The Defy had one design brief: to achieve a higher standard of durability than any other Swiss watch at the time. It was achieved through a series of technical improvements, including 300 meters of water resistance, the adoption of a tougher mineral crystal and a shock proof case.The Defy had a unique suspension system, in which the movement was surrounded by a shock-absorbing band to provide unprecedented impact protection. Zenith employees would test the shock resistance of the first defy prototypes by tossing them out of a second-story window onto the concrete below.The Defy was the number one watch for the person who wanted to live with a watch on an everyday basis. The robust nature of the watch resonated with many watch wearers, with Italian collectors calling it Il casaforte del temp “The safe of time”, with French collectors calling it the coffre-fort, or “Bank vault”.The 1969 debut of the Defy predated the luxury sport watch by several years. This can be seen in its more utilitarian ideals. It was a rugged watch, built to tackle life. The 1970s sports era of the Royal Oak and Nautilus moved beyond this simple idea.