Every watch wearer knows that the tourbillon is considered as one of the heights of watchmaking. Like many things, timepieces aren’t spared from gravity’s cruel anchors. But watchmakers, in the bid for accurate timekeeping, push back.
Thus, the tourbillon. This marvel has an escapement and balance wheel that are fixed on a rotating cage. This provides a uniform weight against gravity’s pull. ZENITH gives the humble tourbillon a modern spin that's exemplified in the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon.
Nestled in a 41mm case, faceted and bold, and with a matching bracelet (stainless steel or black ceramic), the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon houses the new El Primero 3630 automatic high-frequency manufacture calibre. It has a generous power reserve of 60 hours and operates at a high-frequency rate of 5Hz (36’000VpH) to resist shocks. The Côtes de Genève stripes on the bridges are arranged in a sunray pattern that seem to dart out of the tourbillon.
Dial-side, at six o’clock, the movement is visible through an aperture of this intricately-designed dial. (The sapphire-equipped case back lets you see the rotor as well.) The tourbillon cage is in the shape of an open four-pointed star—the same futuristic lines found in other DEFY pieces with tourbillon mechanisms. Turning around its own axis, the tourbillon completes one revolution every 60 seconds. And radiating from its mesmerising dance is the engraved starry sky pattern on the dial. Luminescent-applied markers and hands further contrast the dial—rhodium-plated indices for the blue dial and rose gold-plated indices for the black dial.
And like the other DEFY Skyline models, the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon comes with a second rubber strap (in blue or black) coupled with a folding clasp. If you're like me and are in a fickle mood, the straps are easily exchanged, thanks to the quick strap-change fixture on the caseback.
