Sandra‘s Closet

 The latest creation from HUBLOT and celebrated Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami is finally here – and it may well be the duo’s most eye-catching and exceptional creation to date. Introducing the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow, reimagining the artist’s iconic smiling flower as a sapphire sculpture set with colorful gemstones and fitted with HUBLOT’s first central tourbillon movement.

Takashi Murakami in front of the Hublot Ginza Boutique with Julien Tornare, Hublot CEO

Transcending the preconceived notions of contemporary art, Takashi Murakami created his own art movement dubbed «Superflat», extending from fine arts such as painting, sculptures and installations to more commercial media such as fashion and animation. Blurring the line between high and low arts, Murakami melds the aesthetic of the Japanese artistic tradition with contemporary art and culture. Of all his works, the most iconic is the smiling flower, which HUBLOT has sought to bring into a watchmaking context through several collaborative pieces. 

The MP-15 is the symbol of a friendship in full bloom, born from a shared passion for breaking down boundaries and going beyond expectations. HUBLOT first began working with Murakami in 2021, with a shared drive of breaking down boundaries and going beyond expectations with their respective artforms. After his eponymous Classic Fusion models and a series of NFT artworks paired with unique pieces, HUBLOT and Takashi Murakami took their partnership to the next level with the unveiling of the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon for the Only Watch 2023 charity auction. Reimagining one of Murakami’s most emblematic motifs, the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon took on the «smiling flower» and transfigured it from Murakami’s signature aesthetic into a wearable sculpture that seamlessly merges contemporary art, avant-garde watchmaking and exceptional gem-setting; the latter of which HUBLOT has pioneered with unexpected techniques and a mastering of the perfect rainbow effect. This requires carefully selecting gemstones that work together in a perfect transition of tones. 

Meticulously crafted from a block of Sapphire crystal, the modestly sized 42mm smiling flower case features twelve petals. True to Murakami’s highly chromatic palette, the twelve petals feature polished Titanium inlays that are set with 444 colored gemstones in total, including brilliant-cut Rubies, Pink Sapphires, Amethysts, Blue Sapphires, Blue Topazes, Tsavorites and Yellow or Orange Sapphires. These stones are grouped together so that each petal is in a different vibrant color, just like the original Murakami smiling flower. 

More than just an incredible feat of gem-setting however, the MP-15 features a truly revolutionary mechanical caliber. At the heart of the HUB9015 calibre is the central flying tourbillon, which can be admired through the domed sapphire crystal engraved with two twinkling eyes and a smiling mouth. A first for HUBLOT, the central tourbillon is an exceedingly rare type of complication that demands advanced engineering and reimagining how a mechanical movement is built. In the MP-15, it is animated by means of a manual-winding caliber that boasts an exceptional power reserve of 120 hours – enough to run for nearly a whole week. To make the winding experience as effortless as possible, HUBLOT has created a special rechargeable stylus that’s placed on the crown, which winds the twin barrels in 100 revolutions. 

With this work of sculptural, wearable art, the notion of innovative and original watchmaking nonetheless takes center-stage. Surrounding the MP-15’s central flying tourbillon and keeping its view unobstructed, the hours and minutes are indicated by two hand tips that revolve around its periphery. The hands are actually positioned beneath the tourbillon cage, with just their tips bent upwards and outwards thanks to an intricate co-axial construction. Making the reading of time effortless and intuitive, the opening features a flange ring set with twelve baton hour markers, each continuing the color of the petal. The visual intrigue of the MP-15 is further enhanced by the fact that most of the movement’s components have been skeletonized, which appear as if floating in a vacuum. A true feat of superlative watchmaking. 

The finishing touch comes in the form of the strap, which is transparent and decorated with Takashi Murakami’s signature flower motif. Like the case, the deployant buckle is crafted in Sapphire crystal and Titanium. 

An artistic endeavor that’s bound to garner the appreciation of contemporary art lovers for its audacity and discerning watch aficionados for its complexity, the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow is a limited edition of 20 pieces, available to HUBLOT boutiques and authorized retailers around the world upon request. 

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hublot #Hublot
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As a result of their new collaboration, Hublot and Takashi Murakami present thirteen new NFTs and thirteen unique timepieces featuring the iconic smiling flower that is central to the Japanese artist’s work. It is a continuation of past projects, by rewarding the first buyers of the watches and collectors of the first NFTs through an exclusive approach.

