Zenith x USM: Reimagining 1960s Design with a Limited Defy Chronograph Capsule Edition
Geneva Watch Days 2025
Zenith has teamed up with USM Modular Furniture to launch a striking capsule edition that fuses the worlds of horology and design. The collaboration revisits the bold geometry of the original Defy introduced in 1969 as a time-only watch and imagines what it might have looked like had it debuted as a chronograph, powered by the legendary El Primero. The result is the limited Defy Chronograph USM. Both brands share pivotal moments in the 1960s: USM patented its modular Haller system in 1965, while Zenith introduced the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph, the El Primero, in 1969. This partnership channels that same spirit of innovation, celebrating form, function, and enduring Swiss craftsmanship.
Defy Chronograph USM
ZenithWater-resistant to 100 meters, the watch features a 37.3mm stainless steel case with the signature faceted, fourteen-sided bezel and vintage "ladder" bracelet. Its luminescent dial comes in four bold USM signature colors — Green, Pure Orange, Golden Yellow, and Gentian Blue — each limited to 60 pieces. Square hour markers, silvered chronograph counters, and a chronograph seconds hand tipped with a luminous miniature USM ball joint underline the design connection.
Defy Chronograph USM
ZenithThe Defy Chronograph USM is powered by the automatic El Primero 400 calibre, a column-wheel chronograph movement equipped with a silicon escape-wheel and lever. It beats at a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour, equivalent to 5 Hz, and offers a power reserve of 55 hours. Through the sapphire case back, the El Primero 400 can be admired in all its technical beauty, featuring an open-worked rotor with the Zenith star, flanked by the Zenith El Primero and USM logos.
Defy Chronograph USM
Zenith
