Zenith has revealed the new Defy Skyline chronograph as part of their novelties for Watches & Wonders 2024. This watch successfully combines the brand’s tradition of obsession with chronographs with its traditional do-it-all design.
Architectural, geometric, and intricately faceted, the DEFY Skyline’s 42mm steel case is a modernised take on the earliest DEFY’s octagonal case with a multi-sided bezel. It retains the same DNA of robustness and durability as its predecessors while bringing an edgier, 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 meters (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 chronograph’s elapsed seconds and minutes, as well as the constant running seconds. The date window, which matches the dial’s colour, 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 serving as extensions of the hour markers.
In an ever-faster moving world, every fraction of a second counts. Just like in the DEFY Skyline automatic model and its skeleton counterpart, ZENITH continues to offer the 1/10th of a second function found, now in the form of a 1/10th of a second chronograph in the DEFY Skyline Chronograph.
This mechanical feat is the result of the El Primero 3600 calibre’s high-frequency rate of 5Hz (36’000 vibrations per hour), visible through the display back. Its open star-shaped oscillating weight with bidirectional winding efficiently provides a power reserve of 60 hours.
One of the highlights of the DEFY Skyline is its integrated quick strap-change mechanism integrated directly into the case, allowing for effortless versatility without requiring any tools. With a simple button push, the three-link steel bracelet can be swapped with the supplied star-patterned rubber strap with a steel folding buckle.
This new, 42-mm DEFY Skyline Chronograph combines stop-second precision and its 1/10th of a second El Primero 3600 calibre with a durable steel case so you can live your life at a higher frequency. Discover our Zenith collection online or visit The Time Place boutique for more information.
