The Art of Time, The Architecture of Tomorrow: ZENITH x USM’s Singular Masterpiece for TimeForArt

In 1865, beneath the tempestuous skies of Le Locle, Switzerland, Georges Favre-Jacot embarked on an audacious quest: to bring the scattered crafts of watchmaking beneath one roof, uniting them in pursuit of mechanical excellence. He was just 22, yet his ambition was anything but modest. Looking towards the heavens for inspiration, he found his guiding ideal in the zenith, the highest point reached by a celestial body. 

From this union of precision, purpose and celestial aspiration, ZENITH began its journey towards horological immortality.

More than a century and a half later, that pioneering spirit finds an unexpected but compelling counterpart in USM Modular Furniture. Born from a family-run metalworking business established in 1885 in Münsingen, the Swiss design house would transform industrial engineering into an enduring language of contemporary living. 

Now, for the 2026 edition of TimeForArt, the two maisons return with a singular creation that makes their shared philosophy tangible: the ZENITH DEFY Chronograph USM – TimeForArt Unique Piece, a one-of-a-kind timepiece that places mechanical ingenuity, architectural design and cultural patronage on the same pedestal.

And make no mistake: this is not simply another luxury watch with a charitable footnote. It is an object with a proposition, one in which the pursuit of horological excellence becomes a means of supporting the future of contemporary art. 

The DEFY name has always carried a certain insubordinate swagger. Introduced in 1969, the original DEFY distinguished itself through assertive geometry and a robust, angular construction that challenged the conventions of traditional watch design. That same year, ZENITH unveiled the El Primero, the pioneering automatic, integrated high-frequency chronograph that would become one of modern horology’s defining achievements. 

The convergence of these two milestones established the foundation for a collaboration that feels less like a marketing exercise than a genuine meeting of industrial minds.

USM’s story is equally compelling. Founded by Ulrich Schärer in 1885, the company began as a metalworking workshop in Münsingen, near Bern. In the 1960s, engineer Paul Schärer and architect Fritz Haller conceived a modular architectural system whose ingenious construction would ultimately transcend its original industrial purpose. 

Patented in 1965, the USM Haller system combines chrome-plated steel tubes, precision-engineered brass ball joints and coloured metal panels into a structure that can be assembled, expanded and reconfigured with remarkable versatility. Its enduring relevance earned it a place in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection in New York, cementing its status as a modern design classic.

Their first collaboration, launched in September 2025, brought these parallel histories together through a limited-edition DEFY Chronograph USM. For TimeForArt, however, the partnership takes a more radical turn. The familiar coloured dial is replaced by a fully mirror-polished surface, transforming the watch into a constantly shifting study of light, reflection and perception.

Housed within a compact 37mm stainless-steel case, the unique edition retains the DEFY’s signature octagonal architecture, fourteen-sided bezel and distinctive stainless-steel ladder bracelet. Against the reflective dial, three overlapping azuré chronograph counters are enlivened by USM Golden Yellow, Pure Orange, Green and Gentian Blue. 

The four colours converge on a single dial for the first time, lending the composition a graphic intensity that recalls the confident visual language of modernist architecture.

There is a particularly pleasing contradiction here: the mirror-polished dial appears minimalist, yet its character changes with every movement of the wrist. Rather than merely displaying time, it reflects the world around it. A final flourish comes courtesy of the central chronograph seconds hand, tipped with a miniature USM Haller ball joint—a discreet but wonderfully considered reference to the furniture system itself.

Beneath this architectural exterior beats the El Primero 400, an automatic column-wheel chronograph calibre operating at 36,000 vibrations per hour, or 5Hz, with a 55-hour power reserve. Its high-frequency regulation allows measurements to one-tenth of a second, while its column-wheel mechanism governs the chronograph’s start, stop and reset functions. 

This is not decorative engineering: it is the technical heart of a manufacture whose reputation rests on making precision tangible.

The collaboration extends beyond the wrist with an equally singular USM Haller sideboard, finished with mirrored surfaces and designed specifically for the project. Its integrated storage accommodates up to 24 watches, with a glass top displaying the first layer of a collection and a lockable lower compartment revealing a further layer within a drawer. 

It is functional furniture conceived as a collector’s cabinet, demonstrating that the relationship between objects and the spaces they inhabit can be as carefully orchestrated as the mechanics of a fine watch.

Yet the most consequential dimension of this project lies beyond its materials, mechanics and exclusivity.

TimeForArt, organised by the non-profit Swiss Institute in partnership with Phillips, is a benefit watch auction dedicated to supporting contemporary art and artists. Returning to Phillips New York on 5 December 2026 at 3pm EST, its third edition brings together exceptional, specially created timepieces from leading watchmakers. 

The proceeds, including Phillips’ buyer’s premium, benefit Swiss Institute’s exhibitions, public programmes, artist residencies, education initiatives and community-engagement workshops, offered free to the public.

For prospective bidders, the distinction matters. The DEFY Chronograph USM – TimeForArt Unique Piece cannot be approached as an ordinary retail purchase; it is an opportunity to acquire an object conceived expressly for a philanthropic occasion. Its rarity is inherent in its singular construction, but its significance is amplified by the cultural infrastructure it helps sustain.

In an era when the sustainability of the arts depends upon more than applause and good intentions, such initiatives provide a practical connection between collecting and cultural patronage. A winning bid does not guarantee that every future artist will flourish, nor can a single auction resolve the structural challenges facing arts education. 

What it can do is contribute directly to the institutions, programmes and encounters that allow creative work to be developed, presented and experienced without admission fees becoming a barrier.

That is the real allure of this ZENITH and USM creation. Its mirror-polished dial reflects not merely its surroundings but the relationship between precision and imagination, design and utility, possession and purpose. 

For the discerning collector, it offers the prospect of owning a unique expression of Swiss engineering while supporting a wider creative community.

Time, after all, is never simply measured. It is invested, remembered and passed forward. And on 5 December, this exceptional DEFY invites collectors to make that investment count.

*Photos courtesy of ZENITH.