SUMMER VIBES: ZENITH UNVEILS THE DEFY SKYLINE SKELETON IN WHITE CERAMIC

As the days get longer and mercury rises, ZENITH is celebrating the summer season with the first-ever DEFY Skyline model in white ceramic, paired with a blue skeleton movement and dial for the perfect aestival touch.

A modern successor to the very first ZENITH DEFY wristwatch model from 1969, the DEFY Skyline seamlessly merges the past and present with bold architectural lines and unwavering robustness that are the hallmarks of the line. With this new edition, the DEFY Skyline Skeleton combines the symmetrical, open movement and dial with a pristine white ceramic exterior – a first for the DEFY Skyline collection. With alternating satin-brushed and polished surfaces, the highly scratch-resistant white ceramic case and dodecagonal bezel offer a striking rendition of the all-occasions DEFY silhouette. With a water-resistance of 10 ATM (100 metres), there isn’t a summertime activity that the DEFY Skyline Skeleton in White Ceramic can’t handle.

Perfectly complementing this new DEFY Skyline Skeleton’s white ceramic exterior is its intense blue open dial and skeleton movement. Constantly shifting with the light and revealing different nuances of blue, the open dial takes on the form of ZENITH’s famous four-pointed star from 1969, a recurring motif in the story of the DEFY range. It reveals the open El Primero 3620 SK movement beneath, which has also been finished in ZENITH’s signature blue tone recalling the night sky. In lieu of a traditional seconds dial, the DEFY Skyline features the world’s first and only constant 1/10th of a second running indicator, completing one rotation every 10 seconds (and serving as a gentle reminder to make every moment count this summer).

Conceived with versatility in mind, the DEFY Skyline Skeleton White Ceramic comes on an integrated white ceramic bracelet, which seamlessly follows the contours and mixed brushed and polished finish of the case. A bright white patterned rubber strap that matches the ceramic is also provided to make the most of the case’s ingenious quick strap-change mechanism, which requires no tools to operate.

The DEFY Skyline Skeleton in White Ceramic is powered by the El Primero 3620 SK automatic high-frequency skeleton calibre, featuring a 1/10th of a second indicator that’s driven directly from the 5Hz escapement. It features a power reserve of approximately 55 hours and is endowed with a stop-second mechanism for precise time-setting.

The DEFY Skyline Skeleton in White Ceramic is available in small quantities from all ZENITH physical and online boutiques as well as authorized retailers around the world.

ZENITH: TIME TO REACH YOUR STAR.

ZENITH exists to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams and make them come true – against all odds. Since its establishment in 1865, ZENITH became the first vertically integrated Swiss watch manufacture, and its watches have accompanied extraordinary figures that dreamt big and strived to achieve the impossible – from Louis Blériot’s history-making flight across the English Channel to Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting stratospheric free-fall jump. Zenith is also highlighting visionary and trailblazing women by celebrating their accomplishments and creating the DREAMHERS platform where women share their experiences and inspire others to fulfil their dreams.

With innovation as its guiding star, ZENITH exclusively features in-house developed and manufactured movements in all its watches. Since the creation of the El Primero in 1969, the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre, ZENITH has gone on to master high-frequency
precision and offers time measurements in fractions of a second, including 1/10th of a second in the Chronomaster collection and 1/100th of a second in the DEFY collection. Because innovation is synonymous with responsibility, the ZENITH HORIZ-ON initiative affirms the brand’s commitments to inclusion & diversity, sustainability and employee wellbeing. ZENITH has been shaping the future of Swiss watchmaking since 1865, accompanying those who dare to challenge themselves and reach new heights. The time to reach your star is now.

DEFY SKYLINE WHITE CERAMIC SKELETON

Reference: 49.9301.3620/79.I001
Key points: El Primero 3-hand watch. High frequency indication: 1/10th of a second subdial at 6 o’clock. Silicon escape-wheel and lever. Screwed-in crown. Full Interchangeable strap system.
Movement: El Primero 3620, automatic
Frequency: 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)
Power reserve: approx. 55 hours
Functions: Hours and minutes in the center. 1/10th of a second counter at 6 o’clock.
Finishes: Special oscillating weight with satined finishings
Price: 16,900 CHF
Material: White Ceramic
Water resistance: 10 ATM
Case: 41mm
Dial: Blue-toned Openworked dial
Hour markers: Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1
Hands: Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLuminova SLN C1
Bracelet & Buckle: White ceramic bracelet and folding clasp. Comes with a white rubber strap with starry sky pattern and folding clasp.

BIG BANG UNICO ORANGE CERAMIC: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

A new ceramic colour is making its appearance at the heart of the Big Bang Unico: a vibrant orange, the result of a unique alchemy and a flawless resistance to shocks and scratches.

If there is something Hublot excels at, it is disruption and unbridled creativity. But, sometimes, it is also known for those little touches that quietly and profoundly change the landscape of watchmaking. Such is the case today, after vivid red and yellow, the Manufacture introduces the first vivid orange ceramic.

