ZENITH arrives at LVMH Watch Week 2026 not with a crowded showcase, but with a carefully constructed whole. The new DEFY collection moves forward with a clear internal logic, connecting different case sizes, materials and complications into a single narrative. These watches gain meaning not individually, but when seen together.
Skeletonized movements set the tone early. Black ceramic sharpens the geometry. A rose gold tourbillon later transforms this technical language into something architectural. The more compact Skyline 36 and the 1969 Revival model bring the story back to human scale.
The transitions feel effortless. It is as if the DEFY collection was designed in one uninterrupted sitting, guided by a single idea.
DEFY Skyline Skeleton Black Ceramic and Golden Light
Black ceramic is a demanding material. Used carelessly, it feels artificial. Used correctly, it becomes dense, serious and timeless. Here, it reads like night engineered into form.
The DEFY Skyline Skeleton feels born for ceramic. Its dodecagonal bezel and angular case create a monolithic presence. This is not fashion black, but engineered black.
Beneath the sapphire crystal, the gold toned El Primero 3620 SK plays with contrast. The star motif is not decorative. It is structural. The movement feels built rather than embellished.
There is no traditional seconds hand. Instead, a 1 tenth of a second indicator completes a full rotation every ten seconds, adding constant kinetic energy. Tense, alive and deliberate.
Price: 18,900 USD. Available with a black ceramic bracelet or a rubber strap.
DEFY Skyline Chronograph Discipline in Ceramic
A full black ceramic chronograph clarifies ZENITH’s definition of modernity. Case and bracelet read as a single object. The DEFY character never fractures.
The gradient dial adds visual depth. Star motifs remain restrained, present without dominating. As light fades, Super Luminova details quietly take over.
Inside beats the El Primero 3600. The chronograph seconds hand completes a full lap every ten seconds. This speed is not theatrical. It is mechanical truth.
Through the sapphire case back, the blue column wheel and star shaped rotor offer a subtle nod to those who know where to look.
Price: 23,600 USD. Delivered with both ceramic bracelet and rubber strap.
DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Skeleton Architecture Exposed
This is the headline piece. There is no dial, no intermediary layer. The movement becomes the watch.
The El Primero 3630 SK rises within a rose gold case, bordered only by a slim frame holding the hour markers. The ZENITH name appears suspended above the mechanics.
The blue skeletonized movement shifts with light. The 5 Hz tourbillon rotates once per minute, while the open barrel displays its 50 hour power reserve without hesitation.
Limited to 50 pieces. Price: 103,700 USD.
DEFY Skyline 36 Everyday Precision
The most wearable expression of the collection. The silver toned dial feels crisp, architectural and calm. The star texture acts as surface character rather than branding.
Options include a plain steel bezel or a diamond set version. Inside, the Elite 670 automatic movement delivers quiet reliability.
Prices range from 9,400 to 13,300 USD.
DEFY Revival A3643 Discipline from 1969
ZENITH closes the collection by looking back. The 1969 A3643 has been recreated with near perfect fidelity using high precision scans.
The 37 mm case, multi faceted bezel and orange seconds hand remain sharp and honest. On the reverse, a sapphire case back introduces the modern Elite 670 movement.
Price: 7,800 USD. The most accessible and arguably the most character driven piece in the lineup.
The VOGGIA Perspective
ZENITH did not arrive in Milan with noise. It arrived with intent.
The DEFY collection treats movement as structure, case as architecture and design as message. In doing so, ZENITH defines its contemporary identity through proportion rather than volume.
