Pagani Zonda F Chrono

Horacio Pagani has up and done it again. As if he wasn’t busy enough with building his Zonda supercars, he is opening a new facility half a block away from his headquarters in Modena. The new facility is three times larger with carbon fiber ovens consequently three times the size they are now, it will help speed up the production line immensely along with the space to develop entirely new products. If there was even a smidgen of doubt whether the Pagani Company was healthy or not, the presentation of the expansion program was enough to convince me of Horacio’s resolve. Horacio completely understands that it’s imperative for him to break into the US market to thrive, so you will see more than the 2 official cars in that country too, hence the extensive investments back into the factory for expansion.

Ironically Horacio is inspired by the very industries that he inspires! Along with his love for timepieces, Horacio has been fascinated with boats and audio systems, as usual, both for form and function. On our last trip to Modena, Horacio showed the computer simulations of the new very sophisticated factory since construction has only just begun. He proudly also showed us the first actual fully carbon fiber speaker boxes with their distinctive Zonda design details. So while the audio and hydro systems are still being developed we move back to what this article is all about, the new Pagani Zonda F Chrono.

Calibre readers will remember Volume 1 issue 2 where I had featured the beautiful CVSTOS Chrono watch made for Horacio Pagani. In the same article I discussed the man, the watch and the car, the then new Zonda F. James Deakin who had also shot all the photographs for the shoot in Monte Carlo, reckoned that Horacio should design his own watch, I then seconded the idea and reinforced that CVSTOS should manufacture it. Whether Horacio had already planned it from the start or not, what you see on these pages is the ultra limited watch line of Pagani built by CVSTOS inspired by the performance and key design elements of the award-winning Zonda F. The Pagani Zonda F Chrono retails for at least €40,000.00 for the least expensive version that utilizes titanium instead of gold.

	Horacio Pagani and Sassoun Sirmakes proudly present their timepieces; Horacio is wearing the tonneau chrono Challenge design while Sassoun wears the round chrono Challenge- R. Sassoun is the son of Vartan Sirmakes, Chairman of the Franck Muller Watchland Group and was only 20 years old when he established CVSTOS.
Dialogue before Horacio’s acceptance speech for winning the 2008 C! Awards Supercar of the Year-Pagani Zonda F Clubsport at the Pagani Factory in Modena, Italy.

In his quest for an alter ego in the elite world of Haute Horology, Horacio Pagani, designed a magnificent object where art and technology match in a single word interpreting Pagani’s creations. Horacio painstakingly incorporated as much important details of the Zonda F into the drawings, concepts and materials. With the experience of CVSTOS’ talented designer, Antonio Terranova, CVSTOS was able to capture enough of the details to appease Horacio’s demands. The result is an extraordinary timepiece that is very functional as well as iconic with the expressed plethora of similarities that form a strong reminder of its shared identity with the Pagani Zonda F.

James Deakin exploring the limits of the new Pagani Zonda F Clubsport on the hills of Modena.

The particularly refined watchcase comes in titanium, a metal renowned for its typical aeronautical derivation, or in the noble allure characteristic of 5N red gold. The polished and satin-finished form replicates the slender, elegant lines of the car’s bodywork. Thanks to the creative, three-dimensional mind of Antonio Terranova, the rear end of the Pagani Zonda F can be seen distinctly on the side of the case at 9 o’clock, whilst the crown and push-pieces are reminiscent in design of the gear lever and dashboard controls. The use of advanced, state-ofthe- art assembly methods ensures that this resilient and robust watch remains water-resistant to 100 meters.

Framed by a layering of sapphire crystals supported by two grade 5 titanium columns, the double dial displays the hours using a typography that would be perfectly at home on the instrument panel of these remarkable super cars. The hands proudly sporting the Pagani logo are enveloped in transparency in an amazing feat of superimposition. The ultra-precise mechanical chronograph movement with automatic winding is fitted with a rotor designed and developed by CVSTOS, which combines the extreme density of palladium with the special high elasticity module of grade 5 titanium. With a passion for perfection that is evident in every last detail, Antonio Terranova has reinvented the rotor in a version that replicates Pagani wheel rim and allows connoisseurs to admire the workings through the transparent sapphire crystal back.

The watchband fastener is admirably manufactured in steel and carbon fiber. The height of elegance is achieved in this stunning chronograph, whose leather strap is similar in both quality and stitching to that used by master saddlers to adorn the cockpit of a Pagani supercar. So far, most buyers of the F Chrono already have a Zonda in the garage. Customers can also choose to not only engrave the case with the Zonda F or Roadster F monikers, but also have their own names engraved at the back to complete the brilliant customization. The Pagani Chrono symbolizes the resounding success of the fabulous cars which have inspired it and embodies the personal hand of the master craftsman Horacio Pagani. It’s yet another rare albeit premium opportunity to own a facet of the divine. We are honored to have literally witnessed this success. There is no stopping the man!