The Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer proves you can never go wrong with white ceramic
The Zenith Defy Skyline White Surfer is a bold, summer-ready white ceramic watch that wraps high-frequency skeleton tech in beach-ready style
After two sell-out collaborations, Zenith and Time+Tide have dropped the final instalment in their surf-inspired trilogy – and it’s a sun-bleached stunner. Meet the Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer Ceramic, a limited edition of just 100 pieces that swaps moody titanium for something fresher: full white ceramic.
Like its “Night Surfer” predecessors, this is a skeletonised version of Zenith’s boldest sports watch, with the same sharp lines and distinctive star-shaped bridges. But this time, it’s in a more summery variant.
The 41mm case is ultra-light and scratch-resistant, with 100m water resistance and a screw-down crown – so yes, you can take it in the sea.
The openworked dial keeps the trilogy’s signature gradient effect, but inverts it: deep blue at the top fading to sky blue at the bottom. A glowing five-pointed star – lit with Super-LumiNova – gives a nostalgic nod to the original Night Surfer from 2021. It’s also echoed in the movement beneath.
Powering the show is the El Primero 3620 SK, a high-frequency automatic calibre that beats at 5Hz and offers 1/10th second accuracy via a central hand driven straight from the escapement.
It’s got 55 hours of power reserve and an unusual level of decoration for a watch this sporty, including blue bridges and a star-shaped rotor, visible through the sapphire caseback.
The integrated bracelet is white ceramic too, but you also get a white rubber strap that swaps in easily, thanks to Zenith’s quick-change system. Handy when you’re heading from rooftop drinks to beach volleyball.
For Time+Tide founder Andrew McUtchen, the white surfer was an irresistible twist on the collab that started it all: “There’s a huge risk in trying for a trilogy when the first two collabs have been so popular, but when we saw the prototype of an ‘inverted’ Night Surfer, in brushed white ceramic, we just had to make it happen.”
It’s a confident end to the trilogy – and proof that white doesn’t have to mean plain. The Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer is bold, breezy and very much limited. And like any good summer romance, it probably won’t stick around for long.
The Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer is available from the 11th of July on Time+Tide’s website, priced at US$19,600 / £17,700.
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Spencer Hart
Buying Guide Editor 
