Land Rover has teamed up with Swiss watchmaker Zenith to create a watch for the new Defender.
The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition – which has taken four years to create – is limited to 250 pieces, with the arrival timed to coincide with the launch of the new Defender.
It’s not the first time Land Rover has worked with Zenith. In the past, the companies have collaborated to create the El Primero Range Rover, Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar and Defy Classic Evoque watches.
The Defender watch features a micro-blasted titanium case that absorbs light from all angles. The dial appears as one with the case with its muted matte grey colour to offer a ‘very different look to the open-dial standard versions of the Defy 21’ watch.
For the first time on a Defy 21, Zenith has fitted the Land Rover Edition with a linear power reserve window, shown below the Zenith logo.
’The best timepiece’
Turning the watch over reveals a miniaturised five-spoke Land Rover wheel, through which is a view of the El Primero 21 1/100sec movement with a custom oscillating weight.
There are two straps: ‘Adventure’, with an all-terrain textured rubber, and ‘Country’, which features a grey rubber strap with a fabric effect and orange stitching.
Professor Gerry McGovern, Land Rover chief creative officer, said: “For the next chapter in our partnership with Zenith we wanted a timepiece that captured the essence of the new Land Rover Defender: modern, durable and highly desirable.
”With subtle details that capture the character of new Defender, this for me is the best timepiece we have created with Zenith.”
Julian Tornare, CEO of Zenith, added: “Like the El Primero and its numerous versions through the years, the Land Rover Defender now enters a new era with a bold and distinctive character.
”Zenith’s Defy 21 Land Rover Edition chronograph also reinterprets the past in a forward-looking way, with an emphasis on durability, precision, comfort and bold design.”
Unique selling points of the Defender watch
- 1/100th of a second chronograph movement
- Exclusive dynamic signature of one rotation per second
- One escapement for the watch (36,000 VpH – 5 Hz);
- One escapement for the chronograph (360,000 VpH – 50 Hz)
- Timelab chronometer certified
- Limited to 250 units
The Land Rover Defender watch costs 13,900 Swiss francs, which is around £11,000 at the current exchange rate.