Zenith And USM Celebrate The Creativity of The 1960s With a New Defy Watch

Zenith’s partner USM is the family-owned company Ulrich Schärer Munsingen – named after its founder and place of origin – which launched the famous and still successful USM Haller modular furniture system in 1965, designed by architect Fritz Haller. Just four years later, Zenith launched the legendary high-frequency chronograph calibre El Primero. Two design classics from a single decade.

Swiss precision, functional aesthetics and a modern design language are cited by both manufacturers, which at first glance appear very different, as their shared product philosophy. Together, they embarked on a journey through time to their design roots in order to create a watch that reflects the cultural and aesthetic characteristics of the 1960s – with state-of-the-art technology and materials.

‘Zenith is a company that not only reflects our tradition, but also embodies values that align with our own. Even though our products, industries and even our customer base may appear different at first glance, they are ultimately united by a shared commitment to timeless quality, refined aesthetics and purposeful functionality,’ explains Alexander Schärer, Managing Director of USM Modular Furniture.

Defy Chronograph USM with vintage-inspired case

The original Defy from 1969, which surprisingly was not equipped with an El Primero at the time, served as the inspirational basis for the new, limited edition Defy Chronograph USM. Spoiler alert: the current USM version houses the famous calibre.

For its time, the first Defy featured an avant-garde design with an octagonal case and a 14-sided bezel. The Defy Chronograph USM is equally angular and striking, reflecting the straightforward design of the Swiss furniture manufacturer.

It is characterised by timeless modernity in its appearance and chrome-plated steel tubes, spherical connecting elements and powder-coated sheet steel in fourteen colours in terms of materials. All of this together results in great versatility. This also applies to the Defy collection, which has been reinterpreted time and again over the past decades without compromising its design DNA.

The current fusion of furniture and watch concepts culminates in Zenith’s 160th anniversary year in a stainless steel case with a compact 37.3-millimetre diameter that is water-resistant to 10 bar. It features the typically striking Defy geometry. The octagonal shape with a fourteen-sided bezel is complemented by pump-style chronograph pushers.

Defy-Zifferblatt in USM-colours green, orange, yellow and blue

No muted tones or pastels – the four dial variants clearly show their colours in USM Green, USM Pure Orange, USM Golden Yellow and USM Gentian Blue. The chronograph thus unmistakably echoes the modular colour scheme of the USM Haller system. In contrast, and therefore easy to read, are the three overlapping chronograph counters in subtle silver with a circular finish.

El Primero movement for the Defy Chronograph USM

The original Defy has been reissued in numerous new versions, but never as a chronograph until now. The Defy Chronograph USM is now making up for that. Specifically, it relies on the El Primero 400 with fast-oscillation qualities. The 5-hertz automatic movement (36,000 vibrations per hour) offers a power reserve of 55 hours and features hours, minutes, small seconds, stop function and date. The finish includes ‘Côtes de Genève’ guilloché engraving and the engraved logos of Zenith and USM on the rotor.

Bracelet, price and availability

The four versions of the Defy Chronograph USM are worn on the so-called ladder strap. This was designed exclusively for Zenith in 1969 by the Geneva-based watch strap manufacturer Gay Frères. The four new Defy Chronograph USM models are available now and cost €12,000 each. You can purchase a single watch or the entire set. Each option comes in an exclusive USM box.

A small anecdote

During the recent Geneva Watch Days 2025, I had the opportunity to see and try on the new Defy Chronograph USM models. Highly recommended. But that’s not the anecdote. As is customary during the Geneva watch event, most brands exhibited in the suites of luxury hotels on the shores of Lake Geneva. Zenith was no exception. There was one small drawback, however: the interior of the Zenith suite, from the bed to the TV console, could not be removed. How fitting that they had just entered into a partnership with furniture specialist USM. The distracting fixtures were quickly hidden behind a trendy USM Haller-style office façade: it looked good, and the new Zenith timepieces could be presented in a fitting setting.

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