The Zenith Defy Zero G Keeps Things Looking Up

Following the launches of the Chronomaster Sport Meteorite and Defy Chronograph USM, Zenith continues to celebrate its 160th anniversary with a remarkable technical and artistic feat—the 46mm Defy Zero G, presented in two striking tones of sapphire.

When it debuted in 2008, the Defy Zero G became the first and only wristwatch to feature a gimbal-mounted escapement. Commonly used to stabilize cameras, the gimbal is Zenith’s ingenious solution to neutralizing gravity’s adverse influence on timekeeping.

A little bit like a tourbillon, which averages out gravitational errors on a single plane, Zenith’s patented Gravity Control module goes a step further. Recognizing that a wristwatch is subject to gravity from constantly shifting angles, it keeps the regulating organ in a stable, horizontal position, effectively minimizing positional variations regardless of how the watch is worn.

Inspired by the Sea

The principle behind this mechanism traces its roots to the gimbal-mounted marine chronometers of the 18th century, created to maintain accuracy aboard rolling ships. Just as those maritime instruments kept their escapements level amid churning waves, the Defy Zero G’s system ensures the balance remains unaffected by the wearer’s movements.

The original Zero G module, completed after seven years of development, incorporated non-magnetic, lubrication-free ceramic ball bearings—a significant horological breakthrough. Over the years, Zenith’s engineers have refined and miniaturized this system to unprecedented levels.

The current Zero G module, measuring just over one cubic centimeter, is roughly 30% the size of the original. Its compactness astonished enthusiasts when Zenith managed to fit it between two flat sapphire crystals—a feat that once required the space of convex crystals to accommodate the mechanism’s bulk. This miniaturized module debuted in 2018 and was later encased entirely in sapphire in 2021.

Today’s Defy Zero G is powered by the high-beat El Primero 8812 S caliber, featuring a silicon escape wheel and a nickel-silicon anchor that resist both magnetism and temperature fluctuations. Completing the movement is a counterweight shaped like a celestial body, an artful nod to the watch’s cosmic theme.

New Renditions

For 2025, the Defy Zero G returns in two exclusive editions: Celestial Blue Sapphire and Transparent Sapphire, each limited to just 10 pieces.

Crafted from scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, one of the hardest materials to machine, these cases house lapis lazuli dials flecked with gold-colored pyrite, evoking a star-studded night sky. An off-centered hours-and-minutes display, small seconds counter, and power reserve indicator complete the celestial composition, the latter revealing how much remains of the movement’s 50-hour power reserve.

Rhodium-plated, faceted hour markers and hand-finished bridges complement the blue alligator-leather strap secured by a titanium folding clasp.

Both versions of the new Zenith Defy Zero G are priced at USD 207,500.