The New Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Boutique Edition

The Defy Skyline Skeleton comes strong putting the spotlight on the iconic El Primero movement, and the new reference with just a few gold elements on the dial looks like a winner. The lasting popularity of retro-vintage-inspired watch design brought us many exciting re-editions, though often very similarily-looking. In contrast, a watch stands out whenever a company reveals a contemporary model. When that company is Zenith, one can be sure to find historical influence alongside a very modern approach to aesthetics. And that is very true with the latest model to be released, the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Boutique Edition.

The new Defy Skyline Skeleton is the third in the series, and it differs from the models revealed earlier this year in appearance. As were the previous, the new reference comes in an angular-shaped 41 mm case with a 12-sided, faceted bezel inspired by the Defy models from past times and a screw-down crown. The earlier Defy Skyline Skeleton models featured symmetrical black and blue open dials with a four-pointed star formed by the cut-out. The new watch repeats the design and the specs, and the colour scheme as was already seen in the Defy Skyline Boutique Edition, with silvery-grey finishes, a slightly darker chapter ring and applied gold-plated baton hour markers filled with Super-LumiNova, and matching hour and minute hands, only now there’s less dial and more movement.

What drives the new Defy Skyline Skeleton is the El Primero 3620 SK, with the 3620 as a base, reworked, featuring the 1/10th of a second sub-dial at 6 o’clock, right on top of the watch’s 5Hz escapement, and it comes without the date indication. This automatic calibre is built with a stop-second feature for accurate time setting. It has a power reserve of about 55 hours, wound via a bidirectional star-shaped oscillating weight, which is rhodium grey for this iteration. The watch is 100m water-resistant, so the new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Boutique Edition belongs to a sports luxury timepiece category for both its looks and performance.

The Defy Skyline Skeleton Boutique Edition comes with a quick-change strap system that lets you quickly switch between the steel bracelet (closed with a stainless steel folding clasp) and the additional rubber strap with a starry sky pattern, provided with the purchase. The watch will set you back CHF 10,900, and it is available exclusively at Zenith’s physical and online boutiques worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.zenith-watches.com.