Contemporary art and cutting-edge watchmaking coming seamlessly together. After having worked on the historical Manufacture’s façade with a specifically designed tarpaulin in 2020, ZENITH and Valencia-based optical artist Felipe Pantone have gone on to unveil numerous watch projects: a limited-edition series of the DEFY 21 that was instantly sold out in 2021, a unique rendition of the DEFY 21 Double Tourbillon in a sapphire case that set an all-time record for ZENITH at the OnlyWatch 2021 charity auction, and a highly anticipated sequel series in 2022 with the DEFY Extreme Felipe Pantone. Now, the two are taking their ongoing collaboration where it hasn’t gone before. This time, the artist’s canvas is the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon, marking his first reimagining of a DEFY Skyline model. The result is both highly compact and versatile yet packed with intricate and original details that have come to define the ongoing collaboration between ZENITH and Felipe Pantone.

On the latest chapter of the artist’s creative output with ZENITH, Felipe Pantone shared, “I’m excited to unveil my latest collaboration with Zenith, our most exceptional watch to date. It’s a masterpiece of high horology, combining simplicity and sophistication. This complex yet minimalist timepiece features stunning details, including the tiny gradient indexes and hands, the mirror ‘Planned Iridescence’ dial and a truly unique bolt shaped tourbillon.”

Crafted in a 41mm octagonal stainless-steel case, the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone provides a highly geometric and angular silhouette frame to the miniature, kinetic artwork within. With its alternating satin-brushed and polished finishes as well as an easily interchangeable steel bracelet and provided black rubber strap, particular attention was paid to the ergonomics of this unisex creation as well as its visual impact. Its sharp facets and smoothly polished contours, highlight by the dodecagonal bezel, provide the ultimate play of light. In continuity with the previous ZENITH X Felipe Pantone projects, the case is engraved on each corner with a character to denote “FPT1”, or Felipe Pantone Tourbillon #1.

Upon a first glance, the central element of the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone immediately catches the eye. Completing one rotation every 60 seconds, the tourbillon mechanism visible through the opening at 6 o’clock keeps the watch always animated. Specifically for this special collaborative edition, the tourbillon bridge takes on the shape of a lightning bolt, a recurring element in Felipe Pantone’s extensive body of work across different

media. Finished in a gradient of metallic rainbow tones that was originally pioneered in the duo’s first collaborative output in 2021, the 3D PVD technique on the tourbillon bridge and cage in the form of a four-pointed star further highlights the artist’s distinctive aesthetic.

Different to what previous ZENITH X Felipe Pantone creations have featured, the entire dial is iridescent in the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone. Crafted from a sapphire disk, the dial features a micro-engraved pattern of concentric circles, recalling the moiré visual effect ever so present in Pantone’s artwork. The back of the sapphire dial features a mirrored metallic finish that, combined with the micro-engraving, produces a striking display of colours in a manner that’s reminiscent of a CD. To add even more depth to the dial and bring out a touch of retro nostalgia, the sapphire dial disk packs a vignette effect that darkens towards the outer edges. The combination of sapphire crystal with a mirrored back, a micro-engraving pattern and a vignette effect is a highly complex and unprecedented feat – both technically and visually.

The hands and applied hour markers are no less complex and captivating. In Felipe Pantone’s signature style of visual distortion, the hands as well as the hour markers (except the cardinal “crosshair” markers at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock) are distorted down the middle, like some kind of graphical glitch. Matching the tourbillon at 6 o’clock, the hands and markers are finished in a gradient of rainbow tones.

Powered by the El Primero 3630 high-frequency automatic manufacture movement with a power reserve of 60 hours, the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone incorporates the artist’s chromatic signature touch even on the movement, in the form of a star-shaped oscillating weight with a rainbow PVD finish matching the tourbillon cage and bridge as well as the other metallic elements on the dial side.

Completing the latest chapter in the ZENITH X Felipe Pantone collaboration is a customized watch box, with an iridescent pattern on the interior as well as the outer box designed by the artist in his inimitable style.

The DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone is a limited-edition of 100 pieces that will be available from ZENITH online and physical boutiques, as well as with select retailers, worldwide from September 12 at 14:00 CEST.

The post LIGHTS, COLOURS, MOTION: ZENITH AND CONTEMPORARY ARTIST FELIPE PANTONE UNVEIL A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE DEFY SKYLINE TOURBILLON, MARKING THE PAIR’S THIRD COLLABORATIVE SERIES appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

One could say that the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar has been 55 years in the making. A little-known fact that attests to just how advanced ZENITH’s groundbreaking automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre was at the time of its launch in 1969, the El Primero was initially designed to accommodate the triple calendar and moon phase functions right from the very beginning. A series of 25 prototypes was produced in 1970 as a proof of concept, using the same round case as the A386. But given the success of the core chronograph version, it was decided to wait a few years before releasing the first version of the El Primero triple calendar in a watch, which by the 1970s took on a much more space-age design.

With a host of functions, the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar is possibly the most versatile and functional line within the Chronomaster collection. While the 1/10th of a second chronograph is as prominent and legible as the standard Chronomaster Original, the inclusion of the complete calendar is executed in a manner that makes it intuitive to read without cluttering the dial. The days of the week and months are displayed in symmetrically positioned windows above the chronograph counters, while the date window is positioned in the traditional El Primero position of 04:30. The moonphase display is placed with the chronograph’s 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock.

The Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar’s compact 38mm case in steel isn’t just vintage inspired, but in fact based on the exact blueprint and proportions of the A386 from 1969. With its bezel-less construction and featuring a raised and domed sapphire crystal, the incorporation of a complete calendar with moonphase mechanism to the automatic high-frequency 1/10th of a second chronograph calibre without altering the case’s proportions are a true feat of ingenious design.

The Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar comes in two distinct dial versions: A sportier silvery-white “panda” opaline dial with black counters and 1/10th of a second scale, and an opulent opaline slate-grey dial with silvery-white counters and scale that is directly inspired by the small series of El Primero triple calendar prototypes from 1970. Both versions are highlighted by rose gold-tone applied baton markers and hands, adding a warm contrast that brings out the polished rose gold moon set on a metallic blue sunray-patterned disk with five-pointed stars. A third dial variant, exclusively for the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Boutique Edition available only at ZENITH physical and online boutiques, is done in a sunburst olive-green tone with golden applied markers and hands. In each version, the calendar wheels match the dial colours.

A new variant of the latest generation El Primero automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre, the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar’s El Primero 3610 operates at a rate of 5 Hz (36’000 VpH) to deliver a true 1/10th of a second chronograph function. Even with the addition of the complete calendar, its efficient transmission allows for a power reserve of approximately 60 hours. The sapphire display back provides an unobstructed view of the movement’s contemporary architecture, with a sleek and open design revealing the blue column wheel and open rotor marked with the five-pointed ZENITH star.

The Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar comes with either a three-link steel bracelet with the same alternating brushed and polished finishes as the case, or a calfskin strap in black for the panda dial, blue for the slate-grey dial and green for the Boutique Edition dial.

The Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar with silvery-white and slate-grey dials are available from all ZENITH boutiques and authorized retailers, while the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Boutique Edition is available exclusively from ZENITH physical and online boutiques worldwide.

The post THE EL PRIMERO TRIPLE CALENDAR RETURNS WITH STYLE WITH AN ALL-NEW CALIBRE IN THE CHRONOMASTER ORIGINAL TRIPLE CALENDAR appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.