Monday, January 24, 2022

ZENITH – DEFY Revival A3642 Edition

 

ZENITH DEFY Revival A3642 Steel 37mm Automatic Edition 2022

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 A RETURN TO FORM: ZENITH REVIVES 
THE VERY FIRST DEFY MODEL FROM 1969

Following the highly acclaimed and sought-after reproductions of historical El Primero models from the 1960s and 1970s, the Zenith Manufacture has turned its attention to another monumental piece from 1969: Introducing the DEFY Revival A3642, a modern reinterpretation of the earliest DEFY model. 

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While 1969 will forever be marked as a milestone year for Zenith and watchmaking at large with the unveiling of the El Primero calibre, another surprise from the Manufacture also made its debut that year: the DEFY collection.
  
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Taking a firm stance against the wave of quartz watches that was threatening to decimate traditional Swiss watchmaking, Zenith proved that mechanical movements were here to stay by creating a timepiece with a singularly edgy design and robustness that mass-produced electronic watches of the time simply could not rival.


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The vessel for this audacious mindset was the DEFY A3642, opening new avenues of design and performance for the Manufacture to explore. The A3642 was fittingly nicknamed the coffre-fort in French, which translates to “bank vault” or “safe-deposit box”. It’s bold, octagonal case paired with a fourteen-sided bezel is all about exhibiting audacity and ruggedness through sharply defined lines and facets with different finishes; something that has been distilled into the modern Zenith DEFY collection.  
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With its steel “ladder” bracelet designed and manufactured by the famed Gay Frères company, the original DEFY was certainly ahead of the curve when it comes to sporty steel bracelet watches with highly geometric designs. With a water-resistance of 30ATM (300 metres) ensured by a screw-down crown, the DEFY A3642 and its modern Revival reincarnation are assuredly all-terrain and all-occasions watches.

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Reproduced in stunningly accurate detail using the original production plans from 1969, the DEFY Revival A3642 brings back all the details and singular design elements that made the original so outstanding in its era and how it established the codes that continues to inspire modern DEFY references. Its warm grey dial with a striking gradient effect that darkens towards the edges was among the first of its kind during its introduction in 1969. The unusual applied square hour markers feature horizontal grooves that convey a sense of perpetual motion. 
 
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The wide sword-shaped hands are generously filled with SuperLumiNova in a similar tone to Tritium found in the original, paired with a paddle-shaped seconds hand that is a prominent feature in numerous Zenith watches of the same era. In fact, the only cosmetic differences between the Revival and its progenitor are the sapphire crystal, the display case back and the type of luminescent pigments.

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The other main difference beats away inside. Instead of the original’s solid case back emblazoned with a four-pointed star that became one of the brand’s logos and recurring design element for years to come, the DEFY Revival A3642 features a sapphire display back showing the automatic Elite 670 manufacture movement, operating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28’800 VpH) and delivering a power reserve of 50 hours when fully wound.

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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. This special Revival edition will be produced in a limited edition of 250 pieces, available at Zenith physical and online boutiques around the world.

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Stay tuned as Zenith will soon unveil a modern successor to the original DEFY with a sleeker and more modernistic architecture and a whole new level of performance. 
 
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model:  DEFY Revival A3642 Edition

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 Reference: 03.A3642.670/75.M3642

Key points: 
Original Revival of the 1969 Reference A3642
Octogonal case with iconic 14-sided bezel. 
Limited edition of 250 pieces.

MOVEMENT
Calibre Elite 670, Automatic.
Frequency 28,800 VpH (4 Hz)
Power reserve approx. 50 hours
Finishes:  New star-shaped oscillating weight with satined finishings
FUNCTIONS
Hours and minutes in the centre.
Central seconds hand.
Date indication at 4:30
CASE  
Material: Stainless steel
Octogonal case with iconic 14-sided bezel
Diameter: 37 mm
Thickness: 13.00 mm
Crystal:
Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
Case-back:
Transparent sapphire crystal
Water-resistance: 30 ATM
(300 metres)
DIAL & HANDS
Dial:
Gradient brown
Hour-markers:
Rhodium-plated and faceted
Hands:
Rhodium-plated and faceted with SuperLuminova SLN C1
STRAPS 
Stainless steel with interchangeable system "Ladder" bracelet.

