Inspired by the cold weather of mountains and glaciers, the Zenith Defy Extreme Glacier is a watch that withstand extreme conditions. The timepiece also refers to the cool and uncertain nature of time.
Zenith announced several timepieces at LVMH Watch Week, yet there is such piece that is worth mentioning: Zenith Defy Extreme Glacier. Inspired by the cold weather of the mountains and glaciers, the Defy Extreme Glacier is a watch for mountaineers and skiing enthusiasts that can withstand extreme conditions. On the other hand, the timepiece is one of the impressive timepieces that refer to the cool and uncertain nature of time precisely since its icy and hazy.
So much so that, when a timepiece shares the stubborn and transcendent foresight of some person who changed history, it can be considered as true watch regardless of its price, for me. Of course, there are also aesthetic values because when it comes to aesthetic, it crosses the borders of art and extends to the literature. Zenith Defy Extreme Glacier can exceed technical boundaries, but it needs companion to cross over into the world of aesthetics and literature, and that companion called as chalcedony.
A chalcedony stone with an icy appearance is used in the dial of the Defy Extreme Glacier. Bezel and chronograph casings also feature the stone. On the one hand, chalcedony is also made me think about the hazy and deep nature of time.
Chalcedony is a translucent precious stone, also known as “blue gold” because it is usually seen in blue-white tones (gray, purple, pink, brown and even black colored specimens are also found in nature). Chalcedony stone, which was used to make ornaments during the ancient Egyptian, Hittite and Roman civilizations, has been mined in Anatolia (especially Eskişehir) since the Hittites ruled. During the Roman Empire, this beautiful stone was called chalcedony because it was shipped from the small port town of Chalcedon (today Istanbul, Kadıköy). The people of the ancient world, who believed that chalcedony was a healing stone for the soul, also relied on blue gold for those who had trouble sleeping.
When I look at the icy stone on the dial of Defy Extreme Glacier, I move away from Kadıköy and see the main issue of Marcel Proust’s monumental work, In Search of Lost Time, and humanity’s effort to understand time that transcends all difficulties.
The fact that the chronograph hand circles the dial in one second is also a sign of speed measurement and technical progress, but there is no denying that it also offers an aesthetic visual feast.
