Zenith’s DEFY collection goes back to the late 1960s, and this year brings a new addition to the brand’s ‘Revival’ pieces with the addition of the new DEFY Revival A3648 diver, the brand’s first vintage diver revival.

The original model on which this new DEFY Revival A3648 is derived came in a 38mm stainless steel barrel-shaped case with a screw-down crown at 4:30, and orange rotating bezel. The dial was orange and black, and it had a date window at 4:30. The centre seconds hand, hour and minute hands and hour markers all had lume. One of the first diver’s watches developed by Zenith, it was powered by the automatic Calibre 2252.

This new model is, unsurprisingly given the other Zenith Revival pieces, very faithful (with some obvious updates) to the original, with the same case metal and shape, although now 37mm (15.5mm thick), same unidirectional rotating fourteen-sided bezel above the round rotating bezel, same colour scheme, same hands, date window, and lumed hour markers and hands. It even has the same 600m water resistance.

However, the rotating bezel now has a orange-tinted sapphire crystal insert instead of the original Plexiglas, with the black and orange theme extends to the matte black dial, orange hands, and minute track. The updated lume for the hour markers and hands is white Super-LumiNova.

Through the now open sapphire case back is the automatic Elite 670 movement. With Côtes de Genève decoration on the oscillating weight, it beats at 28,800 VPH and has a power reserve of 50 hours.

Like the original A3648, the DEFY Revival A3648 comes on a five-link steel bracelet with folding
clasp, modelled after the bracelet Gay Frères for the original in 1969. As you would expect, the bracelet has can be micro-adjusted for expansion, allowing the watch to be worn over a wetsuit without having to add or remove additional links.

That this is visually faithful to the original is, as it has been for other watches for which Zenith has revived, its major selling point, especially given the scarcity of the original. It sits easily on the wrist and does not feel bulky. Will those who buy it go diving with it? Probably not, but to have a 600m water resistant diver with a sapphire case back is still an unusual aspect that should be highlighted.

The RRP for the new DEFY Revival A3648 is CHF 7,400/ EUR 8,000.

Categories: Divers watches, Hands-on, Watch Profile, watches, Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024, Zenith