The worlds of contemporary art and haute horlogerie are colliding again in a burst of chromatics and optical intricacies. For their third collaborative series together between Switzerland’s first integrated watch manufacture and the globally acclaimed contemporary artist, ZENITH and Felipe Pantone are once again raising the bar and distilling all the distinctive and groundbreaking elements incorporated in their shared projects into an all-new form. Unveiling the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone, a limited edition of 100 pieces available from September 12, 2024.
Contemporary art and cutting-edge watchmaking coming seamlessly together. After having worked on the historical Manufacture’s façade with a specifically designed tarpaulin in 2020, ZENITH and Valencia-based optical artist Felipe Pantone have gone on to unveil numerous watch projects: a limited-edition series of the DEFY 21 that was instantly sold out in 2021, a unique rendition of the DEFY 21 Double Tourbillon in a sapphire case that set an all-time record for ZENITH at the OnlyWatch 2021 charity auction, and a highly anticipated sequel series in 2022 with the DEFY Extreme Felipe Pantone. Now, the two are taking their ongoing collaboration where it hasn’t gone before. This time, the artist’s canvas is the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon, marking his first reimagining of a DEFY Skyline model. The result is both highly compact and versatile yet packed with intricate and original details that have come to define the ongoing collaboration between ZENITH and Felipe Pantone.
On the latest chapter of the artist’s creative output with ZENITH, Felipe Pantone shared, “I’m excited to unveil my latest collaboration with Zenith, our most exceptional watch to date. It’s a masterpiece of high horology, combining simplicity and sophistication. This complex yet minimalist timepiece features stunning details, including the tiny gradient indexes and hands, the mirror ‘Planned Iridescence’ dial and a truly unique bolt shaped tourbillon.”
Crafted in a 41mm octagonal stainless-steel case, the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone provides a highly geometric and angular silhouette frame to the miniature, kinetic artwork within. With its alternating satin-brushed and polished finishes as well as an easily interchangeable steel bracelet and provided black rubber strap, particular attention was paid to the ergonomics of this unisex creation as well as its visual impact. Its sharp facets and smoothly polished contours, highlight by the dodecagonal bezel, provide the ultimate play of light. In continuity with the previous ZENITH X Felipe Pantone projects, the case is engraved on each corner with a character to denote “FPT1”, or Felipe Pantone Tourbillon #1.
Upon a first glance, the central element of the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone immediately catches the eye. Completing one rotation every 60 seconds, the tourbillon mechanism visible through the opening at 6 o’clock keeps the watch always animated. Specifically for this special collaborative edition, the tourbillon bridge takes on the shape of a lightning bolt, a recurring element in Felipe Pantone’s extensive body of work across different media. Finished in a gradient of metallic rainbow tones that was originally pioneered in the duo’s first collaborative output in 2021, the 3D PVD technique on the tourbillon bridge and cage in the form of a four-pointed star further highlights the artist’s distinctive aesthetic.
Different to what previous ZENITH X Felipe Pantone creations have featured, the entire dial is iridescent in the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone. Crafted from a sapphire disk, the dial features a micro-engraved pattern of concentric circles, recalling the moiré visual effect ever so present in Pantone’s artwork. The back of the sapphire dial features a mirrored metallic finish that, combined with the micro-engraving, produces a striking display of colours in a manner that’s reminiscent of a CD. To add even more depth to the dial and bring out a touch of retro nostalgia, the sapphire dial disk packs a vignette effect that darkens towards the outer edges. The combination of sapphire crystal with a mirrored back, a micro-engraving pattern and a vignette effect is a highly complex and unprecedented feat – both technically and visually.
The hands and applied hour markers are no less complex and captivating. In Felipe Pantone’s signature style of visual distortion, the hands as well as the hour markers (except the cardinal “crosshair” markers at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock) are distorted down the middle, like some kind of graphical glitch. Matching the tourbillon at 6 o’clock, the hands and markers are finished in a gradient of rainbow tones.
Powered by the El Primero 3630 high-frequency automatic manufacture movement with a power reserve of 60 hours, the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone incorporates the artist’s chromatic signature touch even on the movement, in the form of a star-shaped oscillating weight with a rainbow PVD finish matching the tourbillon cage and bridge as well as the other metallic elements on the dial side.
Completing the latest chapter in the ZENITH X Felipe Pantone collaboration is a customized watch box, with an iridescent pattern on the interior as well as the outer box designed by the artist in his inimitable style.
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