  Price  6,664 EUR / $7,000 / 6.900 CHF 

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Press Release - 2022
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ZENITH | Swiss Watch Manufacture Since 1865
Rue des Billodes 34-36 | CH-2400 Le Locle
Minh-Tan-Bui
Tel. +41 32 930 65 59
Mobile +41 79 515 47 54
Email: minh-tan.bui@zenith-watches.com

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Friday, January 21, 2022

Ulysse Nardin – Classico “TIGER” Edition

 

Ulysse NardinClassicoTIGERGold Special Edition 2022

YEAR OF THE TIGER ULYSSE NARDIN CELEBRATES SUCCESS,
STRENGHT AND BRAVENESS IN THE CHINESE YEAR OF THE TIGER
THE "PRINCE" OF THE JUNGLE.

Ulysse Nardin Classico Tiger - Year of the Tiger, a special edition in Champlevé and Paillonné enamelling

In China, the Year of the Tiger is greeted with joy and celebration. Ulysse Nardin is delighted to join in the revelry. Passionate, daring, confident and determined, people born in the year of the tiger are considered to be brave and respected for their courage by both friends and foes. They can go from being fiery and fearless to calm and emotional in a blink of an eye. They always impress people with an image of power and authority. The third in a 12-year cycle of Chinese Zodiac signs, this important occasion is being marked by Ulysse Nardin in an original way. 

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The Classico “Tiger” in rose gold – produced in a limited-edition series of 88 pieces to mark the 2022 event – is vibrant yet elegant. Using two-centuries-old methods of enamelling (champlevé and paillonné enamelling), the artist’s sketch is brought to life.

Champlevé enamelling

A decorative technique forgotten and mastered only by a handful of craftsmen; enamel is only used on exceptional watches. A rare art form mastered by only a few, the champlevé technique involves carving directly onto the dial, creating individual “cells” that are then filled with enamel. The colours come from a careful blending of different metallic oxides. The dial is fired until the enamel melts before being smoothed and polished when cooled down. The final step – which is also the most delicate – involves enriching the motif by chiselling metal elements onto the surface.

Paillonné enamelling

What sets this Ulysse Nardin Classico Tiger watch apart is the art of “paillonné enamelling”, an age-old decorative technique. Motifs cut from a thin gold or silver leaf, the paillons (or strips), are placed by hand one by one at the right place. Once the design is done, the figures are also covered with another layer of enamel and fired in the same oven. This translucent coat will protect the paillonné motif for centuries to come, as if freezing it in place for all eternity. Here, the moon is made with silver strips and the stars are made of 3 distinctive gold strips. The tridimensional effect on the watch is breathtaking.

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The process of creating enamelled faces is delicate and difficult to master, an artisanal competence that requires that over 90% of the process is done by hand. There is no available modern technology that can enhance the process. A leader in this field, Donzé Cadrans workshops from Le Locle, Switzerland, were integrated to the Ulysse Nardin Manufacture in 2011. Although all enamel processes are alike, each of them is different, requiring exceptional precision and skills. Complexity, fine details, realistic decorations and a magical ensemble effect explain in particular the intense and ancestral desire of collectors to own enamelled watches. Donzé Cadrans, despite the changing times, helps to maintain the techniques of enamel in the purest of traditions. The enamel fabrication process could never be industrialized: instinct and humility cannot be programmed, and this is what defines the craftsmen’s talent of Donzé Cadrans.

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Powered by the self-winding movement with 42 hours power reserve, the 40 mm Ulysse Nardin Classico “Tiger” has a black alligator strap with a rose-gold buckle and an open sapphire case-back. Water-resistant to 50m, the rose-gold polished case sets off the gold Tiger motif to perfection.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection  Classico 

Model:   Classico TIGEREdition

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 Reference 8152-111LE-9E-TIGER/1A

Movement
    Calibre UN-815
    Self-winding movement
    Features: Hours, minutes, seconds
    21 rubies
    4 Hz / 28’800 V/H
    Power reserve 42
hours
    COSC Certification
Case
    Rose Gold
    Sapphire glass
    Case back: Rose gold and open sapphire case-back
    Diameter 40 mm
    Water-resistance 50 meters
Dial
    Champlevé and Paillonné Enamel
    Produced by Donzé Cadrans and @lozerongravure 
Strap
Black alligator strap fastened with a folding clasp


Price    40’600 CHF / EUR 40.600,-

Limited Edition 88 pieces

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Press Release - 2022
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Ulysse Nardin SA
Marketing Department
Rue du Jardin 3
2400 Le Locle
Switzerland
T :+4132 930 74 00
F :+4132 930 74 21
 

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