With a last name identical to Pantone, yes, the founders of the Colour Matching System®, you would imagine the amount of confusion, or worse, mistaken identity, Argentinian-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone has experienced. The fact that the artist dabbles in colours — here, we quote his profile: “He [Pantone] explores how the displacement of the light spectrum impacts colour and repetition” compounds the conundrum manifold. For the record, any mention of Pantone from hereon refers to the artist.

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Zenith and Pantone recently unveiled the latest chapter of their collaboration — the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone. It marks the fifth project the two disruptive minds have conceptualised together and produced, the first being a custom colour gradient tarpaulin for Zenith’s Le Locle manufacture façade in 2020. Subsequent collaborations — including the latest release — manifested through Zenith’s DEFY range of watches. The first DEFY 21 Felipe Pantone was followed up by the highly successful and piece unique Zenith x Felipe Pantone DEFY 21 Double Tourbillon Only Watch edition (both in 2021) before 2022’s DEFY Extreme Felipe Pantone paved the way for this year’s 100-piece limited edition release.

Unlike its two other commercial predecessors, this year’s edition swaps out Zenith’s famed high-frequency chronograph in favour of a tourbillon, with its tourbillon bridge fashioned in Pantone’s emblematic lightning bolt shape. Other nods toward the artist’s works include the sapphire dial with concentric circle micro-engravings on the front and a mirrored metallic finish on the rear to evoke the colours of a CD. A similar gradient colour execution happens on the distorted watch hands and hour indices.

While the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone will only arrive in selected Zenith boutiques on 12 September, we had the opportunity to speak to Felipe Pantone about his latest collaboration with Zenith.

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Hola Felipe, congratulations on your latest project with Zenith! This release marks your fifth project with Zenith, the first on the manufacture facade and four others focused on the watches. How would you describe your relationship with Zenith?

Gracias! My relationship with Zenith has been one of mutual respect and shared vision. From the very beginning, there was a natural synergy between us. Zenith’s dedication to craftsmanship and innovation aligns perfectly with my approach to art. Over the years, our collaborations have evolved from large-scale murals to intricate timepieces, each project deepening our creative partnership. It’s been a journey of exploration, pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved when watchmaking meets contemporary art.

Staying on the topic of relationships, have you often been mistakenly affiliated with the Pantone company, given your names and both your relationships with colour?

The similarity in the name is coincidental, though I appreciate the humour in the mix-up. It’s always interesting to see how people make those connections. I used to graffiti and chose the name PANT1 as a kid. Growing up, I learnt about the Pantone company, and recently, I found out that they followed me on Instagram. I guess they’re not mad at me, so I followed back.

Is there a particular colour that best represents your personality?

I would choose to be a gradient rather than a single hue. My personality, much like my work, is constantly shifting and evolving. I’m drawn to the spectrum of colours because it represents movement, transition, and blending different elements into something cohesive yet fluid. If I were to pick one, it would probably be a vibrant blue — a colour that symbolises both tranquillity and intensity, much like the balance I try to maintain in my life and art.

After months of working on the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone, how thrilled are you to see the watch in person?

Seeing the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon in person was exhilarating. After months of conceptualising, designing, and fine-tuning, holding the finished piece in my hands was incredibly satisfying. The transition from idea to tangible object is always fascinating, and this watch, in particular, exceeded my expectations. The way it interacts with light, the precision of the mechanics, and the overall presence of the watch — it all came together in a way that truly captures the essence of the collaboration.

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This is one of those creations for which pictures do not do justice. It has to be seen in person, where light brings the intricacies of the watch to life. Do you agree with this statement?

Absolutely. The DEFY Skyline Tourbillon is a watch that reveals its true beauty when experienced in person. Photographs can capture the design but can’t convey the play of light on the prismatic dial or how the colours shift as you move your wrist. The depth, textures and subtle details — all of these elements come to life when you see the watch in person. It’s a piece that engages with its environment, which you can only fully appreciate when holding it.

The watch design touchpoints like the Planned Iridescence dial, the gradient colours, and the bolt-shaped tourbillon bridge reflect your work and extend your personality. What message do you want to share with people, or what emotion do you want to evoke when they see the watch?

I want people to feel a sense of energy and curiosity when they see the watch. The design elements, like the iridescent dial and the gradient colours, are meant to evoke a feeling of dynamism and change. The bolt-shaped tourbillon bridge is a nod to the idea of speed and power, elements central to both my art and the concept of time itself. Ultimately, I want the watch to inspire a sense of movement — both visually and emotionally — reminding the wearer that time is constantly in flux and that there’s beauty in that perpetual motion.

Roger Gastman is quoted as saying, “Felipe Pantone evokes a spirit in his work that feels like a collision between an analogue past and a digitised future where human beings and machines will inevitably glitch alongside one another in a prism of neon gradients, geometric shapes, optical patterns, and jagged grids.” Have you considered the profound impact that time has on you and your artworks after working with Zenith?

Working with Zenith has certainly deepened my appreciation for the concept of time and its influence on my work. Time is a central theme in watchmaking and art — one measures it, the other captures it. The idea of a collision between the analogue past and a digitised future is something I explore constantly, and watchmaking sits at the intersection of those two worlds. The more I’ve engaged with the mechanics of timepieces, the more I’ve reflected on the role of time in my creative process. It’s made me even more aware of how fleeting moments are and how important it is to capture that energy in my work. Every piece I create is a snapshot of a particular moment in time, but it’s also part of a larger continuum, much like the ticking of a watch.

This story was first seen on MensFolio.com

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