Zenith, while not a household name, is certainly a known name in the world of watches - particularly in collecting circles. The primary reason?

The El Primero.

As nothing short of an icon (yeah, we said it), this caliber tends to have some side effects for its name brand, in this case, other models from the era in Zeniths line up perhaps not getting the recognition that the deserve — leaving plenty of forgotten gems in the brands past. Such is the case with the Defy line of watches, which debuted the very same year that the El Primero chronograph did in 1969!

The Zenith Defy collection spans an almost shocking array of references, including watches like the Revival darlings, right on up to crazy Defy Extremes and Defy 21s – the Defy Skyline collection connects all of these dots. At the forefront of this collection is the Defy Skyline Skeleton – a distinct openworked version combining some of the big personality found in the Extreme and 21 references, into a more approachable framework.

This particular Zenith Defy, a Skyline Skeleton, features a 41mm stainless steel octagonal case with a sapphire crystal, a 12-sided brushed bezel with a polished outer edge and a signed screw-down crown. The ‘skeleton dial’ features a four-pointed Zenith star pattern in blue with numerous cutouts, leaving a striking geometric decoration, a 1/10th sub-seconds display at 6 o’clock and is accompanied by a set of applied luinous indices and a matching handset.

The movement itself is further skeletonized, allowing one to view the El Primero technology beating away beneath. Powering this Defy Skeleton Skyline is the El Primero 3620 hi-frequency automatic movement which structurally, better displays the escapement with the subsidiary dial shifted from 9 o’clock to 6 o’clock. This Defy Skeleton Skyline is fitted with a flat steel H-link integrated bracelet equipped with a quick release button for seamless strap changes and a signed push-button deployant clasp.

From the eye-catching geometric dial and dynamic case shape, to the mechanical charm displayed through the skeletal dial and the small seconds hand zipping along, the Zenith Defy Skeleton Skyline is a very special watch indeed.