Land Rover Joins Zenith to Create ‘Defy 21 Edition’ Watch to Celebrate New Defender

Land Rover teamed up with Zenith to design a special edition watch that is meant to celebrate the positioning of the new Defender as a motoring icon for the 21st century.

Just like the new Defender, the Defy 21 Land Rover Edition is not only highly desirable but is also modern and durable. The launch of the watch was planned to coincide with the arrival of New Defender, and the number of watches made was limited to only 250 pieces.

The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition is the latest outcome of the partnership between the renowned Swiss watchmaker and Land Rover which dates back four years.

Professor Gerry McGovern OBE, Land Rover Chief Creative Officer, said that in order to mark the next chapter of the company’s partnership with Zenith, Land Rover wanted a timepiece that managed to capture the essence of the new Land Rover Defender: modern, durable and highly desirable. He called the watch the best timepiece Land Rover has created so far with Zenith, with its subtle details that capture the character of new Defender.

The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition has a raw and minimalistic appearance that depicts a marked shift from Zenith’s resolutely 21st century chronograph. The watch is quite eye-catching thanks to its special micro-blasted titanium case that absorbs light from all angles to highlight its faceted surfaces.

Julien Tornare, CEO, Zenith, said: “Like the El Primero and its numerous versions through the years, the Land Rover Defender now enters a new era with a bold and distinctive character. Zenith’s Defy 21 Land Rover Edition chronograph also reinterprets the past in a forward-looking way, with an emphasis on durability, precision, comfort and bold design.”

The dial of Defy 21 Land Rover Edition has a muted matte grey color that pairs well with the case. This look is very different from the open-dial standard versions of the Defy 21. The orange and white painted markers as well as the specially shaped skeleton hands add legibility and contrast to the display. In a first for the Defy 21, the power reserve display for the 1/100sec chronograph is in the form of a liner window instead of a hand.

The display offers a view of the El Primero 21 1/100sec movement with a custom oscillating weight in the form of a miniaturized five-spoke Land Rover wheel. The Defender offers motorists the perfect adaptability to different driving needs with different modular packs offering. Likewise, the Defy 21 Land Rover Edition comes with two straps: the ‘Adventure’ strap with an all-terrain textured rubber, and the ‘Country’ featuring a grey rubber strap with a fabric effect and orange stitching.

Zenith and Land Rover have previously collaborated to create the El Primero Range Rover, Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar and Defy Classic Evoque watches.