Zenith celebrates Extreme E's second season with the DEFY X Prix chronograph range

As pioneering off-road series Extreme E is gearing up for the start of its 2022 season, Zenith, Founding Partner and Official Timekeeper, is unveiling the first in a series of special editions of its DEFY Extreme Carbon watch.

The exclusive chronograph will feature a limited design for each of this season’s races, beginning with the Desert X Prix taking place in the emerging futuristic city of NEOM (19-20 February 2022).

Zenith’s stunning DEFY Extreme E “Desert X Prix” timepiece features deep yellow-beige accents - the official colour of the X Prix - and is perfectly adapted for the rigours of off-road racing where every second counts. The innovative design uses super light yet highly durable carbon fibre, including the crown and chronograph pushers, while the pusher protectors as well as the twelve-sided bezel are made of microblasted titanium. The exceptionally precise 1/100^th of a second automatic high-frequency chronograph movement is also visible through the sapphire display back, emblazoned with the Desert X Prix logo.

In addition and in-line with Zenith’s sustainable ethos, the DEFY 1/100^th of a second chronograph uses upclycled components from last year’s Extreme E season such as tyres and racing tarpaulin – elements which also help further connect the wearer with the heart of the sport-for-purpose championship.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “We are delighted that our official timekeeper and Series Founder, Zenith, has created an audacious and suitedly bold range of chronographs to commemorate Extreme E’s 2022 X Prix locations.

“With the clever usage of upcycled race materials, the DEFY X Prix range totally embodies Extreme E’s sustainable philosophy and not only that, the designs also look incredible and are tough enough to withstand the rigours of the remote locations that we will be racing in this year.”

Julien Tornare, CEO of Zenith, said: “We are definitely upping the ante for the second season of Extreme E. The DEFY Extreme E “Desert X Prix” is not only inspired by what we consider to be the virtuous rally racing championship of the future, but goes so far as to incorporate actual elements from the races into our most rugged and high-performance chronograph to date.”

Extreme E Season 2 begins in Neom, Saudi Arabia (19-20 February), before heading to Sardinia, Italy (7-8 May), Senegal or Scotland (9-10 July), Antofagasta, Chile (10-11 September) and Punta Del Este, Uruguay (26-27 November).