Street art is one of the most diverse and vibrant of the artistic disciplines, if you can even describe it as such. Using urban landscapes to tell stories, promote ideas and express creativity in a way that is deeply human. As a part of that, having a recognisable style helps to spread your message and create connection and one of the most instantly recognisable styles is that of Argentinian-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone, who had his start in graffiti and who has just collaborated with Zenith on the new Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone (based on the Skyline Tourbillon launched in February).
Pantone’s work is inspired by the clash between physical and digital media in the age of television and the internet. A time where a large amount of the light that our eyes receive comes from the pixels of screens rather than the natural world. As such, his art is often centred around the idea of glitches and pixels as well as the digital light spectrum that you can see reflected in the back of CDs or DVDs, or when you press on a retro computer screen too hard. All these ideas are reflected in the Defy.
Starting with the case, it’s more or less a standard edition of the Defy Skyline. It features the signature octagonal bezel that sits atop the broad, flat surfaces of the 41mm diameter steel case. The hint that this is a special edition is the engraving of FPT1 (Felipe Pantone Tourbillon #1) across the four corners of the case where the facets of the top and sides meet leading into the interchangeable steel bracelet. It’s strongly influenced by luxury sports watch design from the 1970s.
However, while the case is 70s in style, the dial is anything but. The main disk of the dial is made from sapphire that’s been micro-engraved with concentric circles. Then, the underside has been given a mirrored, metallic finish that reflects light back up through the sapphire dial, creating a prism-like quality that diffuses light in unexpected ways. You can immediately catch the connection to Pantone’s work such as the influence of CDs. It’s extraordinarily unusual and visually stunning.
Elsewhere on the dial you have the titular tourbillon located at 6 o’clock. This has been decorated with the blue-red gradient often seen in Pantone’s works and the main bridge has been shaped like a lightning bolt, also a common Pantone motif. The same is true for the central hands and hour markers around the edge of the dial, which are regular batons at the cardinal points but glitchy bolts everywhere else. It’s almost as if you’re looking at the watch on a shattered monitor.
The movement inside is the El Primero 3630, an automatic tourbillon calibre with a power reserve of 60-hours. You can view it through the exhibition caseback where the star-shaped rotor is once again dressed in the signature colour gradient. This effect is achieved through a PVD technique that Zenith and Pantone developed together in 2021 for one of their earlier collaborations.
In terms of price and availability, the Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone is limited to 100 pieces at a price of £56,100. It’s also presented in a custom watch box with an iridescent pattern inspired by Pantone’s style. Personally, I’m not a passionate follower of Pantone’s work so the collaboration side of this release isn’t that exciting to me. What I do like though is the way that by working with a creative, Zenith have managed to produce a dial that feel conceptually and visually unlike anything I’ve seen before. It’s modern and contemporary, which feels like a very daring thing to do when the watch market is obsessed with retro nostalgia.
Price and Specs:
More details at Zenith.
