Time flies. It is now the seventh installment of LVMH Watch Week, which the luxury conglomerate has held for its own stable of watch brands since the start of 2020. Over the years, the group has acquired and revived more maisons, and now boasts an impressively broad portfolio. This includes formerly independents such as Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta, and L’Epée 1839, as well as jewellers and luxury goods makers like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany, alongside long established watchmaking names such as Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith.

This year, Zenith has introduced five new timepieces united by a single theme: the Defy. With its angular case and integrated bracelet, the Defy has long been one of the brand’s most distinctive designs, and this latest group of releases shows how the collection has evolved over the past six decades. The line up spans a faithful 1969 reissue of reference 3642 and several modern interpretations, including a Defy Skyline Skeleton in black ceramic with a gold coloured movement, a first for the brand. There is also a new Defy Skyline Tourbillon, which for the first time is fully skeletonised, pairing a blue movement with a rose gold case. Taken together, the new Defy quintet shows a restrained and focused use of colour and form, but is undeniably striking and effective. Let’s take a closer look at each of the five watches.

Zenith’s line up for LVMH Watch Fairs 2026: from left, Defy Revival A3643, Defy Skyline 36, Defy Skyline Skeleton, Defy Chronograph and Defy Skyline Tourbillon Skeleton

Defy Skyline Skeleton Black Ceramic

One of the most, if not the most, eye-catching watches in Zenith’s new lineup is the Defy Skyline Skeleton in black ceramic. While the Skyline Skeleton itself is not a completely new model, and black ceramic has appeared elsewhere in Zenith’s collection, here it feels entirely fresh. That is largely due to the clever use of colour, pairing a gold-coloured skeletonised movement with an all-black ceramic case and bracelet. The effect is several levels more upscale than a typical steel version of the same watch and easily rivals pieces from much more expensive brands.

The Defy Skyline Skeleton in black ceramic (©Revolution)

At its price point of around USD 20,000, it occupies a unique position. For many other brands, an integrated-bracelet sport watch at this level is still offered in steel or, at most, titanium. Here, the case is ceramic and the movement is skeletonised, allowing it to stand out as a highly competitive and attractive option in an otherwise fairly saturated segment.

The black ceramic case pairing with gold-coloured skeletonised movement allowing it to stand out as a highly competitive and attractive option

The movement also includes a small but intriguing surprise. The small seconds hand is a so-called “lightning seconds,” completing a full rotation every 10 seconds, six times faster than a typical seconds hand. This is achieved through an additional gear that increases the escape wheel’s speed sixfold, translating the 5 Hz movement, which ticks 10 times per second, into a visual counter with markings for 1/10th of a second. It is not a chronograph, but it is a playful detail that perfectly complements the striking black-and-gold aesthetic.

The El Primero 3620 SK automatic movement (©Revolution)

Tech Specs: Defy Skyline Skeleton

Movement El Primero 3620 SK automatic; 36,000 VpH (5Hz); 55 hours power reserve
Functions Hours and minutes in the centre; 1/10th of a second counter at 6 o’clock; 10 ATM water resistance
Finishes Gold-toned mainplate
Case Black ceramic, 41mm
Dial Gold-toned openworked; hour markers and hands in gold-plated, faceted and coated with Super-LumiNova SLN C1
Strap Black ceramic bracelet with double folding clasp, and black rubber strap with steel folding clasp

Defy Skyline Tourbillon Skeleton

When one thinks of Zenith, one usually thinks of chronographs. But from time to time, the brand has produced high complications, such as the Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane. The bottom line is that Zenith is a very capable maker of complications – it is simply a matter of whether it chooses to do so. In the Defy collection, it does this by incorporating a tourbillon into an everyday watch. And for the very first time, the Defy Skyline Tourbillon features a skeletonised movement, which completes the look.

Defy Skyline Tourbillon features a skeletonised movement

The colour palette is simple but effective. The case and bracelet are entirely in rose gold, while the movement is rendered in an electric blue tone, creating a contrast that is both luxurious and contemporary.

The El Primero 3620 SK movement in an electric blue tone

It is worth noting that the movement’s finishing is largely modern, with clean, sharp bevelling rather than the rounded, flowing lines typically found in classical dress watches. This suits the brand’s identity and the style of the watch. That said, the gold tourbillon bridge is finished to a high standard, reflecting the level of refinement expected in a traditional timepiece.

