Zenith Teams Up with Fusalp on New DEFY Classic LE

When it comes to sporty chic clothing for spending time in the French Alps, there’s really only one place to go, and that’s Fusalp. The French based tailor has a defined style that captures the spirit of movement, both and off the slopes. It’s practical, but looks cool enough to slip right into the set of a Man From U.N.C.L.E. set from the ‘60s without skipping a beat. This year, the brand is celebrating their 70th anniversary with the help of Alp-adjacent Swiss watch brand, Zenith. The pair are releasing a capsule collection featuring two special Defy Classic watches in both white and black colorways. They’re about as chic as the clothing that inspired them, all set within the unmistakable Zenith design frame. 

The new Defy Classic X Fusalp watches feature plenty of what we’ve long enjoyed about the watch, which our Zach Kazan reviewed right here, but presented with a twist suitable for the partnership. The openworked dial has been altered to incorporate a snowflake design within the five pointed star of Zenith’s logo, replacing the pronged design seen on previous examples. Furthermore, running lines of blue, red, and white have been incorporated into the chapter ring at the dial’s edge bringing a welcome bit of color contrast to the situation to break up the intricacy of the skeletonization.

The 41mm case is still rendered in ceramic, and presumably will measure the same 10.75mm in thickness as the original Classic, which is just fine in our book. The very short lug design makes for a 45mm lug to lug length, providing excellent wearability all around. This is further aided by the (kinda) integrated rubber strap, which is shaped to fit the wrist with ease. 

Zenith is using their Elite 670 automatic movement here, the very same we saw at use in the Hublot Integral Time Only (but not really time only) we reviewed right here. The movement sports a silicon escape wheel and palette lever (making it a 670 SK) and provides around 50 hours of reserve. This movement has been around since the early half of the ‘90s and represents little in the way of risks over the long term at this stage. 

Just 100 examples of the white reference, and 300 examples of the black reference are planned for production, priced at $11,000 and $10,000 respectively. This is a largely underrated reference from Zenith and we’re happy to see them return to the collection in new and interesting ways such as this. Pairing a bit of color with the openworked dial goes a long way here and is a feature we’d welcome on regular production models. Learn more about these watches from Zenith, and discover the clothing at Fusalp.