 &euro; tandis que le dernier mod&egrave;le lanc&eacute; par Serica, la r&eacute;f&eacute;rence <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/serica/6190">6190</a> est propos&eacute;e &agrave; 990 &euro;.
Serica est ind&eacute;pendante et produit environ 5,000 montres par an, tous mod&egrave;les confondus. Serica fait partie du <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_francaises">Top 10 des marques de montres fran&ccedil;aises les plus populaires</a>, ainsi que du <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_micro_marques_de_montres">Classement des meilleures micro-marques de montres</a>. Pour choisir le mod&egrave;le Serica qui vous correspond le mieux,&nbsp;les avis clients Dialicious sont une ressource essentielle pour &eacute;valuer les diff&eacute;rents mod&egrave;les &agrave; travers l'exp&eacute;rience r&eacute;elle des clients
(Mise &agrave; jour Novembre 2024)

The brand Serica was created in 2019 by J&eacute;r&ocirc;me Burget and 3 friends in Paris, France. The name Serica comes from a lost region at the end of the Far East that the Greeks and Romans named it like this. This place echoes the genesis of the brand, which aims to design quality mechanical watches in a neo-retro style, ready to follow you to the ends of the world.
The range includes watches such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/serica/4512">Serica 4512</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/serica/5303">Serica 5303</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/serica/8315">Serica 8315</a>. One of the particularities of this brand is that its name does not appear anywhere on the dial, in order to encourage the enthusiast to buy a design, finishes and proportions, and not just a name. In July 2023, Serica launched the Serica 5303 COSC, a chronometer version certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute.
The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/serica/6190">Serica 6190</a> surfing on the bases of the brand's first reference, the Serica 4512. This 6190 follows the stylistic codes of the brand, lyre lugs, a choice of different dials and the possibility of choosing the position of the crown at 3 o'clock or at &ldquo;Destro&rdquo; mode at 9 o&rsquo;clock. This Serica 6190 is powered with the Soprod M100 caliber COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Certification) certified, like the current productions of the other 5303 and 8315 models.&nbsp;
Since November 21, 2024, Serica has been offering a very daring new collection... A dress watch off the beaten track called &ldquo;Parade&rdquo; under the reference 1174. These 4 figures, like all other Serica references, offer a symbolism derived from the golden number or divine proportions whose ratio between length and width is 1.174... A novelty offered for pre-order at &euro; 1,490 for one delivery planned for March 2025...
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a Serica watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Serica watches change and differ depending on the model. Most cost between &euro; 990 and &euro; 1,890 depending on the models and finishes. The brand's GMT model, Serica 8315 GMT Chronometer costs &euro; 1,890 while the latest model launched by Serica, the reference&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/serica/6190">6190</a> is offered to &euro; 990.
Serica is independent and produces around 5,000 watches per year, all models combined. Serica is part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://preprod.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_french_watch_brands">Top 10 most popular French watch brands</a>, as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_micro_watch_brands">ranking the best micro watch brands</a>. To choose the Serica model that best suits you, <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/serica/5303">Serica 5303 reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/serica/4512">Serica 4512 reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/serica/6190">Serica 6190 reviews</a> or <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/serica/8315">Serica 8315 reviews</a> are an #1 resource for evaluating different models through real customer experience.
(Updated December 2025)

Zenith Defy Owner Review : Charming, superb and geometric

A Defy over 50 years old

Where to buy your Zenith?

YOU ARE :

Other reviews published by Olivier Le Gouj

Straum
Opphav Damascus

Minase
Divido 2.0

Other Zenith Defy owners' reviews

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Customize your Zenith with our selection of accessories:

ABP Concept

Iconic Switzerland

Eagle Eye Watches

Zenith Defy Owner Review : Charming, superb and geometric

A Defy over 50 years old

Where to buy your Zenith?

YOU ARE :

Other reviews published by Olivier Le Gouj

StraumOpphav Damascus

MinaseDivido 2.0

Other Zenith Defy owners' reviews

ZenithDefy

ZenithDefy

ZenithDefy

ZenithDefy

ZenithDefy

ZenithDefy

ZenithDefy

Customize your Zenith with our selection of accessories:

ABP Concept

Iconic Switzerland

Eagle Eye Watches

Straum
Opphav Damascus

Minase
Divido 2.0

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy

Zenith
Defy