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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The new Zenith and USM chronograph is a one-off, not a retail release. The DEFY Chronograph USM – TimeForArt Unique Piece will be sold at a benefit auction at Phillips New York on December 5, 2026, starting at 3:00 p.m. EST, with 100% of proceeds, including Phillips’ buyer’s premium, going to Swiss Institute. Zenith’s October 6, 2026 announcement is the primary source for the auction details and the watch’s specifications.
What the TimeForArt watch is
The piece is a unique version of the DEFY Chronograph USM, made for the third TimeForArt auction. TimeForArt is organised by Swiss Institute in partnership with Phillips, and Zenith describes the 2026 edition as having 25 participating watch brands, each creating a unique timepiece in support of contemporary art. The count of 25 comes from Zenith’s own announcement and describes this event only; it is not a figure for the watch industry as a whole.
Zenith says the one-off revisits the 2025 DEFY Chronograph USM with one main change: a fully mirror-polished dial. The three overlapping chronograph counters and their printing and hands bring together all four USM collaboration colours, Golden Yellow, Pure Orange, Green and Gentian Blue, on one watch. A miniature USM Haller ball joint sits at the tip of the chronograph seconds hand.
Specifications
| Feature | TimeForArt Unique Piece (2026) |
|---|---|
| Reference | 03.A780.400-T/01.M3642 |
| Case | 37 mm stainless steel, octagonal geometry, fourteen-sided bezel |
| Bracelet | Stainless-steel ladder bracelet |
| Dial | Fully mirror-polished, with all four USM colours in the counters and hands |
| Movement | Automatic El Primero 400 column-wheel chronograph |
| Frequency | 36,000 vibrations per hour (5 Hz) |
| Power reserve | 55 hours (per Zenith) |
| Water resistance | 10 ATM (per Zenith), screw-in crown |
| Functions | Central hours and minutes; small seconds at 9 o’clock; central chronograph hand; 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock; 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock; date at 4:30 |
All figures are as listed in Zenith’s October 6, 2026 announcement. No estimate, expected hammer price or ordinary retail price has been published for this piece.
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What “you can’t actually buy it” means
The headline is accurate for the standard retail route. The TimeForArt watch is not on sale through a boutique, an online store or an authorised dealer. Its only scheduled route to ownership is the Phillips New York auction on December 5, 2026. Readers who want to bid should follow Phillips’ registration and bidding terms, which are separate from Zenith’s announcement and were not part of the material reviewed for this article.
Zenith says all proceeds, including Phillips’ buyer’s premium, support Swiss Institute’s exhibitions, public programmes, education initiatives and community engagement. That means the auction result, not the watch’s catalogue status, will determine how much the charity receives.
How it differs from the 2025 DEFY Chronograph USM editions
The first Zenith–USM collaboration launched in September 2025 as a regular limited collection. The two projects share a design language but differ in almost every practical respect.
| Point of comparison | 2025 DEFY Chronograph USM collection | 2026 TimeForArt Unique Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition route | Retail collection | Benefit auction at Phillips New York, December 5, 2026 |
| Production quantity | Limited to 60 pieces per dial colour (USM, undated collaboration page) | One-off |
| Dial colours | Four separate solid-colour dials: Green, Pure Orange, Golden Yellow, Gentian Blue | One mirror-polished dial combining all four colours |
| Accompaniment | Custom-designed Haller watch chest | Unique mirrored Haller sideboard with lockable storage for up to 24 watches (per Zenith) |
| Price | $11,800 per version on Zenith’s U.S. product page, checked in early October 2026 | No price published; auction result not yet known |
| Availability | Shown as sold out on Zenith’s U.S. product page at the time of checking | Auction only |
The sold-out status applies to Zenith’s U.S. website on the date checked. It does not show that every authorised dealer or secondary-market seller is out of stock, and it says nothing about other regions.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe Haller connection
USM says its Haller modular furniture system’s ball joint was patented in 1965. Zenith places the original DEFY and El Primero in 1969. The miniature joint on the chronograph hand is a deliberate echo of the furniture connector, and the mirrored sideboard made for the auction extends the link into the home. The sideboard is a single bespoke piece made for this project; it is not a product that USM sells as a standard range item.
If you want a DEFY Chronograph USM now
- Check Zenith’s U.S. product page and other regional Zenith sites. Stock status can differ by region and change without notice.
- Ask authorised Zenith retailers whether any 2025 pieces remain; the 60-piece limit per colour means remaining stock is likely to be small.
- If buying on the secondary market, verify the reference number and the four-colour configuration against Zenith’s product information, and treat asking prices as market prices rather than retail prices.
- Do not expect the TimeForArt watch to appear on general retail sites after the auction; the auction is its only scheduled sale.
What is not yet known
The auction is scheduled but has not taken place, so there is no hammer price, no bidder count and no sale result. No named Zenith, USM, Phillips or Swiss Institute representative is quoted in the official announcement, so the statements above are institutional descriptions rather than personal comments.
Source for this article: Zenith’s October 6, 2026 announcement and product page; USM’s collaboration page; T3’s October 8, 2026 coverage.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
