The DEFY Skyline Skeleton pushes the language of contemporary watch design into a realm shaped by open structures, sharp geometry and the visual contrasts of the modern city.

Its openworked construction reveals the El Primero 3620 SK calibre in full transparency, while its interplay of light and shadow echoes the dynamic rhythm of an urban skyline. Now presented in a bold new black ceramic edition paired with a gold-toned movement, this latest interpretation enhances the architectural character of the model and gives it a strikingly modern, metropolitan presence.

With its bold openworked architecture, the Defy Skyline Skeleton reveals every technical detail of the El Primero calibre, including its signature 1/10^th of a second indicator. The latest iteration introduces a new contrast, pairing a deep black ceramic case with a gold-toned movement, a combination reminiscent of the luminous reflections and shadowed structures that shape contemporary urban landscapes.

This captivating interplay of black and gold reimagines the Defy Skyline Skeleton as a sculptural presence within the world of modern watchmaking. The brushed and polished black ceramic exterior evokes the clean lines and monolithic forms of architectural landmarks, while the gleaming gold-coloured openworked dial and movement echo the warm highlights of a city illuminated at night. Together, these elements accentuate the watch’s dodecagonal bezel and faceted case, achieving a balance of metropolitan boldness and modern elegance.

Beneath the open dial shaped after Zenith’s emblematic four-pointed star from 1969 lies the El Primero 3620 SK calibre, finished entirely in gold tone. Instead of a traditional central seconds display, the Defy Skyline introduces the world’s first and only constant 1/10^th of a second running indicator. Directly driven by the 5 Hz escapement, it completes a full rotation every 10 seconds, creating a visual rhythm reminiscent of the perpetual motion of the city.

Designed for modern versatility, this new edition is fitted with an integrated black ceramic bracelet that extends the sleek geometry of the case, forming a seamless architectural silhouette. A black patterned rubber strap is also included, easily interchangeable thanks to the intuitive quick strap-change mechanism requiring no tools, a nod to the adaptability of contemporary urban life.

The Defy Skyline Skeleton eis available at Zenith boutiques, online, and through authorised retailers worldwide.

Zenith is unveiling several of its latest creations at the 2026 LVMH Watch Week in Milano, alongside LVMH Maisons Bulgari, Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta, Hublot, Louis Vuitton, L’Epée 1839, TAG Heuer and Tiffany. This edition shines a particular spotlight on the Defy collection, a pillar of the Manufacture and the focal point of Zenith’s ongoing exploration of contemporary watchmaking.

This year, Zenith presents a series of new DEFY timepieces that enrich the line’s distinctive identity: the striking black-and-gold Defy Skyline Skeleton; a bold new expression of the Defy Skyline Chronograph in black ceramic a milestone introduction with the first-ever Defy Skyline Tourbillon Skeleton in a fully openworked rose-gold execution; refined updates to the Defy Skyline 36; and the Defy Revival A3643, a contemporary tribute to one of the original 1969 references. Together, these models showcase the many facets of the Defy universe through contrasts of light and shadow, geometric forms, material innovation and an unmistakably urban sensibility. Rooted in the Manufacture’s heritage in Le Locle yet deeply inspired by the modernity of cities like Milano, the Defy collection captures a vision where watchmaking and contemporary design meet. Each timepiece is conceived as a coherent whole, in which movement and exterior form are developed in concert, an approach akin to shaping a city through the interplay of structure, space and rhythm. The sharp facets, structural silhouettes and openworked forms that define the collection echo the dynamism of metropolitan landscapes, where precision and creativity give rise to a living architecture.