Hands On: First Impressions Of The Defy Revival Diver ‘Shadow’

“Defy” sounds like a name that might have come out of some serious focus grouping at a modern watch brand (it raises so many questions. What is being defied? And by whom?) but the original name and the original design at Zenith goes all the way back to 1969, when Zenith debuted a watch whose design and specs earned it the name, “coffre-fort” or bank vault.

Since then the name has not been restricted to the original design and indeed it has been used for an enormous range of watches that can, depending on which ones you pick, have a lot to a little to nothing in common. However, in 2022, Zenith relaunched the original design in the Zenith Revival A3642, which was followed in rapid succession by additional models, including the dive watch A3648, in the signature octagonal Defy case, and with the same 600 meter water resistance and 37mm diameter as the original model, released in 1969 (a high spec dive watch from the early high spec dive watch days which came out a year before the 600M Omega Ploprof, and just two years after the Sea Dweller – and which was proof that a high spec dive watch is doesn’t have to be a massive affair in order to have a high water resistance rating).

Zenith has just released the latest version of the Defy Revival Diver, and this time, given it a contemporary twist.

The Defy Revival Diver Shadow is first of all, in terms of dimensions and general design, quite close to the original from 1969, and identical in design details and specs to the Defy Revival Diver. The case is 37mm x 15.5mm (you can only slim down a 600 meter rated dive watch so much) with an oversized arrow head on the minutes hand, the better to read off elapsed minutes from the sapphire one-way bezel. The movement is the automatic Elite 670, running at 28,800 vph with a 60 hour power reserve, and there is a discrete but useful date window at 4:30 (which will be a turn off for some, although Zenith has been using a 4:30 date window for decades, if the weight of tradition is any argument in its favor.)

The case and bracelet are in titanium this time around, micro bead-blasted to produce a matte finish, and the chunky angularity of the case gives Zenith a great opportunity to show off the precision of the case machining and construction. If you’ve liked the idea of the Defy Revival models but found all those facets perhaps a little flashy, this is a great alternative, as well as being very handsome in its own right.

The combination of copiously applied Super-LumiNova and the bright yellow dial, rehaut, and bezel insert give the Shadow terrific legibility day or night, and the bumblebee effect is both practical and eye-catching. If you actually dive with the Shadow, you’ll notice that the bright yellow color starts to fade deeper than about 25 feet – this is because water absorbs light, starting with red and working its way through successively shorter wavelengths of the visible spectrum. But unless you’re underwater, you’ll have a brilliantly contrasting design on your wrist.

Overall fit and finish, of the case, dial and hands, is clean and sharp, and the Shadow, despite the modern materials and finishing, feels very much connected to the original, and very much a watch which despite its eye-catching aesthetics, is capable of taking some rough use if it needs to. An appealing addition to the Defy and Revival families of watches, and possible the most versatile of the Defy Revival watches so far. It’ll be interesting to see what Zenith does in terms of updated materials across the Revival line in general, as time goes by; the Shadow shows that modern technical materials don’t necessarily have to mean a disconnect from the past.

The Zenith Defy Revival Diver Shadow, ref. 97.A3648.670/21.M3648: Case, 37mm x 15.5mm, 44mm lug to lug; sapphire crystals front and back, 60 atmospheres/600 meters water resistance (which is 1968.5 feet, close enough to 1969). Micro bead-blasted titanium with matching titanium “ladder” bracelet. Movement, Elite automatic in-house caliber 670, 60 hour power reserve, running at 28,800 vph. Price, $8,200. The 1916 Company is proud to be an authorized retailer for Zenith watches; see the Zenith Defy Revival Diver Shadow here.