A signature chromatic spectrum by Felipe Pantone.
There seem to be two opposing approaches competing with each other in today's watchmaking industry: monochrome — with every shade of gray — versus rainbow spectrums — with and without gem setting.
Zenith is going its own way, successfully applying the style of Argentine-Spanish contemporary artist Felipe Pantone. The watch brand's designers began by testing out his transition of tones on the manufacture's façade in Le Locle, and were convinced these compositions look excellent.
Then Pantone's work was transferred from the building which served as a gigantic canvas to a watch. The first step was last year's DEFY 21, followed by this year's novelty: DEFY Extreme Felipe Pantone.
It's worth examining all the details of the composition on the dial. The minute counter gradually transitions in tone with colored segments for each minute. A disk made of sapphire crystal is used as the dial's base, which has been micro-engraved with circular patterns.
It allows the disk to shimmer in the sunlight, reflecting different colors depending on the angle at which the light falls on it. The faceted case characteristic of DEFY Extreme watches has a dodecagonal bezel which stands out from other editions, crafted in polished blue YAS (yttrium aluminosilicate).
Zenith DEFY Extreme Felipe Pantone
This crystalline glass is also used for the chronograph's pusher protectors. The four corners of the case bear the inscription “FP#1”, a coded signature for “Felipe Pantone El Primero”.
The company pairs the case with a strap made of translucent blue silicone that matches the tone of the YAS crystalline glass. It can be swapped for a bracelet made of polished steel or a black Velcro strap.
The plexiglass art-book-shaped box for the watch is also in the iridescent style of Pantone's work. The limited edition is set at 100 pieces. Despite the watch's connection with conceptual contemporary art, it's still an ultra-thin chronograph.
The pieces are equipped with the manufacture El Primero movement, which allows accurate timekeeping of up to 1/100th of a second and uses two independently driven regulating organs (the chronograph's regulating organ runs at a frequency of 50 Hz).
The skeletonized star-shaped rotor was also designed by the artist. This detail has been finished in the same gradient rainbow 3D PVD-coating used on the hands.