Hands On Review of The Zenith Defy Skyline Boutique Edition
Following us for any amount of time, you’ll know that we’re big fans of the Defy Collection from Zenith. Personally, after they launched the Defy El Primero back in 2018, I was instantly hooked. The brand harkens back to it’s 1902 pocket watch roots with the “Defi”, with a more contemporary relaunch in the late 60s more in line with the collection today. Though, definitely a lot more modern.
Always a fan of the El Primero, the futuristic, skeletonized look felt more aggressive and contemporary. What followed was a slew of releases into the Defy line with collaborations and unique complications, but a special release came a few years later with the more toned-down Defy Skyline Collection - A more simple and elegant take on the Defy Collection. You can read our lady’s review here, but I thought I’d take a look at one of my favorite Skyline pieces with the Boutique Edition here.
While the more recent Defy El Primero comes in a Titanium case, the Skyline comes faceted with a 41mm x 11.6mm stainless steel case with bracelet. The weight on the Defy is actually pretty hefty on the bracelet. I did opt to wear it on the Rubber strap it comes with because not only was it incredibly comfortable, I live in Florida, and it’s insanely hot to have that heavy of a watch on all the time. There was nothing wrong with the bracelet, it was comfortable and wore well, I was just more comfortable with the rubber strap (I know, the purists are gonna be pissed).
The quick-release mechanism that Zenith uses is one of the best in the industry in my opinion. Using a single long pusher at the base of the lugs, you can literally use your thumbnail to push in and pull up on the strap to release it. In fact, it’s so easy, I was able to swap it out in the car at a red light after picking it up. Popping the new strap or bracelet in is as easy as popping it into the lugs, and pulling down to snap in. If you find yourself swapping straps often, this is the sport watch for you.
The real star of the show, and what sets this Boutique Edition apart from it’s counterparts is the dial. While it still maintains that star pattern we’ve come to know and love, the dial gets a gold treatment, making the pattern really pop against the gray dial. Further, the handset and indices are rose gold as well, giving an overall “Old World” look to the model. It’s hard not to see the architectural influences from Manhattan in the early 1900’s all over the entire aesthetic.
Further, as is often the case with these Boutique editions, the watch features a unique 10-Second complication at 9 o’clock. It adds a lot of motion to the dial, and it almost reminded me of a chronograph that’s activated all the time. Since the dial has a lot of texture and flow, the smooth subdial paired with the date at 3 o’clock do a good job of complimenting the overall look and feel of the watch without being invasive to the design. The decision to add a ten-second counter is quite the nod to the movements of Zenith’s past, specifically the El Primero, capable of timing 1/10th of a second accurately.
Inside the Zenith Defy Boutique Edition is the perfectly capable Zenith El Primero 3620 Calibre. The movement is a bit unique in that it uses a rose gold plated bi-directional rotor, that when wound to capacity has a 60 hour power preserve - Which is impressive for a movement powering 1/10th of a second increments at 5-Hz. This is accomplished by using a similar (although stripped down) version of the El Primero and it’s Chronograph module. All this is visible through the sapphire caseback.
Breaking down the Zenith Defy Boutique Edition is quite simple. Is this just a Defy Skyline with a new color option? Yes. But I’d argue it’s definitely on the more unique colorway side. The gold adds just a touch of class to an already handsome steel sport watch, and personally, I really vibed with it on the rubber strap. If it was mine personally, I would have a nice brown leather strap made to match the chocolate-y feel of the dial. That would give plenty of options to class the watch up or down to really make it that one stop shop.
So How much is the Zenith Defy Skyline Boutique Edition?
Price for the watch is $9,000 USD.
You can read more about this watch on the brand's website.