Zenith joins forces once again with acclaimed artist Felipe Pantone for a collaboration worthy of retro nostalgia.
The worlds of contemporary art and watchmaking have collided an innumerable amount of times. This is especially apparent in the modern world, where artists have chosen the watch as a medium for which to communicate their own creative vision. Think Reko Rennie’s recent work with Vacheron Constantin, or the partnership between Hublot and Richard Orlinski.
In a similar vein, Le Locle brand Zenith is familiar with the art of collaboration. Practically every industry – from fashion to automotive and even anime – have at one point approached Zenith to manifest the values of both brands in a watch.
Enter Felipe Pantone, an Argentinean-Spanish artist specialising in contemporary art. Starting with graffiti at the age of 12, he would go on to earn a Fine Art degree in Valencia. His works focus on dynamism and the digital revolution, fusing an analog future with a digital past through his use of gradients, geometric shapes, optical patterns and jagged grids.
This unique perspective is what eventually drew Zenith to collaborate with Pantone in 2020, resulting in several incredible releases over the following three years, such as 2022’s Defy Extreme. Combining Pantone’s perspective of the modern world with Zenith’s groundbreaking craftsmanship, Zenith has opted to release a third limited edition honouring the partnership between both parties.
Complex yet minimalist, simple yet sophisticated, the Zenith Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone comes in the recognisable 41mm silhouette, yet with several artistic liberties courtesy of Pantone’s artistic process. In continuity with Pantone’s other projects with Zenith, the case is engraved with one character in each corner, denoting ‘FPT1’ – Felipe Pantone Tourbillon #1.
Felipe Pantone Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon
Of course, thanks to Pantone’s involvement, this piece could not be any more different than its earlier peers. The tourbillon still remains as per the regular Skyline Tourbillon, yet Pantone has changed the bridge’s structure to that of a lightning bolt, a recurring motif in Pantone’s works. Both the tourbillon’s bridge and cage are finished in the same 3D PVD colourway that was mastered by Zenith and Pantone in their first collaboration in 2021. The hands and indexes are also finished in this colourway, which are all distorted down the middle (save for the 3, 6, 9, & 12 markers), evoking a glitchy digital effect.
Felipe Pantone Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon
What catches my interest the most here is the dial: A completely iridescent sapphire disk with a pattern of concentric circles, micro-engraved into it and finished with a gradient vignette effect. It brings about a level of retro nostalgia not often found in modern timepieces, as the dial’s finishing is strikingly similar to that of a CD. With the iridescence radiating from the tourbillon, it’ll be hard to decide which detail is more captivating.
Felipe Pantone Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon
Finally, it wouldn’t be a Zenith watch without a delicately crafted movement, and the Skyline Tourbillon serves as a perfect base with which to combine artistic and horological excellence. The high-frequency El Primero 3630 is as attentively crafted as it is anomalous in the industry, beating away at 5Hz (36,000VpH) backed by a 60-hour power reserve. Pantone’s interference also shines through on the back of the watch, with the rotor finished in the same 3D PVD colourway as the front of the watch. Making a high-beat tourbillon movement opens up so many questions about deviancy in accuracy, but Zenith has had decades’ worth of experience crafting reliably accurate high-beat movements, so if there were any brand overqualified for the job, it would be them.
Final Thoughts
“Neovintage” is a challenging arena to define in the watchmaking world. Not only that, but it’s equally challenging to convey that retro appeal to a modern audience. This latest collaboration between Zenith and Felipe Pantone is representative of a difficult task that was not just done right but executed to near perfection.
Felipe Pantone Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon
Zenith’s level of craftsmanship in the industry is matched in spades by the unique and dynamic artistry of Pantone. Together, they conceived this limited edition Skyline Tourbillon, standing as a testament to both industries at the top of their game.
While they won’t be around forever – limited to just 100 pieces – it’s watches like these that go to show that the watch industry is limited only by the imagination. Yet, if they keep bringing in such imaginative individuals like Felipe Pantone, then this industry may be around for a little while longer indeed.
Reference: 03.9301.3630/49.I001
Specifications
- Case Size: 41mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Dial: Tinted sapphire with mirror metalisation & iridescent lasering
- Movement: In-house automatic El Primero 3630 tourbillon movement, 5Hz (36,000VpH)
- Power Reserve: Approx. 60 hours
- Water Resistance: 100m (10 bar)
- Functions: Hours and minutes in the centre Tourbillon: The carriage is at 6 o’clock. It makes one turn per minute. The tourbillon cage has 56 components.
- Strap/Bracelet: Integrated stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp, comes with complementary black rubber strap with ‘starry sky’ pattern
