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Yes, Zenith turn 160 this year, and to celebrate, Zenith has taken three of it’s iconic models, and given them the ceramic treatment in the Zenith blue. Introducing the new Defy Skyline Chronograph, Pilot Chronograph and Chronomaster Sport in blue ceramic.

If you ask anyone, being around for 160 years is a big achievement. If Zenith were a person, imagine all the things throughout the last 160 years they would have seen and the stories they could tell! The Zenith story goes all the way back to 1865 when a man by the name of Georges Favre-Jacot decided to open up his own brand in Le Locle, Switzerland and in doing so, created one of the very first integrated watch manufactures, creating his own components. Now, this was unusual at the time as back then, the Swiss watch industry was still very much a cottage industry, with most brands getting their components from a range of small suppliers scattered throughout the countryside (hence the name “Cottage” industry). But the man had a vision, and eventually, this vision led to the name Zenith, being the highest point in the sky and alluding to always aiming for the highest point possible. It also leads to the brand we know today.

Zenith officially kicked off its 160-year celebrations at LVMH Watch Week this year where they released the new Defy Skyline Skeleton Chronograph, which I was fortunate enough to review prior to their launch. But, this it seems was just the entrè to what was to come, and now this week for Watches & Wonders 2025, we have a trio of blue ceramic pieces in the form of the Defy Skyline Chronograph, Chronomaster Sport and Pilot Big Date Flyback. If you love blue watches, then you will need to see these in person to truly appreciate them!

Defy Skyline Chronograph Blue Ceramic

First up is the Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph. This keeps all the great aspects of the Defy Skyline Chronograph and amplifies it through the brushed blue ceramic. We have delved a bit into materials like ceramic, and if you’ve read our coverage on sister brand, Hublot, you will know creating a vibrant colour in ceramic is not an easy task, and depending on the colour itself, can take years of research and development to get it perfectly right.

This piece retains the same dimensions and specifications as the Defy Skyline Chronograph released last year at 42mm, 47.7mm lug-to-lug and 12.7mm thick, but obviously replaces the steel case and bracelet for fully brushed ceramic. This means that the watch overall is lighter and impervious to scratches. On the wrist, it does wear like a dream. You can also swap out the ceramic bracelet for the blue rubber strap if you want to change the look up a little.

Chronomaster Sport Blue Ceramic

Next is the Chronomaster Sport 160th Anniversary Edition. Zenith has stuck to the same design codes on the steel Chronomaster Sport, but replaced it with the blue ceramic. What I mean by this is, the bracelet is finished with both high polish and brushed links, like the steel counterpart, as is the case and bezel. While the Defy Skyline has been done in ceramic previously across multiple versions in black, this is the first time the Chronomaster Sport has been given the ceramic treatment.

The monochromatic look of the Chronomaster Sport has been broken up by the tri-coloured overlapping subdials on the main dial, emblematic of the Chronomaster Sport line, and the date window at 4:30 is colour-matched to the blue sunray finished dial. The crown and pump-style pushers have also been done in a brushed and polished blue ceramic completing the look.

Pilot Big Date Flyback Blue Ceramic

Last but not least, is the Pilot Big Date Flyback. This model is one that probably doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. It is the only watch model in the world that is allowed to use the word “Pilot” on the dial, thanks to a trademark Georges Favre-Jacot, the Maison’s founder filed in 1888 for the French “Pilote” and in 1904 for the English word, “Pilot”. During the early 1900s, Zenith became highly involved in the world of aviation, even to the point where they started producing cockpit instruments along with Pilot watches for famed aviators, such as Louis Blériot, the first person to fly across the English Channel in 1909.

We recently reviewed the green ceramic Big Date Flyback Porter edition late last year, and again, this is one piece that is no stranger to the ceramic treatment at all as when the Pilot line up was re-launched in 2023, both the time only and chronograph had steel and black ceramic variations. Where this piece differs slightly from its blue counterparts is the use of the titanium crown and chronograph pushers on the side, whereas the Defy Skyline and Chronomaster sport opt for a matching blue ceramic crown and pushers.

The Movements

In both the Defy Skyline Chronograph and Chronomaster sport is the Zenith El Primero 3600 automatic high-beat movement. Beating away at 5Hz, or 36,000 VpH it allows the user to track accurately the time elapsed down to 1/10th second. This movement is legendary in the watch world, with the likes of Rolex even using this in the Daytona up until around 20 years ago.

Inside the Pilot Big Date Flyback is the El Primero 3652 calibre – an evolution of the aforementioned Calibre 3600 automatic chronograph with the obvious difference being the big date display and two subregisters vs the standard date and three subregisters.

Each movement has been given a special 160th Anniversary rotor, delivering power to each of the watches. Both calibres have a 60-hour power reserve which is decent when you consider that these are high-frequency watches and traditionally, the higher the frequency, the better the accuracy, but the more power it uses in doing so.

Initial Thoughts

Seeing the new Zenith 160th Anniversary pieces in person, I can say that the press photos we originally saw don’t do them justice. This is more so in the case of the Defy Skyline and Chronomaster sport which both have the full blue ceramic bracelet. Having had considerable time now to play around with them at the Zenith manufacture in Le Locle (more on that experience to come later) and really getting a feel of them on the wrist, both Chamath and I can attest to the fact that these are fitting of the occasion.

As each piece is limited to just 160 units, these will be primed for collectors who want a piece of Zenith history. Outside of those people, blue ceramic pieces seem to be in demand thanks to their look and also a rarity. Black and white ceramic is common practice, but coloured ceramic as stated earlier on, is much harder, and as a result, not done by many brands at all. Each has a different look and feel on the wrist, so the choice is a personal preference. However, if you have the means, Zenith is offering these as a boxed set as well for those who just can’t make up their mind on which model to get.

References and Specifications

Australian Recommended Retail Pricing: A$36,700

Australian Recommended Retail Pricing: A$35,100

Australian Recommended Retail Pricing: A$24,700