Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton (Live Pics & Price)
The Skyline strips down to reveal its El Primero high-frequency movement, making it the first skeletonised watch with a 1/10th of a second indication.
Following the Defy Skyline collection launch last year, Zenith returns to the LVMH Watch Week 2023 with a skeletonised proposal, taking the brand’s luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet one step beyond. Beating to an El Primero high-frequency 3-hand movement revealed under symmetrical bridges, the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton is also the first skeletonised watch in the world to feature a 1/10th of a second indication. Here’s what to know.
Defi or Defy?
The Defy collection is invariably touted as Zenith’s vision of the future direction of watchmaking, defined by innovative materials and movements married to more futuristic styles. What might come as a surprise is that a marketing team did not dream up the name of this collection; it was used by Zenith in 1902 for a line of robust and precise pocket watches but spelt Defi.
In 1969, Zenith launched the world’s first automatic high-frequency chronograph movement – El Primero – and with somewhat less fanfare, also introduced a heavy-duty model with an angular octagonal case and a crazy tetradecagonal (14-sided) bezel. Christened the Defy and described as a ‘vault’, this robust beast of a watch offered varying degrees of water-resistance – from 300 to 600m – and was fitted with a patented suspension system and flexible elastic shock-absorbing rings. With its radically edgy architecture – don’t forget, this was three years before Genta’s Royal Oak launch, the Defy also flaunted a gradient dial.
Revived in 2022, the Defy Revival A3642 is, if you like, the spiritual forefather of the Skyline collection. Combining the skeletonisation we have seen in the Zenith Defy Classic family with the robustness of the A3642, Zenith proves that skeletonised watches can take a beating.
Sturdy Defy Case
The case of the latest Skyline to join the family is identical to the non-skeletonised Skyline models of 2022. By taming some of the edginess of the A3642, the Skyline beckons with its more contemporary and stylised case. Presented in a 41mm stainless steel case with a height of 11.6mm, the case is still angular, octagonal and robust – with 100m water-resistance – but is now surmounted by a 12-sided faceted bezel. A 12-sided bezel is a clever solution because it works as an extension of the hour markers. The brightly polished bevels attract light to the case and contrast with the sportier brushed surfaces.
Symmetry of The Dial
It might be skeletonised, but the colour still plays a role here, and the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton is available with blue or black bridges and accents. The symmetrical openworked bridges that form a four-pointed star are blue or black and offer a generous view of the movement, complete with a 3D Zenith star suspended between the bridges at noon.
The chapter ring with applied, faceted and rhodium-plated hour markers has contrasting white minute markings, and the indices are filled with Super-LumiNova SLN C1, like the central hour and minute hands. However, in a departure from the closed dial versions of the Skyline, the 1/10th of a second counter is now placed at 6 o’clock. By changing its position to 6 o’clock, the 1/10th of a second counter doesn’t hide the turquoise silicon escapement at 9 o’clock. Another difference with the closed-dial Skyline is the elimination of the date window.
Calibre El Primero 3620
The El Primero 3620 SK (SK for skeletonised) is a 3-hand version built with a similar architecture to the El Primero 3600 1/10th of a second chronograph inside the Chronomaster Sport and Chronomaster Original. Beating at 5Hz/36,000vph, this high-frequency movement allows for the 1/10th of a second display which takes its energy directly from the escapement. Fitted with a stop-seconds mechanism for precise time-setting, the star-shaped bidirectional rotor delivers a power reserve of 60 hours and is blue or black, depending on the model.
Interchangeable Strap-Bracelet
The Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton comes with an easy-to-operate interchangeable strap system allowing you to remove the stainless steel bracelet via a pusher on the caseback and snapping in a rubber strap. Both models come with integrated stainless steel bracelets, an additional black or blue rubber strap with embossed Zenith stars in the centre, and folding buckles.
Availability & Price
The Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton is available at the brand’s boutiques and authorised retailers worldwide. The retail price is CHF 10,900 or EUR 11,800. For more information, please visit Zenith-watches.com.
4 responses
Wowza. That’s 2k more than the Chronomaster sport. So skeletonization costs 2k on top of whatever the delta between a small seconds caliber and the chronograph ones are (plus all the extra case and dial side features is necessitates: ex extra hands, chrono bezel, water resistant pushers).
For me it’s not even a contest. I’d take the Chrono even if the Defy would be 8k.
The rotor on the Defy is showing less of the movement than that on the chrono. That’s a weird decision, since the very reason for skeletonizing is to show as much of the mechanics as possible. Also, the design is less functional, as it adds mass on the other side of the main part of the rotor.
You have to see the watch. I would agree with your comment theoretically and then I saw the watch. And then I bought it. It might not fit your world view on what a skeletonization should or should not be, but it is supremely gorgeous.
Congrats on your purchase, I’m really interested in this watch as well, I do think it looks stunning. Did you not find the 10 sec dial too distracting as it is a bit useless, keeps spinning and I guess it’s just there to show off the El Primero movement?
Quite honestly I expected to find it distracting but on viewing, it just felt purposeful, if that makes sense. It doesn’t draw your attention and it doesn’t seem out of place when you are looking at the dial directly. I suppose technically it is less “useful” with the loss of a full minute delineation, but aesthetically it works for me. I have a large collection of some pretty nice pieces and I can honestly say this one has me mesmerized. Weird because I inherently recoil from comments like my own, the natural instinct is to think of them as a kind of a commercial. I would just urge an in-person look of this watch even if only to validate a preconceived opinion of it. But it blew my preconceptions out of the water.