The Zenith Chronomaster Sport has had quite a journey since it launched in 2021. What started as a single stainless steel reference with a black ceramic bezel — and yes, we know what watch that immediately reminded people of — has since grown into one of the more expansive and genuinely adventurous collections in the space. We’ve seen a wide range of coloured ceramics, the usage of titanium, meteorite dials, precious metals, and gemstones. For Watches and Wonders 2026, we now have a new Chronomaster Skeleton Range with two rose gold variants and two steel variants that get a quiet yet major update for their bracelets. Let’s first touch on what is new, and then we can catch up on some of the more familiar specs.
The dials
Rather than a conventional painted or textured dial, the Chronomaster Sport Skeleton features a sapphire dial — tinted from black at the periphery, fading to transparent at the centre. It’s a subtle gradient that creates depth rather than drama. The effect is that the movement itself becomes the visual centrepiece. You’re not looking at a dial so much as looking through one.
The black ceramic bezel steel skeleton model features the signature tri-colour overlapping counters, which are still here; its grey, anthracite, and blue registers a direct visual callback to the original El Primero of 1969. And then there’s the green bezel version for the steel skeleton segment. The skeleton with the green bezel pairs that colour with grey-toned counters rather than the classic tri-colour arrangement, giving it a more subdued feel that pays a subtle tri-colour nod with the slight graduation between the grey-toned counters.
The grey-tone counters also extend to the two Rose Gold Skeleton models as well, both the black ceramic bezel version and the diamond-set bezel version. The markers and hands are baton-style, rhodium-plated, faceted, and coated in C1 Super-LumiNova — so legibility is not sacrificed for aesthetics. This is, despite being a skeleton watch, still a watch you’re meant to actually read.
An important final dial note: no contentious 4:30-positioned date window. So, the Skeleton notably offers a sense of symmetry that those who really scrutinise dial layouts will likely prefer.
The straps
Now, remember when I said there is a quiet yet major update. Well, here it is, and notably exclusively on the steel models. Their bracelets come with Zenith’s newly patented ZENCLASP folding clasp. Within the ZENCLASP is a 41-component mechanism that took three years and roughly 1,800 hours to develop. It uses ceramic ball components to secure the locking and positioning functions — so it clicks into place with tactile precision and stays that way.
The micro-adjustment system lets you resize the bracelet in 2.5mm increments, across a total range of 10mm, without any tools and without removing the watch. That’s a meaningful quality-of-life upgrade for a sports watch bracelet. Both steel references come with the three-link steel bracelet fitted with the ZENCLASP, plus an additional rubber strap — black for the black bezel model, green for the green. The rubber straps on modern Chronomaster Sports have been consistently well done; they sit flush to the case and give the watch a more integrated, sportier feel when you want a change.
The rose gold reference, by contrast, comes on a black rubber strap with a matching rose gold folding clasp, and, for the diamond-set variant, goes the extra mile with a case-matching 18k rose gold three-link bracelet – albeit, without ZENCLASP.
To preemptively answer a question I imagine many of you reading this will have, the ZENCLASP will be progressively introduced across additional models and references. Fully compatible, it can be adapted to all Chronomaster Sport bracelets that were not originally equipped with it. Now let’s run through some of the more familiar elements.
The cases
The cases are 41mm in diameter, the same as every other Chronomaster Sport in the range. And I’ll reiterate what I and others have said every single time we’ve covered one of these — it wears a bit smaller than 41mm suggests on paper. The lug-to-lug span is compact at about 47mm, and the 13.6 millimetre thickness doesn’t make it stack uncomfortably under a cuff. If you’ve tried one on before, you already know this. If you haven’t, it’s worth the trip to an authorised dealer just for the fit check.
The cases are finished with alternating brushed and polished surfaces, which the Sport has always done well. It’s a sporty watch, but the finishing quality elevates it beyond pure tool watch territory. Water resistance is 100 metres, which is more than enough for everyday life and even a recreational swim despite being a chronograph.
The movement
Looking through the front or back of the watch, you’re met with the El Primero 3600SK. The SK suffix denotes the skeletonised variant. The movement operates at 5Hz, 36,000 vibrations per hour. The practical upshot of that frequency is that the central chronograph hand completes one full revolution every ten seconds. Read against the 10-second graduated ceramic bezel, each increment corresponds precisely to one-tenth of a second. That’s a mechanical 1/10th of a second readout — not digital approximation, not software interpolation. It’s happening right in front of you, in real time, driven by gears and springs.
The column wheel — finished in blue, visible through the dial — controls the chronograph’s operation, and the horizontal clutch architecture is fully on display. Zenith has also incorporated a silicon escape wheel for precision and durability, and a stop-second mechanism so you can actually set the time accurately. Power reserve sits at 60 hours, which is very solid for a high-frequency movement. The openworked rotor is engraved with the Zenith star, and while some openworked rotors can feel like an afterthought, here you have an elevated look that does not obstruct the view of the back of the calibre too much. Through-dial and through-caseback visibility. It’s a lot of watch to look at, and certainly not in a bad way.
The verdict
The Chronomaster Sport Skeleton is a logical extension of where this collection has been heading. Zenith has spent several years proving that the Sport platform has range in materials, in price points, in aesthetic direction. Skeletonising it is the move that puts the El Primero 3600 front and centre – rightfully so as a major marquee element of any Zenith chronograph.
Whether it’s the right move for you depends on how you feel about an openworked dial. Some people love the transparency. Others prefer the quiet confidence of a solid dial. But ultimately, this group offers yet another group of rock-solid Chronomaster Sport options to choose from, and the new clasp surely moves the needle significantly as well, and the removal of the 4:30 date window doesn’t hurt either.
The headline here is that you can now get that skeletonised sensibility Zenith is well-known for in its Chronomaster Sport lineup for the first time, but the even bigger headline for Chronomaster Sport buyers is the ZENCLASP and its availability currently for the steel skeleton models, eventual rollout across the catalogue, and backwards compatibility for existing owners.
Zenith Chronomaster Sport Skeleton pricing and availability
The Zenith Chronomaster Sport Skeleton is available now for purchase, with the full 18k rose gold variant with a diamond-set bezel and dial limited to just 10 pieces. Price: US$16,700 (stainless steel) / US$31,500 (18k rose gold) / US$111,000 (18k rose gold, diamonds)
| Brand | Zenith |
| Model | Chronomaster Sport Skeleton |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 13.6mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel, black ceramic bezel Stainless steel, green ceramic bezel 18k rose gold, black ceramic bezel 18k rose gold, diamond-set bezel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Openworked |
| Strap | Stainless steel: Stainless steel three-link bracelet, ZENCLASP folding clasp, additional bezel-matching rubber strap 18k rose gold: Black rubber strap, 18k rose gold folding clasp |
| Movement | El Primero 3600SK, in-house, automatic, high-beat |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph |
| Availability | Now (stainless steel, 18k rose gold) Limited to 10 pcs. (18k rose gold, diamonds) |
| Price | US$16,700 (stainless steel) US$31,500 (18k rose gold) US$111,000 (18k rose gold, diamonds) |