Zenith has introduced the second iteration of its DEFY Extreme Lapis Lazuli, and the shift in materials is striking. Where the original paired lapis lazuli with steel and yellow gold, this new version replaces those metallic surfaces with forged carbon and titanium, darker, more matte, and considerably more technical in character.
A Study in Contrast
The central idea behind the watch is the tension between two fundamentally different materials. Lapis lazuli is a natural stone, ancient and unpredictable, with pyrite inclusions that catch light at different angles and produce subtle golden flickers. Carbon and titanium are engineered specifically for performance and structural resistance. Placing them together on the same dial is a deliberate provocation.
The 45mm case absorbs rather than reflects light, thanks to the matte, textured surfaces of the carbon and titanium construction. That quality gives the watch what Zenith describes as a stealth-like presence, a reasonable description, given how differently it reads compared to the polished original. Yellow gold-plated applied indexes and Super-LumiNova maintain legibility without softening the overall graphic effect.
The Movement That Justifies the Price of Entry
Inside sits the El Primero 9004 calibre, and it remains one of the more technically ambitious movements in regular production. It uses two independent escapements: one running at 5 Hz for standard timekeeping, and a second beating at 50 Hz exclusively for the chronograph function. That second escapement is what allows the watch to measure elapsed time to 1/100th of a second mechanically, no electronics involved.
The chronograph hand completes one full rotation per second, making the 1/100th-of-a-second measurement genuinely readable at a glance rather than theoretical. Power reserve stands at 50 hours for timekeeping and 50 minutes for the chronograph. The display layout places hours and minutes centrally, small seconds at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, a 60-second counter at 6 o’clock, and a chronograph power reserve indication at 12 o’clock.
Production and Availability
Zenith is producing just 25 examples of the DEFY Extreme Lapis Lazuli II. Each watch ships with two straps (a black rubber strap with folding clasp and a black high-performance Velcro strap) both compatible with the interchangeable strap system built into the case back.
The watch is available now through Zenith boutiques, its online store, and authorised retailers worldwide. At only 25 pieces, the edition is narrow even by limited-run standards, which places it firmly in collector territory rather than the broader enthusiast market.
For those who found the first Lapis Lazuli edition too warm in its material palette, this carbon-and-titanium version offers a sharper, more contemporary reading of the same underlying concept, with the same exceptional movement at its core.
