The ZENITH Defy Skyline collection was launched a year ago to cement the brand's position in the highly competitive luxury sports watch segment, where the Defy Extreme and Defy Classic collections are already vying for the desired influence. Skyline Reference greatly improves your chances of winning a wider range of customers with unique appearances and unique watch products. And, as you can see, the latest Boutique version is just right.
The name "Defy" has a long tradition in the brand. The story began with the sturdy and precise pocket watch of the "Defi" series in 1902, and later inspired Zenith to maintain the same spirit in the 1969 watch series, changing the last letter to Y. With the design and aesthetics of the 1969 Defy with highly reliable construction and performance, the Defy watch was nicknamed coffre-fort and even advertised as "time safe".
The same spirit inspired the modern Defy and Zenith Defy Skyline series. The design borrows from the original Defy with an angular case that showcases a fresh, powerful modern style. The new Zenith Defy Skyline Boutique Edition is basically the same as the 2022 model, with some new color schemes.
The Skyline Boutique Edition features a faceted stainless steel case that, like the previously released model, has a diameter of 41 mm and a height of 11.6 mm. The octagonal case and dodecagonal bezel feature brushed and polished edges to create an elegant and powerful overall look. The screw-down crown is decorated with the star-shaped Zenith logo, a transparent case back and is water-resistant to 100 metres.
The anthracite dial is decorated with a perfectly aligned four-corner gold-plated star grid. Large appliqué rose gold faceted indexes and hands enhance the gold element. The hands and markers, including the small hands of the sub-dial at 9 o'clock, are embedded with Super-LumiNova luminescent material. The outer minute track and subdial track with a white stamp are located slightly below the base dial, with the outer end of the hour hands hanging above the recessed flange. This star pattern contributes to the collection's unique look; It adds depth to the dial, making it "lifelike" and reinforcing the personality of the watch.
The date window is at 3 o'clock; The color of the date dial matches the dial and is large enough to be easy to read. The indication of seconds, or a tenth of a second to be precise, gives us clues to the origin of the movement, especially for those familiar with Zenith time pieces. Perhaps this is the only purpose, since the crazy seconds hand on the small dial has no practical use, but the effect is there. Would the watch look better without this feature? I'll let you choose the answer.
ZENITH is very much identified with the El Primero Calibre and Defy Skyline collections. This boutique limited edition features the El Primero 3620 self-winding calibre with a bidirectional rotor. When fully chained, it provides a power reserve of approximately 60 hours. Calibre 3620 has a frequency of 5 Hz (36,000 beats per hour) and is similar to the El Primero 3600 1/10-second chronograph. The sapphire crystal case back gives the movement an unobstructed view, and this rose gold rotor of the Defy Skyline.
The Zenith Defy Skylines features a cool, modern, sturdy and well-constructed stainless steel bracelet and a black rubber strap with a folding clasp in stainless steel. Thanks to the system created by the manufacturer, the two are instantly interchangeable. As the name suggests, the new ZENITH Defy Skyline Boutique Edition will be available exclusively in ZENITH boutiques, in physical stores and online (from February 2023).