ReviewA Polychromatic Saga: The Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone Edition

Watchmakers have long been roping in artists to creatively reinvent their timepieces. It is well-thought strategy to boost sales and even tempt art patrons into buying the watch, rather ‘collecting’ the artist’s artwork. A few noteworthy collabs include Takashi Murakami and Shepard Fairey for different Hublot Classic Fusion iterations, Alec Monopoly for two brands—Jacob & Co. Astronomia, and TAG Heuer Formula 1 and Carrera editions, Elisabetta Fantone for Corum Bubble, Tom Christopher for Ikepod Duopod, and even the unique association between the estate of the deceased artist Jean Basquiat for the Raymond Weil Basquiat Freelancer Special edition. In the same vein, Zenith and Argentinian-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone have been churned multiple collaborative watches since 2021.

Pantone first gained a toehold into the Zenith universe after being commissioned to design a polychromatic tarpaulin in 2020. By the following year, he was brought onboard to revamp two Zenith Defy chronographs: the Defy 21 Double Tourbillon Felipe Pantone for the Only Watches 2021 edition with a 1/100th-of-a-second chronograph and the Defy Extreme Felipe Pantone chronograph in 2022. Come 2024, and the watchmaker-artist duo is back, this time with a third collaborative timepiece, the Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone, available in a limited edition of only 100 timepieces.

Celebrating Signature Traits: The Zenith-Felipe Pantone Longstanding Partnership

The Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone carries forward quintessential design traits of Zenith’s Defy series and Pantone’s artistic flair. Let’s first address the Defy signatures. This includes the steel case measuring 41mm, its dodecagonal shape with faceted bezel, the alternating satin brushed and polished contours. The iconic in-house devised El Primero movement that powers the rest of the Zenith Defy series, also charges the Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone. Considered a high frequency movement, this El Primero 3630 calibre beats at 36,000vph and offers upto 60 hours of power reserve when fully wound. It also powers the lightweight open tourbillon measuring just 0.25g, which takes one minute to complete one turn. The trademark five-pointed star emblem sprawled on the caseback, equally captivates as it offers a sneak peek of the automatic movement underneath it. As with the previous Zenith Defy iterations, buyers can opt between an interchangeable steel bracelet or a black Cordura rubber strap.

As with the previous Zenith Defy iterations, buyers can opt between an interchangeable steel bracelet or a black Cordura rubber strap

The Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone carries forward quintessential design traits of Zenith’s Defy series such as the steel case measuring 41mm, its dodecagonal shape with faceted bezel, and alternating satin brushed and polished contours

The ‘Pantone Touch’

Pantone—not to be mistaken with the colour forecast institute—is a known disruptor, as evident from his paintings, sculptures and graffiti. The art of this Valencia-based artist can be described as delightfully cacophonous, at times a bit of an eye sore, given that he derives inspiration from polychromatic, dystopic elements to produce glitches and grids using 3D modelling software. Some sources of his inspiration include the typography used in 80s Synth pop music; the television test pattern of SMPTE colour bars; holograms; Op art (optical art) to create illusions that visually things are blurring or moving; neon gradients alluding to auroral feats in nature like the Northern Lights; and random geometry. Before the ‘Pantone touch’, previous Zenith Defy iterations witnessed pops of colour, but only in sporadic timepieces like the bright gradient dials of the Defy Midnight Borealis and the Defy Midnight Sunset. But Pantone’s Zenith Defys are an instant recall for their multicoloured imagery.

With the Defy Skyline Tourbillon, Pantone does a maestro move—he retains the design aesthetic of the Zenith Defy timepiece, while embellishing the whole dial with his artistic signatures. Like the thick rainbow gradient PVD finish that outlines the edges of the hour and minute hands, the hour markers, the tourbillon carriage at six o’clock and the star motif on the caseback. This auroral glow also filters through the hairline thin micro-engraved concentric circles covering the dial—the texture, a Pantone staple—is redolent to the moiré technique generally used to create wavy patterns on fabrics. Another Pantone signature is the lightning bolt motif, which figures as the shape of hour markers one, two, four, eight, 10 and 11 o’clock; both watch hands; and the biggest in size of them all, atop the tourbillon cage. Completing the celestial touch is the star logo below the 12 o’clock hour marker, on the embossed crown and the larger emblem on the caseback. Lastly, even the watch box housing the Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone features the artist’s concentric circular patterns on the interior and exterior.

Read more about other Rainbow watches here

At a time when there’s constant talk in the watch industry whether it makes any sense to divide collections based on gender, Zenith and Pantone have positioned this latest Skyline Tourbillon as a unisex timepiece in their promotional branding activities. It even helps carry forward Zenith’s conscious strategy of not separating their watches as meant for men or for women, as it does away with stereotypes such as big cases not being meant for slender, feminine wrists or vivid hues and a full colour palette not quite fitting in with ‘masculine’ aesthetics.

The Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone Edition In A Nutshell

• Case: 41mm, stainless steel
• Dial: Rainbow gradient PVD finish on the hands, hour markers, tourbillon, moiré ripple-effect technique on dial, lightning bolt motifs, star motif on caseback
• Movement: Automatic calibre El Primero 3630; beats upto 36,000vph; offers upto 60 hours of power reserve
• Strap: Interchangeable steel bracelet or black Cordura rubber strap