Zenith Revamps a 1969 Classic with New Defy Revival

The retro Revival A3642 edition celebrates the watchmaker’s storied roots.

Zenith‘s elegant, luxurious watches fall squarely in two camps: That of time-honored historical revivals, literally, and that of must-own timepieces for modern-day watch collectors. The new Zenith DEFY Revival A3642 just happens to fit nicely in both categories, and is but the latest and most refined way to step up your wrist game this new year.

It’s been unearthed from the vault, so to speak, which happens to be packed with plenty of history-making timepieces, like the Zenith El Primero. The new Zenith DEFY Revival is historic in its own right, and according to the famed watchmaker, it’s “a modern reproduction and a celebration of Zenith’s DNA.”

The DEFY Revival recreates the first DEFY watch from 1969, which also happens to be the year the El Primero Watch first graced the wrists of stylish guys everywhere.

The unique features on this timepiece would be impressive even if the watch weren’t a nod to the brand’s illustrious history. A 14-sided bezel proves a work of art, at once visually striking and yet understated without going too over the top.

The Zenith DEFY Revival, with its rich, deep bronze-hued dial, was given the nickname  coffre-fort or “bank vault”, perhaps a fitting tag given both its elegance and its investment-level (yet ultimately worthy) price tag — it retails for $7,000 at the Zenith digital boutique.

The timepiece even uses the original 1969 production plans to deliver a visually striking final product.

If you want a piece of wearable history, you’ll have to act quickly: Just 250 models are on sale right now.

The handsome DEFY Revival uses a steel ladder bracelet to further differentiate itself from other watches in your rotation, never a bad move when you’re looking to upgrade your collection in a historic, authentic and yet modern fashion.

Within this timepiece, you’ll find another thing which Zenith tends to do extraordinarily well: A precise movement known as the Elite 670 automatic manufacture movement.

It’s also sized at 37mm in terms of case diameter, another understated touch that helps this watch bridge the gap between sporty dive watches and dressier stainless steel watches.

This movement’s impressive power reserve (50 hours when fully wound) also nods to the quality and accuracy of the movement.

The watch itself, like the El Primero, proved a watershed moment for Zenith, as both watches became icons in their own right.

To hear Zenith tell it, this watch is yet another important step in the watchmaker’s legacy: “With the DEFY Revival A3642, Zenith is not only bringing back one of its most daring and outstanding references from the 1960s, but also highlighting the unique genesis of the Manufacture’s boldest and most innovative collection by returning to the source.”

For a watch that clocks in under $10K, it sounds like the right balance of classic history and modern style is close at hand.