Peak Swiss Watchmaking Squared With Furniture
USM x Zenith is an extravagant display of Swiss design logic.
One brand gave us the El Primero, a chronograph movement so precise that Rolex borrowed it for the first automatic Daytonas, while the other gave us the candy-colored shelves found in boutique coffee shops worldwide. Now, the two collide in a capsule that feels like Don Draper’s starter kit.
USM and Zenith have created a chronograph for your wrist and a modular cube for your living room, both built to last and both slightly absurd in the best way.
The DEFY Chronograph USM is the first time Zenith has turned its 1969 DEFY into a chronograph, running the El Primero 400.
Each stainless steel case arrives in a USM-coded shade of green, gentian blue, pure orange, or golden yellow, with just 60 of each made worldwide.
Every watch ships inside its own USM Haller cabinet, a miniature furniture piece finished in the same candy tone.
Collect all four watches and Zenith delivers the grail, a full USM unit with drawers to house the set like a modernist art installation.
On paper, it sounds ridiculous. But in practice, it makes perfect sense.
USM is in the middle of a cultural renaissance, from Supreme credenzas to Daniel Arsham customs, while Zenith keeps finding playful ways to stretch watchmaking into design and culture. Both companies’ specialties are modular, enduring, and sexier than they should be.
The Zenith DEFY Chronograph USM capsule is priced at $11,800 per watch, available now on Zenith’s website.
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