Zenith Defy Skyline White Ceramic Skeleton

Last year was a banner year for Zenith’s Defy Skyline lineup. In January, we got a new Defy Skyline Skeleton, with an openworked blue or black dial (and semi-skeletonized movement) in a stainless steel case. Eventually, we got that new skeletonized form in a black ceramic case with an interchangeable bracelet. Knowing Zenith’s design roadmap, you might have guessed this new release was coming, but the new white ceramic Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton is a looker.

The white ceramic case measures 41mm and 12.2mm thick with an interchangeable white strap included. The stark white is offset by a blue-toned openworked dial to show that semi-skeletonized El Primero 3620 automatic movement. That high-beat 36,000 vph movement means that the running seconds still acts as a faster 1/10th of a second counter at six o’clock. The movement has 55 hours of power reserve. The brand has said that the watch will be available “in small quantities” but is not a limited edition, and will cost $17,500 – the same as last year’s black ceramic version.

While $17,500 is not affordable by any stretch, it’s fun to have a slightly more affordable white ceramic option on the market. Let me explain. When it comes to white ceramic integrated bracelet watches, my mind goes to three options. The king, in my opinion, is Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Perpetual calendar, which is in the $300,000 range on the secondary market after being discontinued. There’s also a 34mm Royal Oak for over $50,000. And then Hublot has a Big Bang at $25,500. At least on price, this option beats the rest.

Even when not comparison Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton shopping, the watch looks like a lot of fun for a summer option. It’s great to imagine being a “white ceramic guy,” even if it’s a bit loud for me. You can look at our past coverage of the watch in different material, but the one thing that I’m still not sure about is, when looking at the movement, if it’s genuinely skeletonized enough for me to call it a “skeleton” watch. I’m not foolish enough to complain about the lack of interior angles on a watch like this. Still, while the openworked dial creates a significant effect, it doesn’t show as much beneath it as other skeletonized watches. What remains likely is that all the movement could tolerate having removed, especially at the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton price point. Semantics aside, it’s a good looking watch.