Introducing the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton

Zenith is one of the oldest continuously running watchmakers in the world, know for innovation and being an in-house manufacturer well before the bulk of the industry. The Defy moniker was fist used in 1969, featuring a striking 8 sided angular case which is still the core design element for the current Defy Skyline models, a modernised line first introduced in 2022. It's worth noting that the Defy design was released three years before a certain holy trinity member's octagonal steel sports watch.  

The Basics 

Brand: Zenith 

Model: Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton 

Case Material: Stainless Steel 

Crystal: Sapphire (front and back) 

Case Size: 42mm 

Water Resistance: 100 meters

Movement: Automatic, El Primero 3600SK 

Movement Specs: 1/10th of a Second Chronograph, Silicon escape-wheel and lever, 60 Hour power reserve 

Strap Options: Interchangeable (quick release system) steel bracelet and patterned rubber strap  

References: Black dial: 03.9500.3600/78.1001 Blue dial:  03.9500.3600/79.1001 

The Juice:

This watch is set up to be a bit of a home run for Zenith, combining the modern successor one of the most famous movements every made (but now skeletonised), with their integrated bracelet sports watch, the Defy Skyline, for maximum visual impact.  

This new release is sporting the in house 3600SK movement which runs at 5 Hertz, hence the 3600SK name, 3600 Vibrations Per Hour and features a Silicon escape wheel, visible in purple just below the running seconds at 9 o'clock. This new skeletonised design, available in both black and blue tone, puts the El Primero movement on full display, while still maintaining solid legibility, which is important if you actually want to use the 1/10th of a second chronograph and the three subdials, which features subtle but visible red accents on the chronograph hands to aid with readability. Additionally the SuperLuminova filled faceted hands and markers are easy to read (sometimes a tall order with openworked watches) and nicely complement the angular lines of the steel case and bracelet. 

On the subject of indicating time, this new skeletonised version of the Defy Skyline Chronograph drops the 4:30 date window found on the standard Skyline Chronograph, which, while I don't mind it on the standard dial, I'm in in favour of in this new openworked layout, a date wheel would risk cluttering the dial if they had decided to tuck it behind the three subdials at 3, 6 and 9.     

The case itself features a sapphire display caseback, as we have come to expect from Zenith in recent years, along with a screw-down crown and chronograph pushers, which compliment the sharp lines of the 12 sided bezel well and follow the angle of the lugs in a way that adds to the design of the watch, instead of looking like a bolted on afterthought which can sometimes happen when a brand rushes to drop a chronograph movement into a well designed time only case.    

Typically, I'm not a huge fan of skeletonised movements or openworked dials and it's a particularly tall order to impress me when a brand has to uphold the technical heritage behind a movement like the El Primero. However, it seems like this time we're in luck, while many movements, especially those as complex as a chronograph, are typically hollowed out seemingly at random, Zenith, being an in-house manufacturer with an excellent grasp of movement architecture, has managed to sculpt the 3600SK to resemble their 'Double Z' logo (the square one with the star inside) from the 1960's. Having owned watches with this logo and always being fond of it, I think it's an excellent call back, as well as a solid, symmetrical design to skeletonise a movement around. 

How much will the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton cost?

The Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton will retail for $15,500. More information about the watch is available here.