Over the past few years, Zenith’s limited edition releases made in collaboration with Felipe Pantone have been a highlight among the deluge of collaborative limited editions that have become so popular as of late. The Zenith x Pantone pieces tend to feel like little pieces of art, which is appropriate when the collaborate is a visual artist. These collaborations also seem to be right at home within the Defy line, a collection that has embraced a flair for color and the avant-garde as long as it has been in existence. The latest release from the pair is perhaps their most ambitious yet, and marks the first time Pantone has had a hand in a watch in the current Defy Skyline collection. 

The Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone takes what is almost certainly the brand’s most exotic Defy and gives it a blast of the chromatic and optical touches that Pantone is known for. The tourbillon, of course, is the literal centerpiece of the design, and the bridge has been refashioned here as a lightning bolt, a motif found throughout Pantone’s work. Its colorful gradient and metallic finish is reminiscent of the finishing that made the first Pantone collaboration such a standout. 

While the previous Felipe Pantone collaborations have featured dials that are largely skeletonized, a different approach was taken with the new Defy Skyline Tourbillon. The dial is a large sapphire disc and has been micro-engraved with a pattern of concentric circles. This “moire” effect is another Pantone staple, and we saw just a small glimpse of it in his second collaboration with Zenith, but it’s taken to a more maximalist level here. The sapphire dial also has a vignette effect that makes it appear darker at its outer edges. Similar to previous releases, the hands and hour markers are “distorted” in their middle section, recalling the lightning bolt effect of the tourbillon bridge, and of course gradient color effects are applied throughout. 

The watch runs on the El Primero 3630 automatic movement with a 60 hour power reserve. The winding rotor, in the shape of a star, has a rainbow PVD finish that is meant to complement the tourbillon cage. The stainless steel case measures 41mm in diameter and is 100 meters water resistant, and features the same highly angular design common to other Defy Skyline releases. 

The retail price for the Defy Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone is $62,300. It’s a limited edition of 100 pieces. Zenith