Swiss icons of design unite to create a capsule collection that feels both destined and unpredictable. The DEFY Chronograph USM is a watch that symbolizes innovation while showing a deep respect for the past. ZENITH and USM Modular Furniture are renowned for their ingenuity and significant impact on their fields in the 1960s. Their shared values of aesthetic and mechanical precision are reflected in a timelessly modern timepiece.

The DEFY Chronograph USM is more than a collaboration; it represents a dialogue spanning decades of Swiss craftsmanship. USM revolutionized furniture design in 1965 with the Haller modular system, known for its industrial elegance. In 1969, Zenith launched the world’s first automatic high-frequency chronograph, capable of measuring time to the nearest 1/10th of a second. Together, they explore new forms and ask: “What might these two icons of Swiss craftsmanship have created together back then?”

Engineering, modernity, durability, legacy: With the foundation of the 1969 ZENITH DEFY reborn as a chronograph, the watch echoes USM’s distinctive structural language and features four striking signature colors on the dial—USM Green, USM Pure Orange, USM Golden Yellow, and USM Gentian Blue. Housed in a 37.3 mm stainless steel case with a 14-sided bezel, the dial is marked by square hour markers and a second hand with a miniature USM Haller ball joint.

This bold, limited edition collection demonstrates that history is most powerful when it evolves alongside us. The DEFY Chronograph USM proves that nostalgia is dynamic and that heritage is not just about preservation but also about progression.