For the fourth time since 2021, Zenith has teamed up with contemporary artist Felipe Pantone to create a collaborative watch. The first was the Defy 21 in 2021, followed by the one-off Defy 21 Double Tourbillon for the Only Watch charity event in the same year. In 2022, the Defy Extreme Felipe Pantone was released, and now, for 2024, we have the brand new Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone watch, which features the artist’s signature color prism and is limited to just 100 pieces.
The watch retains the Defy’s signature silhouette, which is a square 41mm steel case with a 12-sided bezel and alternating satin and polished finishes. The star-adorned winding crown is screw-down and the case is water resistant to a respectable 100 meters. Zoom in closer to the case and you’ll see F, P, T and 1 engraved in each of the four corners, which spells out “Felipe Pantone Tourbillon #1” – in case you’ve forgotten what you’re wearing.
The brushed effect of the case continues in the integrated bracelet, which is also made of stainless steel and has a folding clasp. The Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone watch is also accompanied by an additional black rubber strap decorated with the well-known Zenith star pattern.
Felipe Pantone’s work on this Defy Skyline watch focuses on the dial and movement. Made from a single sapphire crystal disc, the entire dial is iridescent and features a micro-engraved concentric circle pattern emerging from the tourbillon aperture at 6 o’clock. The motif resembles Felipe Pantone’s favorite moiré effect, where contrasting colored lines create movement, just like those optical illusions from the Magic Eye books and posters that were big in the ’80s and ’90s. In another retro throwback, the resulting rainbow effect from the combination of the tinted sapphire crystal dial with the laser-engraved texture is meant to be reminiscent of the back of a CD. There is also a vignette effect with a darker periphery that gradually gets lighter toward the center of the dial.
Not only are the applied hour markers colorful, but all but those at 3, 9 and 12 are distorted (another visual effect typical of Felipe Pantone) and resemble mini lightning bolts. Likewise, the two curved hands in the center are rendered in a variety of colors via a 3D PVD technique, as are the lightning-shaped tourbillon bridge and the four-pointed star tourbillon cage. Although Zenith confirms that this lightning bolt shape represents “some kind of graphic error,” between the Skittles color palette, the crazy shapes and the nod to nostalgia, I can only think of the Lisa Frank notebooks that The Essential stationery when I was a kid at school.
The back of the Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone is similarly saturated with a spectrum of hues thanks to the five-pointed star-shaped oscillating weight, which is covered in the same metallic rainbow PVD finish. The rotor belongs to the El Primero 3630 movement, which operates at a rapid 36,000 vibrations per hour (5 Hz) and offers a power reserve of around 60 hours. The one-minute tourbillon is made up of 56 components.
The Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone Limited Edition watch is artistic, colorful and cool in the style of the 1990s. For fans of Zenith, Felipe Pantone and tourbillons, this watch ticks all the boxes without catering to the masses (there are plenty of other Zenith Defy Skyline models for that). You’ll have to pay a hefty price 62,300 USD to own one and wait until September 12th at 14:00 CEST when they will be available online, in Zenith boutiques and at selected retailers. For more information, visit the brand’s website.
