Over the rainbow

Intriguing colours add impact to Zenith’s eye-catching third collaboration with Felipe Pantone. By Felix Scholz

Zenith’s Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone. Photography courtesy of Zenith.

It’s hard to say whether Argentine-Spanish contemporary artist Felipe Pantone’s chromatic, gradient-based work is inspired by the proprietary colour system with which he shares a name. Either way, it’s a happy coincidence.

Pantone’s distinct look, which began in street art and evolved over the years into a signature, futuristic take on pop and optical-art traditions, places the pixels and digital styles that usually exist only on our screens into the real world.

The artist Felipe Pantone with one of his works. Photography courtesy of Zenith.

The effect, whether it’s wrapped around a building or realised on a smaller scale, is one of dissonance and attraction. The element of optical illusion makes his work endlessly fascinating.

Perhaps the smallest canvas Pantone has worked on is that afforded by Zenith watches. Commercial collaboration is a key part of contemporary artistic practice, and Pantone has been working with the historic Swiss brand since 2020, bringing his trademark iridescent hues to Zenith’s famous timepieces and creating eye-grabbing watches with a rainbow edge.

The third creation in this ongoing series is a limited-edition twist on the Defy Skyline Tourbillon, a sporty 41mm watch with an angular case and integrated bracelet, in brushed stainless steel. On most watches, the geometric shape of the Defy would be the main talking point, but thanks to Pantone’s involvement, it serves as a frame for a dial quite unlike any other.

Of course, the eye is first drawn to the tourbillon — a constantly revolving mechanism originally intended to counteract gravity’s influence on accuracy. Pantone’s influence sees the tourbillon cage realised in multicoloured PVD, with a lightning bolt-shaped bridge.

The tourbillon case itself consists of 56 incredibly delicate components. The bolt motif also shows up on the hands and baton markers which, when combined with the oil-slick-like colour gradient, makes for a particularly impressive Pantone touch. All these elements serve as accents to the dramatic dial. Fully iridescent, the dial is made from a sapphire disk that has been micro-engraved in concentric circles radiating out from the tourbillon aperture.

The dial is then treated with a mirrored metallic finish that creates a colourful effect that will remind anyone born before 1999 of the pristine back of a CD. Amplifying this finish even further, Zenith has tinted the outer edge of the dial, creating a more vivid effect while simultaneously enhancing legibility.

There’s plenty of detail visible on the back of the watch too, as you’re afforded a glimpse of the El Primero 3630 calibre, which has a power reserve of 56 hours. It’s powered by the brand’s trademark star-shaped rotor, which here has been finished in Felipe Pantone’s vibrant rainbow style.

The Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon 41mm is limited to 100 pieces at $96,200 each.

This is an extract from an article that appears in print in our thirteenth edition, Page 38 of Winning Magazine with the headline: “Over the rainbow”. Subscribe to Winning Magazine today.