Le Locle, June 01, 2023 – Expanding on the DEFY Skyline Skeleton that made its debut at the start of the year, ZENITH adds contrasting tones of grey and gold for the Boutique Edition of the world’s first and only skeleton watch to feature a 1/10th of a second indicator.
Far more than an openworked watch, the DEFY Skyline Skeleton brings forth an entirely new design language to the world of skeleton watches. Keeping with the enduring DEFY legacy of sturdy and singularly futuristic timekeepers that began in 1969, the DEFY Skyline collection was conceived for an ever-fast-moving world where every fraction of a second can be a decisive one. Now, the DEFY Skyline Skeleton takes on a new chromatic palette of grey and silver with golden highlights as a boutique-exclusive edition.
Drawing inspiration from modern cityscapes where structures and light are bound in a constantly moving interplay, the DEFY Skyline Skeleton seamlessly integrates the open dial with an openworked version of the El Primero high-frequency automatic. A work of perfect symmetry seldom found in skeleton watches, the open dial takes on the form of a four-pointed stars, recalling the ZENITH “double Z” logo of the 1960s. For the Boutique Edition, the dial takes on a silvery-grey colour, with a darker chapter ring featuring applied gold-plated baton hour markers filled with Super-LumiNova and matching hands for effortless legibility. 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. This unprecedented feature is unique to the new generation of the El Primero automatic high-frequency calibre.
An evolution of the unique octagonal geometry established by the earliest DEFY wristwatch 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. The 41mm stainless steel case with sharply defined edges is topped by a faceted bezel, inspired by those from early DEFY models and reimagined with twelve sides that are positioned as extensions to the hour markers. With an emphasis on performance in the largest possible range of activities and situations, the screw-down crown emblazoned with the star emblem provides a water-resistance of 10 ATM (100 metres).
Visible through the open dial as well as the sapphire display back is the openworked version of the high-frequency automatic El Primero calibre, the 3620 SK. Built with a similar architecture as the El Primero 3600 1/10th of a second chronograph, this automatic manufacture movement drives the 1/10th of a second hand directly from the escapement, which beats at 5Hz (36’000 VpH), thus making 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 bi-directional rotor with a star motif delivers a power reserve of approximately 55 hours. For the Boutique edition of the DEFY Skyline Skeleton, the movement is finished in a luminous rhodium grey tone.
The DEFY Skyline Skeleton Boutique Edition is available exclusively at ZENITH physical and online boutiques around the world.
