Zenith Defy Extreme E Copper X Prix: A Third Limited-Edition Timepiece Unveiled
5 min read
In a first for the electric rally racing championship, the Extreme E teams are venturing all the way to South America for the second round of the 2022 season. The Atacama Desert in Chile, one of the world's leading copper mining sites that is embracing a more sustainable and forward-thinking approach to its operations, serves as the backdrop for the launch of ZENITH's third limited-edition timepiece honoring an Extreme E event.
A limited run of 20 pieces, the DEFY Extreme E Copper X Prix is made from carbon fiber and titanium and features earthy tones that call to mind the local copper mines. It also makes use of recycled and salvaged materials from the event.
The DEFY Extreme E Copper X Prix was built with the harrowing off-road tracks of the electric rally in mind, drawing inspiration from the world of extreme racing. The DEFY Extreme E "Copper X Prix" is based on the DEFY Extreme Carbon, the world's lightest and most robust 1/100th of a second automatic high-frequency chronograph, and features recycled components from the championship with the back-to-back races' official color of warm coppery-brown.
The DEFY Extreme E “Copper X Prix” edition is crafted in lightweight yet highly durable carbon fiber, including the crown and chronograph pushers. Emphasizing the boldly angular geometry of the case, the pusher protectors and the twelve-sided bezel are made in micro-blasted titanium. The open multi-layered dial consists of tinted sapphire crystal elements, embellished with coppery-brown accents that evoke the Chilean desert's dry, rocky terrain and copper mines.
Partially visible through the dial as well as the sapphire case back is the fastest automatic high-frequency chronograph caliber in production, offering 1/100th of a second-time measurement, with two escapements independently beating at 5Hz (36’000 VpH) for the timekeeping part and 50Hz (360’000 VpH) for the chronograph function. The movement is also visible through the sapphire display back, emblazoned with the Copper X Prix logo.
The DEFY Extreme E "Copper X Prix" features a rubber strap made from repurposed Continental CrossContact tires from the first season of races, demonstrating the importance of environmental consciousness and sustainability to the cooperation between ZENITH and Extreme E. The Velcro strap has a black rubber center with a brown cordura-like rubber inlay to complement the copper-brown details of the Copper X Prix dial. Two additional straps—one made of black rubber and the other from black Velcro—are included with your purchase of a DEFY Extreme E "Copper X Prix," and they can be switched out quickly and easily with no additional tools thanks to the watch's ingenious and intuitive quick strap-change mechanism located on the case back.
The rigorous conditions of the rally served as inspiration for the DEFY Extreme E "Copper X Prix" watch casing, which is waterproof, crushproof, and features a number of recycled materials from the rally's inaugural season. The plate covering is constructed from remnants of an Extreme E racing tarpaulin, and the lid coating is manufactured from recycled E-grip tires.
The DEFY Extreme E "Copper X Prix" will be produced in a strictly limited run of 20 units and sold only through ZENITH's network of physical and online boutiques.
