Why buy just one watch when you can buy eight? That may sound like an absurd way of thinking, but Zenith believes there are more than a few horological enthusiasts out there who’ve had this thought. That’s why the brand has just launched the Ultra Color box set, which consists of eight different-hued versions of its popular Defy 21 Ultraviolet chronograph.
Zenith’s colourful timepiece launched in 2020 and was the watchmaker’s first model to feature the El Primera chronograph movement. The calibre beats at 50 Hz, making it accurate to within previously unheard of 1/100th of a second. What better way to celebrate the watch’s precision than dressing it up in—and naming it after—violet, the colour that has the highest frequency on the visible spectrum?
The Ultra Color box comes with eight different iterations of the highest frequency chronograph in regular production. There’s violet, naturally, as well as black, blue, orange, pink, green, turquoise and khaki. Each watch has a 44 mm case made from matte sandblasted titanium that houses an overworked dial with gray chronograph registers and a matching flange ring. Underneath the dial, you’ll see that the movement’s bridges and oscillating rotor have been monochromatically finished in one of the eight Ultra Color hues. Each timepiece also features a Cordura-effect rubber strap with the same colour.
The Defy 21 Ultraviolet is powered by the El Primero 9004 automatic movement, which has been certified by Geneva-based TimeLab. The 293-component calibre has two independent escapements, one for essential timekeeping, which beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour (VpH) and has a frequency of 5 Hz, and another for the chronograph, which beats at 360,000 VpH and has a frequency of 50 Hz. It also has a minimum power reserve of 50 hours.
Zenith will produce just eight Ultra Color box sets. Each chronograph is sequentially numbered, rather than having the same number. The colourful collection is available now through select Zenith boutiques for CHF 118,000 (or about RM565,000).
Previously published on Robb Report.
