Zenith Unveils Bold New Timepieces at LVMH Watch Week 2026

A manufacture steeped in over 160 years of chronometric excellence, Zenith marked LVMH Watch Week 2026 with several attention-grabbing novelties.

Presented in Milan, Italy, these new releases featured advanced iterations of Zenith’s game-changing El Primero movement, revived historical masterpieces from the 1960s, and shone the spotlight squarely on the brand’s acclaimed Defy collection.

A distinctive icon from the ’60s that previous CEO Julien Tornare began placing renewed emphasis on around 2017, the Defy range has served as a captivating canvas for creative expression under current CEO Benoît de Clerck—recent launches like the Defy Zero G, Defy Chronograph USM and the blue ceramic Defy Skyline Chronograph 160^th Anniversary Edition are a few intrepid examples.

If the novelties that debuted today are any indication, Zenith will continue to steal headlines with visually arresting creations.

Defy Skyline Skeleton

The black and gold architecture of the 41mm Defy Skyline Skeleton stopped many of this watch fair’s guests in their tracks. Water-resistant to a depth of 100m, its spellbinding ceramic silhouette enthrones the maison’s tried-and-trusted El Primero 3620 SK caliber, which endows this timepiece with 55 hours of autonomy. Where one would usually find a small seconds indicator, the Defy Skyline Skeleton brandishes the world’s first and only constant 1/10th of a second running indicator, which vibrates at 5Hz and completes a rotation every 10 seconds—reminding us that Zenith was the first watch manufacture to achieve and industrialize true 1/10th-of-a-second time measurement in a wristwatch, thanks to the El Primero. The Defy Skyline Skeleton will retail at CHF 16,900 / EUR 19,100 / USD 18,900.

Defy Skyline Chronograph

Also adorned with Zenith’s instantly recognizable dodecagonal bezel, the new iteration of the Defy Skyline Chronograph arrives in a 42mm black ceramic case, complemented by a gradient black dial that is engraved with Zenith’s four-point star motif. Rhodium-plated lume hands elegantly sweep over this night sky-inspired dial. Its chronograph counters are finished with concentric patterns and can likewise measure 1/10th of a second. Resistant to a depth of 100m, its El Primero 3600 caliber, which also powers Zenith’s Chronomaster Sport timepieces, confers it 60 hours of power reserve. This stealthy ceramic timepiece comes with a two-link ceramic bracelet that can be easily swapped to its rubber strap using its quick-release system. The Defy Skyline Chronograph is priced at CHF 20,900 / EUR 23,400 / USD 23,600.

Defy Skyline Tourbillon Skeleton

The Defy Skyline collection’s first-ever tourbillon skeleton made its triumphant debut at the fair, with gold Zenith star taking pride of place at 12 o’clock on a blue openworked mainplate. Driven by the automatic El Primero 3630 SK caliber with 50 hours of power reserve, this timepiece’s hands and indices are fashioned from gold to complement its 41mm rose gold case. Its stately bridges have been treated with blue PVD, then polished to reveal edges that have been precisely and painstakingly chamfered by the maison’s artisans. Dramatic as they are, they ultimately serve to juxtapose the Zenith-style, star-shaped tourbillon that whirls at 5Hz at 6 o’clock. Boasting a depth rating of 100m, this 50-piece limited edition is complemented by a solid rose gold bracelet with gold double folding clasp, which can be swapped out easily for a blue rubber strap with star motif and gold folding clasp. It will go for CHF 91,900 / EUR 102,800 / USD 103,700.

Defy Skyline 36

The Defy Skyline also returned in 36mm steel cases, with the option of diamond setting on the bezel. Based on Defy timepieces from the 1960s, these two novelties sport a modernized silver-toned sunray dial engraved with four-point stars, are driven by the Elite 670 automatic caliber that packs 50 hours of autonomy, and come with a two-link steel bracelet each. Collectors can also choose between pink, bright green, light blue, dark blue and black star-patterned interchangeable rubber straps. The version set with 52 VVS brilliant-cut diamonds is priced at CHF 11,900 / EUR 13,500 / USD 13,300, while the variant without diamonds will retail for CHF 8, 400 / EUR 9,500 / USD 9,400.

Defy Revival A3643

Following the warmly received re-releases of the Defy Revival A3642 and Defy Revival A3691 in 2022 and 2023 respectively, the Defy Revival A3643 is the latest 1960s Zenith icon to be revived and updated for modern tastes. Nicknamed the “bank vault” or the “bolt”, this 37mm steel sports icon marries the distinct characteristics of the original, such as deep recesses and tall, angular indices, with subtle updates to its dimensions. While the above novelties all have depth ratings of 100m, the Elite 670-powered Defy Revival A3643 is water-resistant to a depth of 300m. It is priced at CHF 6,900 / EUR 7,900 / USD 7,800, and comes with the world-renowned ladder bracelet that Gay Frères designed exclusively for Zenith in 1969.

“This seventh edition of LVMH Watch Week highlights our ongoing commitment to the Defy collection, a cornerstone of Zenith,” de Clerck remarked. “We continue to evolve and strengthen the line with new expressions that explore a wide range of styles, complexities and materials. As the modern evolution of the first 1969 Defy, the Defy Skyline preserves the line’s hallmark geometry and resilience, reframed in a contemporary architectural vocabulary. Our guiding principle was to grasp and enhance the eminently urban character of its design, to draw a parallel between the construction of a city by an architect and the creation of a watch by a watchmaker, two precision arts that structure space and time. The watch becomes a metaphor for the city in miniature. Imagination, evolution and know-how intersect to reveal that building a city or constructing a watch is giving form to the invisible.”