Zenith aims to undertake to restore all watches having emerged from its Manufacture since 1865. This general rule will naturally apply to the Defy Inventor and there are to be no time-limits on servicing

“Creating the Zenith Oscillator was an independent choice (unrelated to the idea of creating the next-generation El Primero chronograph). The development of the Zenith Oscillator embodies our spirit. Pursuing timing precision (signaled by all the observatory prizes won by the Zenith Manufacture, including the five consecutive prizes earned by the Calibre 135 from 1950-1954) and challenging the boundaries of high frequency are embedded in the Zenith brand DNA.

Zenith Defy Inventor

“Eighteen months after the launch of the Zenith Defy Lab, developed in collaboration with the LVMH research institute, Zenith has been able to introduce a marketable series-produced in-house version, the Defy Inventor. This is just one example of the time, energy and talents we are prepared to devote to enhancing the performance of our watches on all levels, including chronometry, stability and durability.

“(To the question of whether we intend to equip all Zenith watches with the Zenith Oscillator), definitely not all of our timepieces. The target is to be able to produce ever-greater numbers of this Oscillator each year; to develop the technology and to continue charting a path for the future of Swiss watchmaking in the field of precision.

Closeup of the escape wheel in the Defy Inventor caliber ZO 9100, with flexible teeth

“Zenith aims to undertake to restore all watches having emerged from its Manufacture since 1865, subject to component availability and to the overall condition of the watch. This general rule will naturally apply to the Defy Inventor and there are to be no time-limits on servicing. (Therefore there is no issue with servicing watches featuring the Zenith Oscillator just because it isn’t in use in all watches)

“The ‘future of watchmaking’ tagline for Zenith was created by Jean-Claude Biver at the end of 2017, when he was at the helm of three brands (Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith) within the LVMH group. TAG Heuer is ‘Swiss Avant-garde since 1860’; Hublot is ‘The Art of Fusion’; and Zenith is ‘The Future of Swiss Watchmaking.’ For Zenith, this relatively new claim expresses a clear vision echoed in our creations, so naturally it affects our entire thought press and each of our developments.”