Teddy Baldassarre
Zenith Defy Skyline Review
While the El Primero movement architecture may serve as the face of the Zenith brand, it is the Defy collection that remains its soul. The Defy represents an historically significant ethos for Zenith, a creative foundation that is just as important to the Swiss brand’s past as it is to its future. Originally meant to be a showcase of innovation and ideas, the Defy collection serves dual purposes: to preserve and celebrate innovations of the past in the “Revival” subfamily, and to continue innovating for the future in the series’ other branches. In 2022, the brand took a big step toward the future of the collection with the release of the Zenith Defy Skyline, a watch that simultaneously looked to build on successful elements of the past and also to capitalize on the integrated-bracelet sport watch trend that had taken hold of the industry. The Zenith Defy collection has roots in the 1960s and ‘70s, when many of the brand’s most iconic and exciting references were released (you can read a more in-depth history here). Many of these have been reborn in the form of modern Revival references, allowing a new generation of enthusiasts to discover them again, or for the first time. These designs weren’t afraid to take risks, from the shape of the case, to the bracelet integration, right into the dial colors and textures. The Defy name quickly came to signify a huge amount of character, and that’s on full display within the brand’s current stable. In finding a mo...
