Zenith Defy Skyline Hands-On Review

When Zenith released the Defy Skyline towards the start of 2022 at LVMH Watch Week, I was immediately drawn to it. Not only had Zenith completely re-imagined the original Defy from the late 60s, but had designed a modern steel sports watch with today’s watch consumer in mind. A great blend of modern lines, a bold design and styling harking back to the original Defy that was released in 1969. With many integrated sports watches on the market these days, it is good to see that a brand like Zenith is taking inspiration from some of its earlier model lines and bringing this to today’s consumer.

Now, full disclosure, this isn’t a loan watch for this review; I did order it back in April 2022 and, after a 6-month wait, finally had it on my wrist in October. So this is my hands-on review of the Zenith Defy Skyline now I’ve owned and worn for the past couple of months. And in that time, I’ve really put it through its paces – office work, beach, snorkelling, surfing, trap shooting, and overseas trips, to name a few! 

How it wears:

The Defy Skyline has been designed for wearability. With a diameter of 41mm, approx 12mm in thickness and almost no lug protrusion due to the integrated bracelet and strap (46mm to be precise, 43mm at the taper), it sits flush to the wrist and wears fairly true to size. The display case back means that there are no issues with discomfort on the wrist, and if you’ve smaller wrists (mine are 17cm in circumference), then the Defy Skyline is one watch that you can quite easily pull off.

The addition of the integrated bracelet means that once sized, it hugs the wrist nicely, and the bracelet’s quality is excellent. One of the criticisms the Chronomaster Sport received was the bracelet quality, and having worn this model; I’d have to say I’d agree. But, this is certainly not the case for the Defy. It’s solid in construction, and with the butterfly clasp, it won’t leave the wrist accidentally with any knocks it may get. The addition of screw-in end links adds to the durability, not to mention the ease of re-sizing. With most integrated bracelets of similar design, there is no way to make micro-adjustments, so you do need to size it with a bit of give if you’re the type whose wrists can swell or shrink depending on the weather. And when it’s tighter, it does occasionally catch the arm hairs, but again, many other bracelets do as well, so not all that unique to the Defy Skyline. 

Want a sportier look? Then the quick change strap change system makes it quick and effortless to make it look totally different and perfect for the warmer weather. Once on the rubber strap, it wears just as well as on the bracelet. Zenith has done a great job of designing a good-looking and functional strap that integrates just as well with the case and moulds to the wrist, not to mention the added security of the deployant clasp with pin buckle for safety and sizing. One aspect of some rubber straps that I personally don’t like is they have no visual design elements and can look quite boring. But Zenith has done a good job here in giving the rubber strap some very nice design queues here, including raising the centre of it to give it some extra bolstering and then continuing the 4-point star design from the dial down the centre.

The Design:

As mentioned earlier, the Defy Skyline is a re-imagined design from the original Defy and adds to the already robust Defy lineup. At first glance, this watch looks fairly simple, but it’s only once you get into the details that you start to see the brilliance of this watch.

Starting with the dial, you have this beautifully done inverted 4-point star pattern, a visual tribute to the historical Zenith “double-Z” logo of the 1960s. The blue in this version pops and, depending on the light, can be anything from a brilliant cobalt blue to a much darker shade in low light. You have the small, unobtrusive date window at 3 O’clock, and the large applied Rhodium-plated indices and hands stand out on the blue and black dials, respectively. One reason that I never gravitated to the white dial was there was not enough contrast on the dial between the hands, indices and dial, which is standard on many white dials watches with Superluminova-filled indices. And then there is that 1/10th of a second sub-dial. Some people love it; some hate it. My personal opinion is it’s just cool. Why have a 1/10th of a second sub-dial, as you can’t really do much with it? Because you can, and this is just Zenith showing off here, with its high-frequency El Primero movement on display in a non-chronograph watch. However, I will admit, setting the time accurately can be a problem as whilst it does have a hacking seconds function, you’re never really sure at what point in any given minute it’s up to. It’s more of an educated guess!