«When my collaboration with Hublot was announced, we made it known that we would be adopting new forms of artistic expression. After creating all the timepieces together, as well as the digital works of art, we are now imagining new ways of accessing contemporary art.»
TAKASHI MURAKAMI

The thirteen unique NFTs are inspired by Japanese video games & TV from the 1970s as well as the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black, the first collaboration between the Swiss watchmaker and Takashi Murakami launched in January 2021. These NFTs are linked to a limited edition of 13 new and unique Classic Fusion watches that will be at Watches & Wonders 2023 in Geneva. Twelve of these watches will be available for purchase exclusively online on hublot.com, which can only be accessed by owners of at least one of the 324 NFTs issued in April 2022 as part of the third collaboration between Hublot and Takashi Murakami.

These 324 NFTs were originally offered to owners of one of the two Hublot x Takashi Murakami watch models (Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black & Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Sapphire Rainbow), before they were allowed to be exchanged on the decentralized NFT trading platform, OpenSea. The period between the announcement of the project in New York in February 2023 and the start of sales in early April 2023 in Geneva will allow any collector interested in one of the new watches to collect one of the NFTs available on OpenSea. Each buyer lucky enough to purchase one of the 12 new unique watches will receive a corresponding exclusive NFT.

Hublot and Takashi Murakami take the watch as a work of art to a new level, by bridging the art of fine watchmaking with digital art. The 13th watch of the collection is the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Black Ceramic Rainbow and it is also the masterpiece. Taking inspiration from the two previously launched pieces, this watch reinterprets the iconic emblem of Takashi Murakami: the smiling flower. Here, the 12 petals of the flower form a perfect gradient of rubies, sapphires, amethysts, tsavorites and topaz. Thanks to an ingenious ball-bearing system developed by Hublot’s engineers, the petals create a dizzying spectacle of colour as they spin on an axis with each movement. The kinetic effect of the petals creates a striking effect against the 45mm black ceramic case. The center of the smiling flower is placed on top of the sapphire glass to create a three-dimensional effect.

The twelve other references, which will be available for purchase by holders of the NFTs on the dedicated ecommerce platform, recall the master flower and represent one of the petals. Twelve references for twelve hours on the dial, and twelve NFTs.

The heart of the watch beats with the manufacture Unico calibre set in the emblematic Classic Fusion design, a unique movement that offers a 72-hour power reserve. As the third watch collaboration between Hublot and the Japanese artist, this launch is proof of the incredible collectability of this partnership.

As the second step, collectors will then have a period of one year during which they will have the opportunity to trade the twelve NFTs on the OpenSea platform. In April 2024, at the end of this period, only the collector who has managed to collect all 12 of the new unique NFTs will be eligible to purchase the thirteenth and most sought-after watch: the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Black Ceramic Rainbow. In the event that no single person has managed to gather all twelve NFTs, the watch will be auctioned by Hublot to raise funds for charity.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hublot #Hublot
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise! 

When a watch becomes a work of art: The Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black blurs the lines! For its first collaboration with a Japanese contemporary artist, Hublot has pushed at the boundaries of creation by developing a new dynamic on the theme of Murakami’s artistic emblem, the smiling flower.

Hublot loves Art! Before we know how to talk, we sing. Before we know how to write, we draw. We can barely stand up and we dance. Art is at the very foundation of human beings, a truth that has been embraced by the Hublot manufacture through its «The Art of Fusion» motto. The watchmaking manufacture regularly draws on great creative spirits. Their team of ambassadors is now joined for the first time by one of the most internationally renowned living artists and my personal favorite: Takashi Murakami. His visually very modern style offers a subtle reflection between Japanese tradition and pop culture. He masterfully achieves this result by combining leading-edge multimedia tools with traditional Japanese techniques such as gold leaf. A real rock star in the contemporary art world, he coined the name Superflat for the artistic movement he began.

Takashi Murakami visits the manufacture

An initial visit to the Hublot manufacture in February 2020 enabled Takashi Murakami to familiarise himself with the work of a watchmaker and timepiece design. This triggered a creative process that resulted in the very innovative Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami, inspired by Murakami’s icon, the smiling flower. Here, it is present both in and on the watch. Thanks to an ingenious ball-bearing system developed by Hublot’s engineers, its petals start turning. The center of the smiling flower is inserted onto the sapphire glass, creating a unique three-dimensional effect to go along with its wide prominent smile.

The Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black takes up one of the most evocative Hublot signatures, the All Black! Invented by Hublot in 2006, it turns out that the «All Black» style is also one of Murakami’s artistic signatures. For an even more pronounced effect, the petals (456 brilliants) and face (107 brilliants) are here set with black diamonds.

The watchmakers in Nyon have installed their manufacture Unico calibre in the case with its Classic Fusion emblematic design, a movement offering a 72-hour power reserve. As the first collaboration between Hublot and a Japanese artist, the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black will quickly become a real collector’s item since it is limited to only 200 models.

LoL, Sandra

Takashi Murakami wearing the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black

Photos: © Hublot
#Hublot #ClassicFusionTakashiMurakami