Zenith DEFY Chronograph USM automatic Green USM dial steel bracelet 37 mm

DEFY Chronograph USM: A Tribute to Swiss Design

In 1969, Zenith marked a double milestone in its history: on one hand, the launch of the legendary El Primero, the world’s first high-frequency automatic chronograph movement, and on the other, the introduction of the Defy, a sports watch nicknamed “the vault” for its robustness and revolutionary angular design. Two icons were born the same year, each carrying an avant-garde spirit, but which had never before been united in a single creation.

It is precisely this “what if?” that served as the starting point for the Zenith × USM capsule. What if the 1969 Defy had been conceived from the outset as an El Primero chronograph? And what if its aesthetics had intersected with those of USM Haller, the modular furniture system designed by architect Fritz Haller during the same decade, which has since become an absolute reference in Swiss industrial design?

From this exercise in alternate history emerges the DEFY Chronograph USM, a watch that never existed in the archives but feels as though it has always been there. By combining the geometric rigor of USM furniture with Zenith’s horological avant-garde, it embodies a shared vision: that of a functional, timeless, and forward-thinking design that transcends decades without ever losing relevance.

Produced in only 60 pieces per color, this limited edition does more than commemorate the golden age of Swiss creativity—it extends it, breathing new life into the free and audacious spirit of the 1960s.

Retro-Futuristic Design

At first glance, the DEFY Chronograph USM Green evokes a vintage creation straight out of the late 1960s. And with good reason: its 37 mm stainless steel case, faithful to the proportions of the original Defy, reprises the radical codes that earned the collection its “vault” nickname. Its octagonal silhouette, fourteen-sided bezel, and faceted edges create a structured and rigorous design, perfectly resonating with the modular, geometric DNA of USM Haller furniture. Alternating brushed surfaces and polished bevels accentuate the play of shapes and light.

The pump-style chronograph pushers, another nod to the 1960s, reinforce the retro character of the piece without compromising its compact, sporty allure. Water-resistant to 100 meters, it combines robustness and elegance, true to the Defy’s original vocation: a watch built to last and withstand the test of time.

Mounted on the famous stainless steel “ladder” bracelet, designed in 1969 by master bracelet maker Gay Frères, the watch sits on the wrist with unique comfort. Its open-worked links, now a true aesthetic signature, recall USM’s structural language: a construction both solid and airy, as functional as it is iconic.

But it is on the dial that the collaboration truly comes alive. Dressed in a bold USM green, drawn from the historic Haller palette, it expresses a visual identity that is both architectural and audacious. Applied square hour markers with horizontal grooves reinforce the sense of geometric rigor, while the three silver-toned subdials with azuré finishing, framed in metal, subtly echo the spherical handles of USM furniture.

Finally, in a detail both playful and symbolic, the central chronograph seconds hand ends in a miniature USM sphere filled with Super-LumiNova. This unexpected touch perfectly captures the philosophy of the watch: a serious creation, yet never devoid of wit and spirit.

El Primero 400 Movement

At the heart of the DEFY Chronograph USM beats the El Primero 400 calibre, a movement whose history is inseparably tied to Zenith and the evolution of modern watchmaking. Introduced in 1969, the El Primero was the first high-frequency automatic chronograph ever produced in series. With its 36,000 vibrations per hour (5 Hz) cadence, it allowed time to be measured to the tenth of a second, establishing a new standard of precision that remains a benchmark to this day.

The calibre 400, a direct descendant of the original 3019 PHC, preserves this legendary architecture: automatic winding, column wheel, horizontal clutch, and a subdial layout instantly recognizable to connoisseurs. It offers hours, minutes, and small seconds at 9 o’clock, chronograph functions with a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, central chronograph hand, as well as a discreet date display at 4:30. Its 55-hour power reserve ensures comfortable everyday use.

Visible through the transparent sapphire caseback, the movement reveals meticulous finishing: Côtes de Genève decoration on the bridges and rotor, the latter openworked into Zenith’s star motif. For this special edition, the rotor also bears the Zenith and USM logos, symbolizing the union of two Swiss worlds connected by shared values: precision, rigor, and timeless design.

More than just an engine, the El Primero 400 is a true mechanical icon. By integrating it for the first time into the Defy Revival case, Zenith has created a hybrid object that never existed in the past but which now feels as though it has found its natural home.

Highlights

Produced in only sixty pieces, the DEFY Chronograph USM Green stands out first and foremost for its rarity. It is the result of an exclusive collaboration between two emblematic Swiss maisons, Zenith and USM, who share the same vision of functional, precise, and timeless design. It is also the very first time that the legendary El Primero calibre finds its place in the Defy Revival case, giving birth to a watch that is unprecedented yet fits seamlessly into the brand’s heritage. Its singular aesthetics combine the sturdiness of the 37 mm octagonal case and fourteen-sided bezel with the retro finesse of pump pushers and the Gay Frères ladder bracelet. Every detail tells a story, from the chronograph seconds hand tipped with a luminous USM sphere to the furniture-inspired dial elements. Finally, the piece comes in an exclusive USM Haller chest, a fully functional modular furniture unit, extending the experience well beyond the watch itself.