Historically, ceramics were first available in unobtrusive colours: black and white. Hublot has gradually changed the game by exploring other shades. The Big Bang has introduced different variations of blue, grey and green. Then, in 2019, it presented a world first when the first brightly coloured ceramic was released: a vibrant red. The second of these achievements came in 2021, with a stunning yellow piece. But the Big Bang collector is not someone who is content with the status quo. Far from it! Hublot has therefore continued to innovate and develop new colours, the very latest of which is this orange.

Developing an original ceramic colour is as simple to say… as it is complex to achieve. The workload should not be underestimated: it requires in-depth research & development. Which additives are needed? In what proportions? What type of firing, at what temperature, and for how long? How can it be machined? Should it have a satin finish? Or polished? How resistant is it to impacts? What about scratches? What pressure? What chemical recipe?

This is just a small part of the specifications that govern the development of a new ceramic. And every single aspect is exacting, as the standards guaranteed by Hublot for its ceramic are among the most stringent on the market. 100% internal expertise, patent-protected.

“Ceramic is part of Hublot history, but it’s a history that is still being written. We’ve never stopped innovating. It’s in our DNA. From our first ceramic bezel in 2005 to the 100% ceramic cases – which we are currently the only company to master in such a wide array of vivid colours. And that’s just the beginning. We’ve got a lot more to come!”  – RICARDO GUADALUPE HUBLOT CEO

 

The new Big Bang Unico Orange Ceramic follows in the footsteps of its predecessors. It offers a unique, perfectly uniform colour, whatever exterior component it is used to adorn. It is finished to a very high watchmaking standard, with a perfect mirror polish all over. A blend of high technology and savoir faire were necessary to achieve this level of excellence on all the components, due to their diverse shapes, thicknesses, and angles.

Hublot has recreated the exact colour of the ceramic for the indices, counters on the dial and hands, as well as for the integrated rubber strap. This strap features the patented “One-Click” system for quick, tool-free changes.

This series is limited to 250 pieces. At its heart beats the Unico Chronograph Manufacture calibre. This is the very latest generation of the automatic flyback chronograph movement developed by Hublot. Guaranteeing a three-day power reserve (72 hours), it retains the same aesthetic signature: column wheel at 6 o’clock, bicompax layout (small seconds at 9 o’clock, 60-minute counter at 3 o’clock with integrated date), silicon escapement, and the always demonstrative and powerful skeleton architecture. The Unico sits inside the iconic Big Bang case. This version is 42 mm in diameter and features the famous 6 titanium ‘H’ shaped bezel screws and lugs on either side of the case that echo the design of a ship’s porthole.

HUBLOT

Hublot is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1980 and based in Nyon. For its first ever timepiece, this fundamentally disruptive company combined gold with a rubber strap in a case with a design inspired by a ship’s porthole (hublot in French). Thus, the Art of Fusion was born, blending tradition, innovation, craftsmanship, worlds and talents. It became the brand’s aesthetic and technical signature.

This identity was strengthened in 2005 with the Big Bang, which attested to unrivalled expertise in terms of complications,vmanufacture movements and state-of-the-art materials. Carbon, titanium, ceramic and sapphire have been developed on this model to technical extremes.

This ground-breaking, high-quality approach to watchmaking is summed up in its philosophy ‘Be First, Unique and Different.’ It gradually led to other collections with innovative designs: Classic Fusion, Shaped Collection (Spirit of Big Bang, Square Bang) and Manufacture Pieces. These draw on high levels of craftsmanship, both in terms of the materials so dear to Hublot (such as Magic Gold, brightly-coloured ceramics and sapphires) and its manufacture movements (Unico chronograph, Meca-10 and large complications such as the Tourbillon, the Cathedral Minute Repeater and the specific Manufacture Pieces movements).

Hublot’s world extends to powerful partnerships including football. “Hublot Loves Football” has become the slogan at the world’s biggest sporting events (such as the FIFA World CupTM, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA EUROTM) and through its ambassadors. This love of football continues in art, design, music, sport, fine dining and sailing. Lastly, Hublot’s involvement in joint environmental projects with SORAI and Polar Pod reflects its concern for the issues of the day.

 

Over 130 boutiques around the world share Hublot’s fervour and values, alongside the Hublot.com e-commerce site.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

CASE

REFERENCE

441.CU.5910.RX

SIZE

42 mm

CASE

Polished Orange Ceramic

BEZEL

Polished Orange Ceramic

WATER RESISTANCE

100m or 10 ATM

CRYSTAL

Sapphire with Anti-reflective Treatment 

DIAL

Orange Skelton

MOVEMENT

MOVEMENT

HUB1280 UNICO Manufacture Self-winding Chronograph Flyback Movement with Column Wheel

POWER RESERVE

72 Hours

STRAP & CLASP

STRAP

Black and Orange Structured Lined Rubber Straps

CLASP

Black Ceramic and Black-plated Titanium Deployant Buckle Clasp