Hands-on with Zenith’s latest 2026 watches: Defy Skyline, Chronograph, Revival, & Skyline 36
Zach BlassI know we keep saying it, but Watches and Wonders is well and truly just around the corner, and Zenith, like many other brands, will have some exciting novelties to dig into. But those upcoming Watches and Wonders novelties won’t be the brand’s first launches of the year. At the start of 2026, Zenith had a pretty expansive new array of Defy creations introduced at LVMH Watch Week – which we’ll take a closer look at and recap today before we get to the big show.
Zenith Defy Skyline Black & Gold
First up, the design that caught my eye the most is the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton in black and gold. Being a new colour execution, you still have a 100-metre water-resistant, screw-down crown secured 41mm case, 11.6mm thick, and 46.3mm lug-to-lug, which allows this watch to wear very well on wrists that would not normally sport pieces above 40mm. The black ceramic utilised for the case and bracelet is by no means unfamiliar, but the visual pop of a 4N gold plating for the front and back of the movement brings a whole new aesthetic and vibe to the model.
As my colleague Jason wrote, it feels like its nickname could be the Night Partygoer, but, in Zenith’s words, the aim of the inclusion of a 4N gold plating was to enhance the architectural character of the model and give it a strikingly modern, metropolitan presence. An urban city illuminated at night, I would say the mission is a success.
I really like the visual contrast and pop the 4N gold has against the black, and I think the lines of the skeleton movement and its 4-pointed star shape really punch through even more than usual. The colour is ultimately left to the dial, with your two interchangeable strap options: a case-integrating black ceramic bracelet or a black patterned rubber strap.
Driving the watch, visible from both sides, is the 60-hour in-house high-beat automatic El Primero 3620 SK movement that distinguishes itself with a small seconds hand that runs as a 1/10th of a second counter rather than a conventional running seconds hand, making a full revolution every 10 seconds rather than every 60.
| Brand | Zenith |
| Model | Defy Skyline Skeleton Black and Gold |
| Reference | Ref 49.9300.3620/07.I001 |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 11.6mm (T) x 46.3mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Black ceramic |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Skeletonised 4N gold plated movement mainplate, lumed bridges |
| Lug Width | Integrated |
| Strap | Black ceramic bracelet, butterfly clasp Black patterned rubber strap, folding pin buckle |
| Movement | El Primero 3620 SK, in-house, automatic, high-beat |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, 1/10th of a second indicator |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$18,900 |
Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph in black ceramic
The black ceramic fun does not end there. Zenith went stealth, or at least a bit more quiet with a Defy Skyline Chronograph executed in a black ceramic case and a gradient grey dial. Zenith could have gone full-on phantom with this design, having a stark black dial that leans even more into a stealth mode monochromatic sensibility. But the gradient grey dial, which verges on bright black, allows the dial to be more legible.
The core dial’s star motif is broken up by three chronograph counters, each in a dial blending grey, that stand out with their concentric texture. The way they react when light hits them is different from the main dial, therefore aiding in their ability to be discerned better. For those not familiar, the Defy Skyline Chronograph first debuted in ceramic with a blue limited edition at Watches and Wonders 2025, however this reference is a regular production model.
The case is once again 42mm in diameter, 12.7mm thick, and 47.4mm lug-to-lug – again, compact for a watch of its diameter. It’s 100 metres water-resistant with a screw-down crown, so robust despite being a chronograph, and being in ceramic, whether worn on its case-matching interchangeable bracelet or bundled interchangeable patterned rubber strap, it wears very comfortably on the wrist.
I should note that the black ceramic, used for both the case and bracelet, whether the Skyline or Skyline Chronograph, features a very rich brushed finish with accents of polish. Zenith has ensured that for a brand of its stature and price point, the finish lives up to what even watch snobs would expect. My only point for improvement is that the bracelet would benefit from a micro-adjust system – perhaps one day we’ll see one.
