- Zenith has partnered with fellow Swiss firm USM Modular Furniture for its latest release: the Zenith Defy Chronograph USM.
- Featuring four watches with different dial colours, this collaboration celebrates the spirit of Swiss design during the 1960s.
- All four Zenith Defy Chronograph USM references are limited to 60 pieces and have an Australian RRP of $18,400.
Switzerland is known for a few different things… discreet bank managers, great chocolate, and precision engineering. Today, we’ve been treated to a collision of the latter with the Zenith Defy Chronograph USM collection – a colourful collab between the watchmaker and the universally celebrated modular furniture company.
This link-up between Swiss firms is a love letter to 1960s design, which was a pivotal decade for both Zenith and USM Haller. 1969 was the year Zenith unveiled its legendary El Primero – the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph calibre – as well as the angular (almost brutalist) Defy, which earned the nickname “The Vault” for its octagonal case and hardwearing reputation.
For USM, 1965 was the year it patented the Haller modular system, which eventually reached icon status as an example of modern design (it’s part of a permanent collection housed at the Museum of Modern Art). Comprising chrome-plated tubes, connector ball joints, and coloured panels, the Haller modular system is an enduring example of clarity and versatility in furniture design.
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The Zenith Defy Chronograph USM collection is littered with design elements that nod to both companies’ signature details, including a 37mm steel case inspired by the faceted mid-case and 14-sided bezel of the original Defy. The four references are distinguished by their variously coloured dials – Gentian Blue, Golden Yellow, Pure Orange, and USM Green – in correlation with the bright shades of the Haller modular system’s panels.
Other vintage-inspired details include a custom USM Haller display chest, a chronograph seconds hand tipped with a luminous miniature ball joint, and a famed Gay Frères “ladder” bracelet. Powering all four references is the El Primero 400 calibre, which ticks away at a hi-beat rate of 36,000vph and guarantees a power reserve of 55 hours.
All four Zenith Defy Chronograph USM references are limited to 60 pieces and have an Australian RRP of $18,400.