The tourbillon with gold bridge

Tech Specs: Defy Skyline Tourbillon Skeleton

Movement El Primero 3620 SK; 36,000 VpH (5Hz); 50 hours power reserve
Functions Hours and minutes in the centre; Tourbillon at 6 o’clock (one-minute rotation); Tourbillon cage with 56 components; 10 ATM water resistance
Finishes Solid gold oscillating weight with satined finishes
Case Rose gold, 41mm
Dial Blue openworked; hour markers and hands in gold-plated, faceted and coated with Super-LumiNova SLN C1
Strap Solid rose gold bracelet with solid rose gold double folding clasp, and blue rubber strap with solid gold folding clasp

Defy Revival A3643

The modern Defy Skyline doesn’t make it immediately obvious that it has a 12-sided bezel – yes, 12 sides! – this is largely because the angular case and bracelet blend well with the bezel. But the vintage originals from about 70 years ago tell a very different story. On early Defy models, such as the A3642 and A3691 that Zenith has revived in recent years, the multi-faceted bezel stands out sharply against a relatively small case and a bracelet that is less angular than the bezel.

The Defy Revival A363 with 12-sided bezel (©Revolution)

This year, Zenith is bringing back the reference A3643. Including this watch in the catalogue is important because it shows how the Defy design language has evolved over the decades, and it also proves that modern design is not necessarily inferior to vintage.

The Elite 670 automatic movement with a Côtes de Genève finishings oscillating weight (©Revolution)

Vintage designs, however, remain appealing for their quirks and features that reflect a bygone era. The A3643 exemplifies this perfectly. It features a simple sunburst dial that is clean and warm, which is proof that a dial does not need to be turquoise to be attractive. The decoration is quirky, as one would expect from the late 1960s and early 1970s. It has large markers with a two-step design: the inner part is metal, while the outer section is filled with black lacquer. To top off the eccentricity, the seconds hand has a rectangular tip filled with bright orange paint.

The sunburst dial, two-steps design large markers and the seconds hand with bright orange rectangular tip (©Revolution)

Tech Specs: Defy Revival A3643

Movement Elite 670 automatic; 28,800 VpH (4Hz); 50 hours power reserve
Functions Hours and minutes in the centre; central seconds hand; date indication at 4:30; 30 ATM water resistance
Finishes Oscillating weight with Côtes de Genève finishings
Case Stainless steel, 37mm
Dial Sunray silver; hour markers and hands in Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with Super-LumiNova SLN C1
Strap Stainless steel “Ladder” bracelet

Defy Skyline Chronograph

After the more striking watches, Zenith also offers subtler versions for enthusiasts or collectors who prefer something under the radar. First up is the all-black Defy Skyline Chronograph. All black meaning the case, dial, and bracelet are completely black. The good news is that this colour is permanent: it is not a surface treatment. The entire case and bracelet are constructed from black ceramic and finished with a contrasting matte and polished effect, a combination that is difficult to execute given the hardness of ceramic.

The all black Defy Chronograph (©Revolution)

The Defy Chronograph caseback (©Revolution)

Tech Specs: Defy Chronograph

Movement El Primero 3600 automatic; 36,000 VpH (5Hz); 60 hours power reserve
Functions 1/10th of a second chronograph functions; hours and minutes in the centre; small seconds at 9 o’clock; central chronograph hand making one full rotation in 10 Seconds; 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock; 60-second counter at 3 o’clock; date indication at 4:30; 10 ATM water resistance
Finishes Oscillating weight with satined finishings
Case Black ceramic, 42mm
Dial Gradient grey starry sky pattern; hour markers and hands in Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1
Strap Black ceramic bracelet with double folding clasp, and black rubber strap with steel folding clasp

Defy Skyline 36

For women, there is a midsized Defy Skyline 36 that now comes in subtle colours. When it was first launched, the collection featured flashy shades like pastel pink and turquoise. This year, the theme is understated, with silver as the main colour. The model is offered in two variants: one with a plain bezel and one with a full ring of diamonds for a more luxurious look.

The brand new Defy Skyline 36 in two variants, one with plain bezel and one with a full ring of diamonds (©Revolution)

52 VVS brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel

Tech Specs: Defy Skyline 36

Movement Elite 670 automatic; 28,800 VpH (4Hz); 50 hours power reserve
Functions Hours and minutes in the centre; central seconds hand; date indication at 3 o’clock; 10 ATM water resistance
Finishes Star-shaped oscillating weight with satined finishings
Case Stainless steel or Stainless steel with diamond-set bezel, 36mm
Dial Silver-toned sunray-patterned; hour markers and hands in Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1
Strap Stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp and black rubber strap with starry-sky pattern and folding clasp