Photos by Ripley Sellers and Jake Witkin
As an authorized retailer for numerous different luxury brands, Bhindi Jewelers is a staple within the Southern California watch scene. While the company has been around for well over half a century, 2024 marks the first time there has ever been a limited-edition Bhindi watch. For its partner in this endeavor, Bhindi chose the Swiss manufacturer Zenith, and since Bhindi is a retailer of both luxury watches and jewelry, a gem-set timepiece was the natural choice for its inaugural collaboration model. Based upon the foundation of the Defy Skyline Skeleton that first debuted last year, the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition (ref. 16.9301.3620/21.I001) turns things up a notch with a rainbow gradient of sapphires and will be produced as a limited edition of 50 examples that will be exclusively available to Bhindi customers.
Rather than being crafted from precious metals, Bhindi wanted this already statement-worthy timepiece to remain somewhat approachable to collectors, and the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition is crafted entirely from brushed and polished stainless steel. Along with being significantly lighter on the wrist and accompanied by a fundamentally lower retail price, stainless steel also offers a slightly more subdued appearance compared to the brilliant luster of platinum or gold. Realistically speaking, there is absolutely nothing even remotely understated about a timepiece clad in rainbow-colored sapphires, although the use of stainless steel provides the Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition with a tangibly different look and feel compared to the various precious metal watches that are also adorned with rainbow gemstones.
Looking past the rainbow gradient of sapphires that are set into its hour makers and bezel, the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition is largely the same watch as the original Defy Skyline Skeleton models that first debuted last year in 2023. Just like its standard-production counterparts, the Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition features a 41mm stainless steel case that offers a highly geometric profile with angular lines and a twelve-sided bezel. Additionally, just as you would expect, flat sapphire crystals are fitted to both the dial side of the watch and its screw-on display caseback, while the signed crown at 3 o’clock screws down to the middle case to help create 100 meters of water resistance. However, unlike the standard Defy Skyline Skeleton watches, the Bhindi Edition features the luxury retailer’s logo printed on the underside surface of its caseback window, and while I would have personally preferred for the watch to have a custom rotor that was engraved with Bhindi’s logo, rarely do we see custom collaboration-themed rotors, regardless of a watch’s price point.
Set into the bezel of the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition are 48 sapphires (a total of 2.41 carats) that seamlessly form a rainbow gradient around the periphery of the dial, and the various hues are mirrored by the 12 baguette-cut sapphire hour markers (an additional 0.24 carats) that appear in the same colors as the sapphires adjacent to them on the bezel. The rest of the open-worked dial is finished with a black PVD treatment, and it follows the same star-shaped design that exists among other Defy Skyline Skeleton models, with a pair of centrally-mounted hands that display the time and a running seconds sub-dial symmetrically placed at the 6 o’clock location. Additionally, since the Defy Skyline Skeleton series features a high-frequency movement that is derived from the architecture of the El Primero, the small running seconds hand is actually a 1/10th of a second indicator that makes one full rotation every ten seconds, rather than rotating once per minute like a traditional wristwatch.
Fully visible through both the open-worked dial and the display caseback of the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition is the El Primero 3620 SK automatic movement, which is essentially the skeletonized time-only version of Zenith’s legendary high-beat El Primero chronograph caliber. Consisting of 288 components, the 27-jewel El Primero 3620 SK runs at a frequency of 36,000vph (5 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 60 hours, and it features an anchor and escape wheel crafted from silicon, which appear as purple/green iridescent components that sit visible through apertures in the dial near the 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock hour markers. Additionally, on the Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition, the movement’s plates, bridges, and star-shaped rotor are all finished with a dark gray/black PVD treatment to allow the visual emphasis of the watch to remain on its rainbow-colored gemstones.
The Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition comes as a set with both a stainless steel bracelet and a black rubber strap, although Zenith also produces an assortment of other rubber straps that match the various hues of the bezel, and all of the strap/bracelet options can be easily swapped out using Zenith’s quick-release system, which is activated by pressing two buttons located on the bottom surfaces of the lugs. The rubber strap follows the same design as what the brand currently offers for the Defy Skyline series, and it features a raised central section on its outer surface with signed stainless steel deployant clasp. Meanwhile, the stainless steel bracelet is identical to what can be found on the standard-production Defy Skyline Skeleton models, and it offers a flat H-link construction with brushed surfaces, high-polished accents, and a signed butterfly-style folding clasp.
While the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition is essentially just a rainbow gem-set version of the core-collection model, it also feels like an earnest blend of both companies’ respective identities. Bhindi’s DNA as a jewelry retailer is prominently represented by the rainbow-colored gemstones adorning the dial and bezel of the watch, while the El Primero-derived movement maintains a connection to the Swiss watchmaker’s celebrated heritage. With an official retail price of $36,200 USD and production limited to 50 examples, the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition (ref. 16.9301.3620/21.I001) is quite a bit more expensive than what Zenith charges for its entry-level Defy Skyline models, although a sizable premium is virtually guaranteed when it comes to luxury watches adorned with gemstones. That said, the Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Edition still doesn’t feel outrageously expensive compared to what other brands charge for their gem-set models, and the open-worked movement framed by a rainbow gradient of sapphires undeniably creates a statement-worthy appearance. For more information on the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton Bhindi Limited Edition, please visit either the Zenith website or Bhindi website.
