Zenith 97.9001.9004/80.R922

The Zenith 97.9001.9004/80.R922 has, so far, one confirmed celebrity sighting in our database — but it is a telling one. Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 MotoGP World Champion who rode for Monster Energy Yamaha, has been spotted wearing this specific reference. Quartararo is not a casual watch wearer dropping a name for a sponsorship cheque; he is the kind of athlete whose connection to precision engineering runs through his working life at 300 km/h. That a grand prix motorcycle racer gravitates toward a watch built around a movement operating at 360,000 vibrations per hour says something genuine about the Zenith 97.9001.9004/80.R922's positioning — it attracts people for whom the technical story actually lands, not just the aesthetics.

In terms of market context, the Defy 21 Ultraviolet sits at a retail price point in the mid-to-upper tier of Zenith's catalogue, typically listed in the region of $12,000–$15,000 depending on market and configuration. It does not carry the waitlist pressure of certain Swiss competitors, which means buyers who want one can generally find it through authorised dealers without the secondary-market premium games that plague more hyped references. On the pre-owned market, values have held reasonably steady, reflecting genuine collector interest rather than speculative flipping. The bold violet colour scheme narrows the audience but also sharpens the appeal for those it does attract.

The 97.9001.9004/80.R922 houses the El Primero calibre 9004, a movement that runs a dedicated high-frequency train at 50 Hz for chronograph measurement — a legitimate engineering differentiator. Quartararo's visibility in the watch has been the primary driver of celebrity association for this reference to date.

More Zenith references worn by celebrities

• Zenith 03.2040.4061/69.C496 (2 celebrities)
• Zenith 03.2430.3000/21.c738 (1 celebrities)

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