One year after the launch of the acclaimed DEFY Skyline collection, ZENITH is presenting its most elaborate skeleton watch to date and the only one in the world to feature a 1/10th of a second indicator at the annual LVMH Watch Week, which is taking place in Singapore for the first time.
Zenith is expanding the DEFY Skyline collection with a new skeleton line that goes far beyond openworked. Introduced last year as the latest chapter in the enduring DEFY legacy of sturdy and singularly futuristic timekeepers, the DEFY Skyline collection was conceived for an ever-fast-moving world where every fraction of a second can be a decisive one.
The DEFY Skyline Skeleton, inspired by modern cityscapes where structures and light are bound in a constantly moving interplay, reaches even further towards the light on the horizon and opens up a whole new world of possibilities for what a skeleton watch can be.
Pushing the resolutely contemporary openworked design further and housed within a new, more angular case, the DEFY Skyline Skeleton seamlessly integrates the open dial with an openworked version of the El Primero automatic movement in a most striking manner.
Harmoniously symmetrical, the open dial takes on the form of a four-pointed star, in a nod to the Zenith “double Z” logo of the 1960s. The chapter ring’s applied baton hour markers as well as the central hour and minute hands are filled with Super-LumiNova for easy legibility, something that is usually sacrificed in skeleton watches.
A constantly running 1/10th of a second counter at 6 o’clock makes steady jumps in fixed increments, completing one revolution every 10 seconds, a feature that’s unique in watchmaking and unique to the new generation of the El Primero automatic high-frequency calibre. The open dial comes in black or blue, with the skeleton movement finished in the same colour as the open dials for a cohesive and architectural look.
Drawing inspiration from the unique octagonal geometry of the early DEFY models of the 1960s, the angular steel case of the DEFY Skyline Skeleton retains the same DNA of robustness and durability as its predecessors while bringing an edgier and “more architectural aesthetic,” as well as a host of new functions, to the metropolis-ready companion.
Fixed atop the 41mm stainless steel case with sharply defined edges, the faceted bezel is inspired by those from early DEFY models, reimagined with twelve sides that are positioned as extensions to the hour markers.
Visible from the front as well as the sapphire display back is the open-worked version of the high-frequency automatic El Primero calibre, the 3620 SK. This automatic manufacture movement, built with a similar architecture as the El Primero 3600 1/10th of a second chronograph, drives the 1/10th of a second hand directly from the escapement, which beats at 5 Hz (36’000 VpH), giving it a “natural” fraction-of-a-second indication. It is also endowed with a stop-second mechanism for precise time-setting. Efficient in its performance, the automatic winding mechanism with a bi-directional rotor with a star motif delivers a power reserve of approximately 60 hours.
With versatility at its core, the DEFY Skyline Skeleton comes on a steel bracelet with a satin-brushed surface with chamfered and polished edges, seamlessly flowing with the sharply faceted lines of the case. It also comes with a rubber strap and steel folding buckle with a starry sky pattern in continuity with the dial, made in blue rubber for the blue dial version and black rubber for the black dial version.
Discover the Zenith timepiece collections online, or locate The Time Place boutique near you for a visit.
