Contemporary art meets haute horlogerie

Pantone mixing shades on the colour chart.

ANY way one looks at them, watches are certainly pieces of art in themselves, albeit in miniature form.

Although steeped in tradition and expertise developed over centuries, watchmakers are not afraid of drawing inspiration from contemporary references.

Watch dials sporting contemporary art and pop culture no doubt offer a unique juxtaposition of tradition and the pushing of boundaries.

In a similar vein, Le Locle’s famed watchmakers Zenith is certainly familiar with the art of collaboration.

After all, 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.

And now, its Felipe Pantone’s turn to steal the headlines with his series of collaborations with the iconic Swiss watchmakers.

Pantone is an Argentinian-Spanish artist who specialises primarily in contemporary art.

The steel bracelet variant.

Starting with graffiti at the age of 12, he would go on to earn a Fine Art degree in Valencia, Spain.

His works focus on dynamism and the digital revolution, fusing an analogue future with a digital past through his use of gradients, geometric shapes, optical patterns, and jagged grids.

“Graffiti teaches you to be adaptable,” Pantone explains as he reveals his creative process.

“Whether it’s sketching in small black books, painting walls, trains or anything else, the medium shapes your work, but you learn to see it as a starting point.

Later, I started working with galleries, which are often white cubes with no restrictions, allowing you to create freely.

“I’m comfortable with change in general,” he says.

Pantone has always been keen to create a new visual dialogue derived from his infatuation with the digital age.

“I grew up with cassettes and compact discs, and I’ve watched the digital age explode before my eyes.

“I started out painting with aerosols, and now I primarily use digital machines to create my work.

“Naturally, this has come to reflect in my style.

“The digital aspect always finds its way into my work, whether it’s on walls, gallery pieces or even a watch,” he elaborates.

Rubber strap variant.

Speaking of watches, Pantone already owned a couple of Swiss watches before he started working with Zenith four years ago.

“After visiting the country several times and getting to know the manufacture at Le Locle, I’ve come to deeply appreciate watchmaking.

“I find it interesting to learn new things in general. So it’s no surprise that I love visiting factories, understanding processes from the inside.

“And collaborating with Zenith has been like earning a master’s degree in horology! It’s been a joy from the very beginning,” he declares.

Unsurprisingly, it was this unique perspective displayed by Pantone that first drew Zenith to collaborate with him back in 2021, resulting in the release of the brand’s first-ever “art watch” -- the Defy 21.

The following year saw the release of the Defy Extreme.

This follow-up combines Pantone’s own unique view of the modern world with Zenith’s ground-breaking craftsmanship.

The result is a big, bold, highly functional watch that’s remarkably easy to wear despite its large size.

Now, the watch brand has opted to release a third limited edition to further cement this partnership.

Complex yet minimalist, simple yet sophisticated, this third limited edition is the Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone and comes in the familiar 41mm silhouette, yet with several artistic liberties courtesy of Pantone’s artistic process.

In continuity with the designer’s other projects with Zenith, the case is engraved with one character in each corner, denoting ‘FPT1’ – Felipe Pantone Tourbillon #1.

Of course, thanks to Pantone’s involvement, this piece could not be any more different than its earlier peers.

The caseback sporting the colourful work of Pantone.

The tourbillon still remains as per the regular Skyline Tourbillon, but one will see that Pantone has changed the bridge’s structure to that of a lightning bolt, a recurring motif in the artist’s works.

Both the tourbillon’s bridge and cage are finished in the same 3D PVD colourway mastered by Zenith and Pantone in their very first collaboration.

The hands and indexes are also finished in this colourway, which are all distorted down the middle (save for the 3, 6, 9 and 12 hour-markers), evoking a “glitchy digital effect”.

“I’m particularly proud of the tourbillon bridge, which is shaped like a lightning bolt – a recurring element in my paintings. I’m thrilled with that detail...” Pantone replies when asked about the new timepiece’s most outstanding design feature.

“We also relied on two new processes that we developed for the previous two Zenith collaborations -- the signature PVD gradient and the laser-engraved moiré hologram on sapphire.

“We’ve also revisited materials that we had already developed previously, so that we would be certain that they would work well.

“With this new watch, given the complexity of the movement, I wanted the visual result to have interesting details without it becoming a display of materials and techniques like in the previous editions. I wanted it to be sophisticated, matching the calibre,” he states.

Looking at the new watch, what will probably catch the most interest is its 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.

“This time around, I am glad to say that everything was easy and gratifying from the very beginning,” says Pantone happily.

“The reason for this is because each of my previous collaborations with Zenith has been a learning process, exploring materials, complications and a full course of trial and error with them!” he adds.

The Zenith Defy 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.

Even though a high-beat tourbillon movement opens up questions about deviation in accuracy, Zenith isn’t afraid of the challenge as the brand has had decades’ worth of experience crafting reliably accurate high-beat movements.

It’s watches like this that go to show that the watch industry is never short of fresh inspiration.

And as a parting shot, Pantone reminds us about why it is important for brands like Zenith to tap into the art world.

“Watches are not just heard; they are meant to be seen.

“And since visual artists like myself focus on imagery and feeding the eyes, I believe it’s only natural for watchmaking to draw on visual art to shape the images that define their timepieces.”

The Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone edition is limited to 100 pieces worldwide. For details, visit www.zenith-watches.com/en_my