Moving on to the case and bracelet, this is where this watch really shines. And it’s all in the small details. The majority of the case, bracelet and bezel are all brush-finished, giving the Defy Skyline a somewhat industrial look, coupled with the sharp lines and angled surfaces. But, in between all that brushed steel are beautifully polished surfaces that catch the light. On the case, chamfering on the top of the lugs and underside gives the watch a more elegant finish, and around the fixed bezel, the contrast between the brushed steel on top and polished edges and sides really helps offset the bezel. When you look closely at the steel bracelet, you will notice that all the centre links have angled polished bevelling top and bottom, not to mention all the links have been angled and polished on the sides to give the whole bracelet a three-dimensional effect.

Turning the watch over, the display caseback gives way to the famous El Primero movement, and whilst this particular movement isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as some others, being fairly industrial in finishing, the rotor design has been done in the now famous Zenith star, which adds to the overall appeal of the Defy line, and the Skyline is no exception.

The addition of the quick change system is also something that needs a mention. Zenith is a winner here with the inclusion of a matching rubber strap with purchase. It is easy to simply press the button on the underside of the watch and undo one strap, then simply click each side of the new one back in. And it only takes less than about 30 seconds in total to completely change the look and feel of the watch, which I do like immensely. The one downside is that this is a proprietary system, and only the straps or bracelet designed for the Skyline will fit, so currently, no aftermarket options will work, a problem not exclusive to Zenith, I’ll admit.

Movement:

Zenith has equipped the Defy Skyline with the El Primero 3620 movement, beating at 5Hz or 36,000 VpH, allowing it to showcase that polarising 1/10th second sub-dial. With 60hrs of power reserve, it’s not massively groundbreaking, but very respectable nonetheless, given many movements on the market today are still around the 48hr mark – something I feel that is now subpar in 2022 and shouldn’t be found in watches that attract a 5 figure plus price tag.

This is a new movement designed for this model, with a silicon escapement, tungsten rotor in star design and ETAchron fine adjustment, making it a very robust mechanical movement. In the few months I’ve owned the Defy Skyline, it’s kept a great time, and at the time of writing this article, has lost perhaps 30 seconds since resetting it over four weeks ago.

Final thoughts:

In my very humble opinion, the Defy Skyline is one of the best bang-for-buck integrated sports watches out on the market currently, and for $12,200 AUD it does offer a whole lot. As mentioned earlier in the piece, I’ve put this watch through its paces, from snorkelling the reefs in Fiji to surfing the beaches of the Gold Coast to trap-shooting clay targets and just running about in my day-to-day life. It has not missed a beat! On the rubber strap, it is casual and sporty, and the blue rubber really brings out the blue in the dial, perfect for weekends and day trips. Switch the steel bracelet, and it’s ready to go with a suit, a night out to dinner (and even the occasional watch event!) Out of all the watches I’ve owned, the Defy Skyline has received the most compliments from both non-watch and watch aficionados alike. Plus, as a side note, it is one of the most photogenic watches. If you’re after a piece that is both highly functional and versatile, and can be two different watches in one, then the Zenith Defy Skyline is one to put on the shortlist for 2023 if you haven’t already.

Reference: 03.9300.3620/51.I001

Specification:

• Case: 41 mm, 12mm thick and 43mm lug to lug at the taper
• Case Material: Brushed and polished steel
• Dial: Sunray Blue with 4-point star motif pattern
• Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating 
• Water resistance: 100 metres with screw-down crown
• Movement: Automatic El Primero 3620, 26 jewels, 36,000VpH (5hz)
• Power reserve: 60 Hours
• Bracelet: Integrated steel bracelet interchangeable with dial matching blue rubber with quick change system
• Warranty: 2 years factory warranty with additional three years if registered with Zenith online (5 years total)

Australian Recommended Retail Price: $12,200 inc GST

Availability: Available now.