At Geneva Watch Days 2025, Zenith unveils the Defy Chronograph USM, a watch with a funky angular case and even funkier dials created in collaboration with Swiss furniture designer USM. The launch comprises a quartet of colours: green, pure orange, golden yellow, and gentian blue, each with a seconds hand capped by a ball joint inspired by the USM Haller cabinet system.

First seen in 2022 when Zenith revived the 1969 ref. A3648, the octagonal case and fourteen-sided bezel remain the most extreme expression of angular watch design. While the original was a time-only piece, Zenith has now installed its signature El Primero chronograph movement inside this striking case.

Still retaining the old-school size of 37 mm, the new Defy Chronograph USM is paired with a bracelet from the same era in style, the ladder bracelet originally designed by Gay Frères.

But the real highlight is the dial. It is a true collaboration between two Swiss brands, Zenith and USM. The dial keeps Zenith’s trademark applied markers with deep horizontal grooves, a style lifted directly from the funky design language of the 1960s and 1970s. USM takes it further, introducing vibrant colours drawn from its iconic furniture.

Attention to detail makes the dials engaging well beyond the initial burst of colour. Silver registers soften the palette, while the sub-dial hands are colour-matched for extra punch. Most of all, the lollipop seconds hand is formed from a ball joint, oversized, striking, and quirkily attractive – and fully luminescent! 

Inside is Zenith’s earlier generation of high-beat El Primero, the calibre 400. This means no lightning-fast 1/10th-of-a-second counter, just a pure high-beat chronograph. Many fans will welcome this for its simplicity and its vintage-authentic character.

Tech Specs: Zenith Defy Chronograph USM
Movement: El-Primero 400; automatic; 55 hours power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, and chronograph
Case: 37 mm; steel; water resistant to 100 m
Strap: Steel “ladder” bracelet
Availability: At Zenith boutiques and retailers
Limited edition: 60 pieces in colour
Price: CHF 10,900