Big colors and bold themes are back on the menu for Geneva Watch Days, and nowhere is that more apparent than Zenith’s latest collaboration with USM, a Swiss based modular furniture manufacturer. The pair are teaming up to release a capsule collection that includes four Defy Chronograph references, and a custom-designed USM Haller Timepiece Chest incorporating unique watch boxes that can store up to 12 timepieces. These are unique watches not found in the existing Zenith catalog, and represent the first time a chronograph is being used in the Defy Revival case. Buyers of the watch will receive the Timepiece Chest from USM, and that will be your only way to secure one. I love unexpected collaborations like this, allowing Zenith to continue to push their Revival designs into new territory.
Let’s start with the Timepiece Chest from USM Haller, which features their signature design structure, including exposed polished support pieces, and rounded polished joints. All modular, of course. Oh, and there’s a lot of color. Big primary color pieces serve as the walls of the chest, and each of its constituent components. The outer shell holds three separate containers, which can be configured to hold up to 12 watches. This isn’t the kind of object we often see from collaborations like this, but it makes a good deal of sense and feels a natural pairing. This isn’t the first time Zenith has taken an unorthodox approach to collaborations, having worked with the likes of clothing brand Fusalp, and even artists such as Felipe Pantone.
As for the watches, these go beyond a mere color palette, and venture into uncharted territory for the Defy Revival. These are the Defy Chronograph USM watches, featuring bright blue, green, yellow, and orange dials. Each is 37mm in diameter, and houses Zenith’s El Primero 400 automatic chronograph movement. The case gets the same A3642 14 sided bezel we saw on the time and date reference first released back in 2022. While these specific UWM editions are limited in production to just 60 pieces in each color, this is surely indicative of an upcoming regular production configuration down the line.
Each of these watches ship on a steel ladder style bracelet, and with the Timepiece Chest from USM, and each are priced at $11,800. Considering USM Haller storage solutions of a similar size are priced in the $2,000 range, this feels like a reasonable package. In fact, I’d suggest that the Timepiece Chest on its own would sell quite well.
Zenith has been low key killing in recent years, and every now and again they have a surprise up their sleeve with a collaborative capsule such as this. Their new CEO, Benoit de Clerck, is still relatively new to the job, so any deviation from his direction is yet to be realized, but more importantly, the underlying people at the brand are hugely passionate, and all around watch enthusiasts, so I have no doubt the future of the brand remains in good hands. Zenith
