Land Rover has again collaborated with Swiss watchmaker Zenith to produce a timepiece to commemorate the launch of the New Defender. The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition carries design features relating to the new flagship utility Land Rover, modifying one of Zenith’s flagship models.
Elements from the Defender were incorporated throughout the watch. The back cover is etched with the pattern of the Defender’s five-spoke Style 5098 wheels, with the spaces between the spokes showing the movement through a window. The watch comes with two straps: the fabric “Country” version, which couples a textured black fabric (similar to the bolster fabric in the base-model Defender’s seats) with an orange stitch; and the “Explorer” rubber strap, with a square pattern embedded in it similar to the rubber flooring in the vehicle.
The details continue to the crown, which has an orange band similar to the recovery points on the top-tier Defender X model; the orange continues on various markers across the watch. The case is a matte grey, and unlike other Defy models from Zenith, the mechanics of the complications do not show through an open watch face.
Zenith and Land Rover have now joined up four times. Their first three collaborations all focused on elements of Range Rover models. The El Primero Range Rover Special Edition in 2016 celebrated the Range Rover SVAutobiography, with a strap using the same perforated leather as the seats in the top-spec Rangie. The Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar celebrated the new Range Rover Velar’s launch in 2017, with a moody dark face and a strap patterned after the Velar’s Union Flag-embossed seat fabric. The Defy Classic Evoque in 2018 celebrated the smallest Range Rover, with the open face reflecting the Evoque’s angular wheel design and the strap its diamond-stitched leather.
Zenith and Land Rover have been collaborating on this watch for over a year, in anticipation of the launch of the New Defender. In an interview with Robb Report, Zenith’s CEO discussed the process of working with Land Rover, including directly with Design Director Gerry McGovern. “In the past, [Land Rover] wanted to go for a more classic watch, but with this one, we chose the Defy 21 and we brought some very special material to get a watch with strong character, because the car is a crazy car, so we want a crazy watch.” McGovern thinks the new watch captures “the essence of the new Land Rover Defender: modern, durable and highly desirable,” and it’s his favorite of the four collaborations.
If you want to get a Defy 21 Land Rover Edition, you’d better hurry though. Only 250 examples are being made, at $13,400.
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