Introducing the Zenith x Time+Tide DEFY Skyline Skeleton White Surfer Ceramic: The Trilogy Closes on a High Note

Sometimes a collaboration is more than just a single drop. When Time+Tide and Zenith teamed up in 2021, the Night Surfer felt like a clever, under-the-radar twist on the DEFY Classic Skeleton. Then the Skyline Night Surfer came in 2023, with its El Primero movement and chunkier case, bringing a bit more edge to the formula. Now, for the final act of the trilogy, they’ve flipped the concept, literally and figuratively. Meet the DEFY Skyline Skeleton White Surfer Ceramic. The name is a mouthful, but so was Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and that turned out pretty great.

This is a watch built for summer, but not in the typical pastel-on-NATO way. It’s bold, sleek, and yes, very white. The entire thing, from the ceramic case to the matching integrated bracelet, feels like it was made to be worn with sand between your toes and salt water drying on your wrist. But unlike most beach-friendly watches, this one still flexes high horology credentials.

Let’s get into it.

The Basics

Case: 41mm white ceramic
Crystal: Sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Movement: El Primero 3620 SK automatic
Water Resistance: 10 ATM / 100 meters
Strap Options: Integrated white ceramic bracelet with folding clasp, white rubber strap with starry sky pattern
Price: $19,600 USD
Availability: Limited edition of 100 pieces, available via Time+Tide, Zenith retailers, and Zenith boutiques

The Juice

This isn’t just a fresh take on the DEFY Skyline Skeleton, it’s the third and final entry in what’s become a cult-followed micro-series of releases between Time+Tide and Zenith. The 2021 DEFY Classic Night Surfer was dark and stealthy, with a micro-blasted titanium case and a gradient blue dial that faded into blackness. The 2023 Skyline Skeleton Night Surfer picked up that aesthetic but added the El Primero 3620 SK movement, leaning into more technical territory.

With the White Surfer, they’ve inverted everything. The case is pure white ceramic, which isn’t just a visual shift, it fundamentally changes the vibe of the watch. Instead of something you wear to a dinner in a downtown rooftop bar, this one belongs on the Amalfi Coast. It’s clean, bright, and unapologetically summery.

The blue skeleton dial is reminiscent of the over the previous two releases, but here it is lighter than on its predecessors, almost a pastel blue (and it fades from darker blue up top to lighter at the bottom). That color choice wasn’t random, and the lighter color fits much better with the whited out case and bracelet. The bridges are shaped like Zenith’s five-pointed star and filled with Super-LumiNova, a subtle nod back to the original Night Surfer, which was the only other Zenith to use a lumed star on the dial.

The El Primero 3620 SK remains one of the most technically interesting skeletonized movements in this price range. It beats at 5Hz and features a 1/10th of a second counter at 6 o’clock that’s directly linked to the escapement. This isn’t just a design exercise, it’s a movement that shows Zenith’s signature precision. The mainplate and rotor are finished in matching light blue, which gives the watch a rare sense of cohesion. Even the caseback keeps the oceanic theme going.

And if you’re worried about usability, the screw-down crown and 100 meters of water resistance mean this isn’t just a desk diver in disguise. The ceramic construction is both scratch-resistant and ultra-light, which makes it surprisingly comfortable on the wrist, despite its visual heft.

Final Thoughts

Trilogies are tricky. The first watch in a series is exciting because it’s new. The second needs to improve without losing what made the first special. The third? That’s the legacy piece. The White Surfer hits that note perfectly.

This piece seems like a nice way to cap off the collaboration with Zenith. The materials are elevated, the design is confident, and the mood is pure summer. Time+Tide and Zenith have built a following with these releases, and it feels fitting that they’re ending things not with another variation on the theme, but with a bold inversion of it.

Will it be for everyone? Definitely not. The full white ceramic case and bracelet demand some confidence. But if you’ve followed the journey from the first Night Surfer to this one, the White Surfer feels like the perfect full-circle moment.

Only 100 will be made and it retails for $19,600 USD. That’s going to make this one tough to track down in a few months, especially once people start posting beach wristshots. If you want in, now’s the time. Learn more here.