Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph

The DEFY Skyline constellation is finally complete. A natural continuation and expansion of ZENITH’s edgy, all-occasions line, the new DEFY Skyline Chronograph offers a new vessel for the Manufacture’s latest iteration of the El Primero automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre, endowed with a 1/10th of a second chronograph function.

Looking back at the legacy of the DEFY collection of wristwatches, there’s a long and enduring tradition of El Primero chronographs within the line from as far back as the early 1970s. A modernistic vessel for a groundbreaking calibre, the DEFY has always been perfectly suited for the El Primero automatic chronograph, whose high-frequency rate allows it to provide unwavering precision – even in highly animated and dynamic situations. With the same penchant for movement and performance in a wide range of settings, the new DEFY Skyline Chronograph is the culmination of over 50 years in elevating the chronograph to new heights. In essence, it is the DEFY chronograph of the 21st century – and it shows.

Architectural, geometric and intricately faceted, the DEFY Skyline’s 41mm steel case is a modernized take on the earliest DEFY’s octagonal case with a multi-sided bezel. Retaining the same DNA of robustness and durability as its predecessors while bringing an edgier and more contemporary aesthetic and proportions. In the DEFY Skyline Chronograph, the pushers follow the sharply drawn lines of the case, while the screw-down crown emblazoned with the star emblem helps ensure a water-resistance of 100 metres (10ATM).

Available in metallic black, blue or silver, the DEFY Skyline Chronograph’s dial pairs the collection’s signature starry sky-patterned dial featuring engraved four-pointed stars with the traditional El Primero dial configuration. Three slightly oversized and overlapping counters show the elapsed seconds and minutes of the chronograph, as well as the constant running seconds. The date window – matching the colour of the dial – is positioned at 4:30, another El Primero signature. The flange ring with the 1/10th of a second scale has twelve facets, the form of the dodecagonal bezel and serving as extensions of the hour markers.