Zenith’s Latest Watch Collaboration Is a Colorful Optical Illusion for the Wrist

Zenith took its popular Defy collection to new heights last year when they tapped the Valencia-based visual artist Felipe Pantone to collaborate on a design. The resulting rainbow-hued model marked the brand’s first foray into working with a contemporary artist on one of its watches, and it was a massive success. Shortly after, the pair created a second piece for the 2021 Only Watch charity auction, and it set a new record for a Zenith. Ever since, fans of the artist and brand have been eagerly awaiting the duo’s next collaborative design. On October 27, the wait will be over.

This time, Zenith has chosen the Defy Extreme as Felipe Pantone’s canvas. Drawing inspiration from his “Planned Iridescence” series, Pantone combines bold color and metallic elements with the sharp lines of the Defy Extreme to generate optical illusions and give the watch sculptural depth.

More from Robb Report

• Ulysse Nardin's New Limited-Edition Watch Comes With a Mountain-Tested Winter Jacket

• In Honor of the Tambour's 20th Anniversary, Louis Vuitton Unveils a Pop-Up Retrospective

• Soccer Star Mo Salah Just Added a Baby Blue Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to His Watch Collection

“For the first time, I intervened a piece of sapphire creating a radial hologram that appears only under the right light in an astounding way,” Pantone shared. “The watch is full of incredible details, possible after a long year collaborating back-to-back with the team at Le Locle.”

The new Defy Extreme Felipe Pantone features a case design crafted entirely in mirror-polished stainless steel, highlighting the faceted lines of the Defy Extreme’s architecture. In contrast, the dodecagonal bezel and chronograph’s pusher protectors are crafted in translucent blue YAS (yttrium aluminosilicate), a crystalline glass material similar to synthetic sapphire.

The dial highlights Pantone’s signature style with a mix of gradient colors, patterns, transparency and the interplay of light, resulting in a chromatic appearance unlike anything else that has ever been made in watchmaking. This iridescent effect is created using a transparent sapphire disk as the dial’s base and an innovative physio-chemical process.

The watch is complete with a matching translucent blue silicone strap as well as the option of a fully polished steel bracelet and black Velcro strap. Inside, you’ll find Zenith’s El Primero 1/100th of a second automatic high-frequency chronograph movement whose open star-shaped oscillating weight is finished in the same gradient rainbow 3D PVD as the hands.

The Defy Extreme Felipe Pantone will be produced in a limited run of just 100 pieces and will be available at Zenith boutiques and on Zenith’s website beginning October 27 at 8 am EST.

Best of Robb Report

• The 10 Most Expensive Watches Sold at Auction in the 21st Century (So Far)

• 11 Stunning Jewelry Moments From the 2020 Oscars

• The New Suit: A Buyer’s Guide

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.