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Zenith Defy 28800 Stainless Steel Automatic Burgundy Oxblood Dial, ref. A7682, 1970 — view 1 of 6
View 1 of 6 · Image: Vintage Portfolio · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Zenith Defy 28800 Stainless Steel Automatic Burgundy Oxblood Dial, ref. A7682, 1970

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Zenith (maker)
Date
1970
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
Stainless steel
Dimensions
Diameter 38 mm (without crown)
Stock no.
vp4038
Credit line
Dealer listing, Vintage Portfolio (vp4038)
Catalogue title (original)
Zenith Defy 28800 Ref A7682 Stainless Steel Automatik Automatic Burgundy Oxblood Dial From 1970 (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Vintage Portfolio (dealer), Vienna (stock number vp4038), this is a wristwatch by Zenith, made in Switzerland, dated 1970. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: Stainless steel. Recorded dimensions: Diameter 38 mm (without crown). The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer specification — Vintage Portfolio

Movement: automatic with centre seconds; Case: stainless steel; Crown: Service (plain); Date display: Date; Diameter: 38 mm (without crown); Strap: metal; Dial condition, as described by the dealer: The still factory original (non-refurbished) dial is in near-perfect condition.

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Automatic (self-winding) watches

Self-winding watches use the wearer's motion to wind the mainspring. Abraham-Louis Perrelet and Breguet made 'perpétuelle' pocket watches with oscillating weights in the late eighteenth century, but the principle only became practical in the wristwatch. John Harwood patented a bumper automatic in 1923; Rolex's Perpetual rotor (1931) winding in one direction, and later bidirectional rotors (Eterna, Felsa Bidynator), established the modern form. Micro-rotors (Universal Genève, Buren) and peripheral rotors made automatic watches thinner.

What to look for

  • A semicircular rotor turning 360° over the movement, or a 'bumper' weight that rebounds between springs.
  • 'Automatic', 'Perpetual' or 'Self-winding' on the dial.
  • A sealed screw-back case, since automatic watches are wound less often by the crown.

Dating clues

  • Bumper automatics: 1923–c. 1955.
  • Full rotors: from 1931 (Rolex); widespread after c. 1950.
  • Micro-rotors: from 1954–1958.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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