Zenith Defy Extreme E "Island X Prix" Special Edition.

Extreme E, the electric off-road motor racing series now in its second season, kicked off in Sardinia last week, with the final doubleheader races held July 9 and 10. And as Official Timekeeper and founding partner, Zenith concurrently unveiled its Defy Extreme “E Island X Prix” Special Edition timepiece (20 pieces), which is based on the Defy Extreme Carbon.

The watch is inspired by motorsports, with a carbon fiber case, screw-in crown and chronograph pushers. Meanwhile, the pusher protectors and the twelve-sided bezel are in micro-blasted titanium, making the timepiece both light and strong—and water resistant to 20 ATM.

The multi-layered dial is accented with orange, the official color of the Island X Prix. It features central hours and minute hands, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, a 60-second counter at 6 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock. Faceted hour markers are rhodium plated and coated with SuperLuminova for effortless readability. The power reserve indicator is at 12 o’clock.

Caseback of the Zenith Defy Extreme E "Island X Prix" Special Edition.

The El Primero 9004 automatic movement, with 50 hours of power reserve, is partially visible through the dial side—with a better view via the sapphire caseback, which is inscribed with the Island X Prix logo. This high-frequency chronograph caliber offers 1/100th of a second time measurements, with two escapements independently beating—at 5Hz for the timekeeping part and 50 Hz for the chronograph function. The central chronograph hand makes one turn each second. The finishing on the movement complements the carbon fiber case: it features a black main plate and a black oscillating weight with a satin finish.

Extreme E held in Sardinia.

Extreme E was built around the idea of racing electric vehicles in remote environments in an effort to raise awareness about climate change and to showcase the performance and benefits of low-carbon vehicles. Thus this “sport for purpose” series promotes the benefits of electric vehicles and low carbon solutions in the fight to help reduce global emission levels.

“Together with our supportive hosts and our Scientific Committee and partners, we will use the power of sport to educate on the causes of these climate issues which are taking place right here in front of us, as we aim to open eyes even wider to the need for all of us to take collective action, now, before it’s too late,” said Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E.

And in keeping with the theme of sustainability, the watch is packaged in a waterproof and crushproof case that incorporates various recycled and upcycled elements sourced from the first season’s races held last year. The lid coating, for example, is made from recycled E-grip tires, while the plate covering is made from racing tarpaulin.

The watch comes with three straps in all: it is fitted on an orange strap made, in part, from recycled tires from last season’s races. A black Velcro strap with a carbon buckle and a black rubber strap with a black microblasted titanium folding buckle round out the trio of easy-change options, thanks to Zenith’s tool-free attachment system.

Check out the race results.