Argentine-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone, a global contemporary art sensation, has achieved his dream of becoming a master in the world of contemporary art. Instantly recognizable, inviting multiple interpretations, and engaging, Pantone's work is deeply sought after by art lovers, even those with a penchant for radical design. Zenith and Pantone's collaboration began in 2020, when the Manufacture's façade was transformed into a canvas for contemporary art. Now, Pantone has reimagined Zenith's most cutting-edge chronograph, creating a wearable, kinetic work of art that showcases Zenith's exceptional watchmaking prowess.
The result of an unexpected yet consistent collaboration, the DEFY 21 Felipe Pantone is a highly colorful creation, dedicated to the pleasure of both visual and mechanical frequencies. The 1/100th of a second chronograph, the El Primero 21, boasts unparalleled precision and beats at an extremely high frequency of 360,000 vibrations per hour. The DEFY 21 is also the natural canvas for Felipe Pantone to express his "Visible Spectrum Concept," in which the frequencies of visible light and their refracted colors are intertwined within the highest-frequency chronograph in production. Limited to 100 pieces, the DEFY 21 Felipe Pantone marks a new collaboration between Zenith and watchmaking in general.
Speaking of his first watch collaboration, Felipe Pantone said, "I am thrilled and honoured to be able to add my own personality to a watch for the first time, especially with a manufacture that impresses me with its innovation and daring. My concept from the beginning was to transform this piece of master watchmaking art into a wearable kinetic work of art, combining time and light in a single object. I am thrilled with the result."
Just as Felipe Panton constantly explores new techniques and tools to create his bold artworks, Zenith has pushed the boundaries of innovation by developing new techniques previously unknown in the world of watchmaking for the DEFY 21 Felipe Panton. One of its most striking features is the multicolored bridges, a hallmark of Panton's work. Using the principle of interference colors, the coated bridges reflect a metallic rainbow gradient. Achieving this rainbow effect took months of trial and error with experts to find the right solution. The DEFY 21 Felipe Panton is the first watch to use the innovative three-dimensional PVD technique of silicon particles for the surface treatment of its movement, creating a perfect range of color variations. While the process is standardized, each piece will have a slightly different color, making it a virtually unique work of art.
Similarly, the central hour and minute hands are special, with a deliberately distorted shape reminiscent of the rainbow-gradient lightning bolts in Panton's work, and receive the same cutting-edge treatment as the movement bridges. The hands' innovative shape and scales, as well as the precise application of the PVD gradient to create a flawless color transition across different parts of the hand, proved more challenging than expected. But Zenith's engineers refused to compromise on even the smallest detail. In the process of developing this collaborative model, Zenith thought outside the box and achieved several world firsts in watchmaking.
The moiré effect created by thin, alternating black and white bands is a recurring theme in Panton's paintings and sculptures. For the DEFY 21 Felipe Panton, it has been reproduced in a smaller scale, using advanced laser engraving and lacquering techniques on the upper bridges and parts of the dial, with contrasting stripes creating the optical illusion of a fluid movement. The open dial is also dynamic, with markers and counters featuring a mix of gradient and block colors.
Even the inorganic outer case of the DEFY 21 Felipe Pantone has been reworked by Pantone for a dynamic touch. The black ceramic DEFY 21 features a grid pattern on the bezel and "FP#1," standing for "Felipe Pantone El Primero," engraved on each corner of the case. Pantone chose a black textured rubber strap with a distorted grid motif to highlight the colorful dial and various movement details.
For those who prefer a bolder design that matches the striking tones of the dial and movement, an alternative strap is available with a central insert that ranges from dark gray to flashes of the entire color spectrum, depending on the angle of the light. The colors are not actually woven into the strap; rather, the iridescence is created by the surface of the material and the reflection of light.
To match this work of art, the DEFY 21 Felipe Panton comes in a box designed to resemble a hardcover book. The cover features a miniature painting by Felipe Panton with a signed certificate of authenticity, created especially for this limited edition.
With the DEFY 21 Felipe Pantone, limited to 100 pieces, Zenith has skillfully combined the worlds of contemporary art and watchmaking to create both a highly precise instrument and a wearable piece of kinetic art. The DEFY 21 Felipe Pantone will be available in Zenith boutiques worldwide and online.
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DEFY 21 Felipe Panton
Reference: 49.9008.9004/49.R782
Features: 1/100th of a second chronograph movement. Highly dynamic, with a central hand completing one revolution per second. Time escapement x 1 (36,000 vph - 5 Hz), chronograph escapement x 1 (360,000 vph - 50 Hz). Chronometer certified. Limited to 100 pieces. Movement: El Primero 9004 automatic movement. Frequency: 36,000 vph (5 Hz). Power reserve: Over 50 hours. Functions: 1/100th of a second chronograph. Chronograph power reserve indicator at 12 o'clock. Central hour and minute hands. Small seconds at 9 o'clock, central chronograph hand, 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock, 60-minute counter at 6 o'clock
Finishing: "Rainbow" PVD-coated bridges. Black laser-engraved mainplate on the movement. Special satin-finished black rotor.
Price including tax: JPY 2,200,000
Material: Black ceramic
Water resistance: 10 bar
Dial: Skeletonized
Hour markers: Rhodium-plated, faceted, "rainbow" varnish coating
Hands: Rhodium-plated, faceted, "rainbow" PVD coating
Bracelet & buckle: Black rubber. Black DLC-coated titanium double-folding buckle. The strap features a central insert that changes from dark grey to flashes of the entire spectrum, depending on the angle of the iridescent light created by the material's surface and reflection.
Zenith: Reaching for Your Stars, the Highest
Zenith's purpose is to inspire people and motivate them to achieve their dreams, against all odds. Since its founding in 1865, Zenith became the first watch manufacture in the modern sense, and its creations have been admired by great minds who have challenged themselves to make the impossible possible, from Louis Blériot and his historic crossing of the English Channel to Felix Baumgartner and his record-breaking freefall from the stratosphere.
Zenith, a brand known for innovation, equips its watches with exceptional in-house developed movements, including the Defy Inventor, featuring a single-piece silicon oscillator manufactured using advanced technological processes, and the Defy El Primero 21, a chronograph accurate to 1/100th of a second. Since its founding in 1865, Zenith has continually pursued precision and innovation, pioneering pilot's watches that ushered in the age of aviation and the first mass-produced automatic chronograph caliber, the "El Primero." Always one step ahead, Zenith has built its unique legacy on new standards of performance and evocative design. Since 1865, Zenith has shaped the future of Swiss watchmaking, accompanying those who dream of the stars and challenge the limits of time itself. Now is the time to reach your highest star.
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