Zenith Debuts Defy Lab, World’s Most Accurate Mechanical Watch

Zenith Debuts Defy Lab, World’s Most Accurate Mechanical Watch

Adrienne Faurote
By Adrienne Faurote September 14, 2017

ZENITH Watches DEFY LAB Launch

Ticking the future of haute horlogie, Zenith unveils the most accurate mechanical watch to date.

The Swiss manufacture has created a novel oscillator that guides the exceptional precision of Defy Lab, a watch the exhibits masterful mechanical performance. Defy Lab, Zenith states, is the first mechanical watch to advance the core operating rudiment of its kin – the balance and hairspring principle, which Christian Huygens defined in the distant 17th century and has since been regarded as timeless.

Forming a monolithic whole of monocrystalline silicon, the new oscillator serves as a replacement to the traditional 30-component sprung balance, beating its usual 5mm thickness the remarkable 10 times. Defy Lab thumps with a frequency of 15 Hertz, which spurs a mean daily precision of just 0.3 seconds.

If this is not remarkable enough, the watch is able to preserve its accuracy beyond 24 hours of operation – the mark when traditional mechanical pieces begin to lose energy and thus precision. Defy Lab is able to maintain its accuracy for the striking 95 percent of its 60-hour power reserve. Those astounding characteristics withstand the forces of temperature gradients, gravity and magnetic fields, which weaken the precision of the current balance-and-spring assemblies.

ZENITH Watches DEFY LAB Launch

While the innards of the watch attract the attention, its exterior does not remain unnoticed. Defy Lab flaunts a 44mm case that is made from Aeronith, the world’s lightest aluminum composite, which resembles a solid metal foam and is often used in naval applications.

Adorned with 18 jewels and linked to a black rubber strap with alligator leather coating, Defy Lab flaunts the chronometer-certification of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures – as indicated by the “viper’s head” emblem that embellishes it. It also meets the requirements of the ISO-3159 variance standard and ISO-764 magnetic criteria.

ZENITH Watches DEFY LAB Launch

Exemplifying Zenith’s commitment to groundbreaking timepieces, Defy Lab debuted at a press conference at the brand’s headquarters in Le Locle. The event was hosted by Jean-Claude Biver, LVMH President of the Watch division, Zenith CEO Julien Tornare and Guy Semon, CEO of the Science Institute LVMH.

At the time of its premiere, the timepiece – coming in the extremely limited 10 pieces – had already been pre-sold to collectors.