Felipe Pantone, who minimize his enamel spray-painting partitions as a pre-teen graffiti artist has change into a worldwide sensation for his daring, kinetic creations. His signature model, characterised by vibrant color gradients, geometric shapes, and optical illusions that appear to vibrate and transfer with the viewer’s perspective has now discovered its approach onto a brand new canvas: the ZENITH DEFY Skyline Tourbillon.
Restricted to a mere 100 items, the DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone retains just about all the things you really liked from the unique mannequin, however with just a few twists. It encompasses a 41mm octagonal stainless-steel case and showcases a tourbillon mechanism with a lightning bolt bridge—a recurring motif in Pantone’s artwork—executed in a shocking gradient of metallic rainbow tones. The watch dial, crafted from sapphire, shows a micro-engraved sample that creates a moiré visible impact, including to its hallucinogenic nature. Then once more, time itself is a dizzying idea, so this piece makes a becoming tribute.
On this interview with Pantone, we delve into the thoughts of one among up to date artwork’s most daring innovators and uncover how he transforms a timepiece right into a kinetic masterpiece.
What have been the most important challenges and rewards of this collaborative course of?
Felipe Pantone (FP): One of many greatest challenges was discovering the right steadiness between honouring the technical mastery of Zenith and infusing it with my creative imaginative and prescient. Watchmaking is a area steeped in custom, and pushing boundaries inside that framework required a variety of cautious consideration. Nonetheless, the reward was immense—seeing an idea that originated in my thoughts take form in such a finely crafted, practical object. It’s not simply artwork you possibly can see, however artwork you possibly can put on and expertise in a really private approach.
What do you hope the watch will evoke in individuals who put on it?
FP: I hope it serves as a reminder of the dynamic, ever-changing world we dwell in. The watch is greater than only a timepiece; it’s a logo of vitality, transformation, and the mixing of previous and future. I would like individuals to really feel a way of motion, not simply within the mechanics of the watch, however in their very own lives as they navigate by means of time.
How did you steadiness private expression with the business expectations of the watch business?
FP: Balancing private expression with business expectations is at all times a tightrope stroll. However I see it as a problem that may result in innovation. For this challenge, I centered on how my model might complement the craftsmanship of Zenith, slightly than overshadow it. The important thing was to remain true to my aesthetic whereas additionally respecting the heritage and precision that Zenith is understood for. It’s about making a dialogue between artwork and business, the place each can thrive.
Are you able to describe a eureka second you had in the course of the design course of?
FP: The eureka second for me was after I realised methods to combine the lightning bolt motif into the tourbillon bridge. It’s a recurring component in my work that symbolizes vitality and pace, and it match completely into the watch’s design language. This wasn’t only a visible enhancement—it was a conceptual bridge between my artwork and the intricate mechanics of watchmaking. That second was like seeing two worlds come collectively seamlessly.
Are there some other mediums you’d prefer to discover sooner or later?
FP: Completely, I’m at all times trying to push the boundaries of the place my artwork can go. Structure and inside design are already in my sights with Casa Axis, however I’m additionally fascinated by digital and augmented actuality. These are mediums that permit for a completely new sort of interplay with artwork—one that may be immersive and multi-sensory. It’s the subsequent frontier for mixing the digital with the bodily in a approach that challenges perceptions.
How do you overcome artistic blocks?
FP: I discover that stepping away from the work and immersing myself in different types of creativity usually helps. Whether or not it’s listening to music, touring, and even simply spending time in nature, these experiences are inclined to unlock one thing in my thoughts. Generally the answer isn’t to push by means of the block however to vary your perspective till the trail ahead turns into clear once more.
What e-book, movie, or piece of music has had a profound impression on you lately?
FP: Roxy Music’s “In Each Dream House a Heartache” has been on my thoughts lots currently. The music begins off as a mirrored image on materialism and the hole pursuit of perfection, however then it takes an sudden, virtually eerie twist. That shift from one thing seemingly mundane to one thing profoundly unsettling is fascinating to me. It’s a reminder that what we see on the floor is commonly only a façade, and that the deeper layers are the place the true story lies. That sort of sudden transformation is one thing I try to seize in my very own work.
The DEFY Skyline Tourbillon Felipe Pantone is restricted to 100 items that will likely be accessible from ZENITH on-line and bodily boutiques, in addition to with choose retailers, worldwide from 12 September at 14:00 CEST
This text was first seen on Esquire Singapore.
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