Inside and exhibited, you have the latest version of a chronograph calibre icon, the in-house automatic El Primero 3600 – a high-beat chronograph movement capable of recording time down to 1/10th of a second with a central chronograph elapsed seconds hand that revolves around the dial once every ten seconds.
| Brand | Zenith |
| Model | Defy Skyline Skeleton Chronograph |
| Reference | 49.9500.3600/21.I001 |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 12.7mm (T) 47.4mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Black ceramic |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Grey-gradient sunray, “starry sky” patterned |
| Strap | Back ceramic bracelet, double folding clasp Black patterned rubber strap, folding clasp |
| Movement | El Primero 3600, in-house, automatic, high-beat |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$23,600 |
Zenith Defy Revival A3643
Few brands these days are committed to having continual updates and a wide range in the below 38mm segment. Zenith, however, has ample uncompromised designs 37mm or smaller. As an example, one such segment, the Defy Revival, has continued to see new variations of itself over the last few years – the brand’s pure, original, near 1:1 recreation of the 1969 design that continued to influence the modern Defy.
With the Defy Revival A3643, Zenith reintroduces one of the tamest variants yet. While the collection has been associated with a lot of colour with ruby or turquoise-coloured dials, the A3643 Revival mimics the original A3643 with a safe silver-toned sunray dial. The dial choice, paired with the steel case and bracelet, creates a sleek monochromatic aesthetic – subtly jolted by the orange lume within the central seconds hand.
Like its Defy Revival predecessors, and the original 1969 design, you once again have a 37mm stainless steel case, 13.6mm thick and a compact 44mm across the wrist lug-to-lug. The screw-down crown-secured 300-metre water-resistant case features the same scalloped bank vault design and 14-sided bezel, and you also have the legendary Gay Frères ladder bracelet to drive the vintage vibes home.
Inside and exhibited via the caseback, you have Zenith’s in-house automatic Elite 670 movement with 50 hours of power reserve.
| Brand | Zenith |
| Model | Defy Revival |
| Reference | 03.A3642.670/01.M3642 |
| Case Dimensions | 37mm (D) x 13.6mm (T) x 44mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres, screw-down crown |
| Dial | Silver, sunray-finished |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Bracelet/Strap | Stainless steel ‘ladder’ bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement | Elite 670, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$7,800 |
Zenith Defy Skyline 36 Silver
Speaking of silver dials and smaller diameters, Zenith expanded its Defy Skyline 36 range with a new silver dial execution. As some of you may already be familiar with, the Skyline dials feature a star motif pattern on the dial as a tribute to the original star logo found on the caseback of Defy watches. Though the Defy Skyline and Defy Skyline Skeleton are by no means massive watches, the 36 offers a mid-size iteration that caters to those with smaller wrists or those who prefer more vintage-like sizing.
It measures 36mm in diameter, 10.3mm thick, quite slender for a sporty watch, and a very compact 40.6mm lug-to-lug. Despite the smaller size, you still have 100 metres of water-resistance secured by a screw-down crown, as well as an interchangeable integrated bracelet that can be easily swapped with its bundled integrated rubber strap.
Like the Defy Revival, the 50-hour Elite 670 can be viewed beneath the exhibition caseback. And, while many people do enjoy the 1/10th of a second counter on the larger Skyline and Skyline Skeleton, those who prefer their second hand to move at a standard one revolution every 60 seconds may find more solace in this 36mm iteration.
| Brand | Zenith |
| Model | DEFY Skyline 36mm |
| Reference | 03.9400.670/01.I001 |
| Case Diameter | 36mm (D) x 10.3mm (T) x 40.6mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Dial | Silver sunray, “starry sky” patterned |
| Crystal | Sapphire front and back |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet, folding clasp Patterned rubber strap, folding clasp |
| Movement | Elite 670, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$9,400 |
What do you think about Zenith’s initial 2026 creations? Which watch featured in the video (scroll back up!) would you say is your favourite? Let us know in the comments on YouTube.