Hublot presents 13 watches with 13 corresponding NFTs centered around the Japanese artist’s signature rainbow smiling flower, bridging the art of fine watchmaking with digital art.
True to Hublot’s philosophy ‘Be First, Unique and Different’, the brand is breaking new ground in its latest collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. In their fourth joint artistic project, collectors can expect 13 unique Classic Fusion timepieces and their corresponding NFTs inspired by 70s’ Japanese video games and TV, and their first collaborative creation from 2021 – the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black.
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
To reward collectors who have supported the collaborations so far, only those who own at least one of the 324 NFTs issued in April 2022 from their third collaboration have access to the exclusive online sale of 12 of the 13 limited edition Classic Fusion watches. 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. Collectors who had missed out previously and are keen to get one of the latest creations, still have a chance to get in on the game by landing the NFTs available on OpenSea between the announcement of the project this month and the start of sales in early April 2023 in Geneva.
Our partnership with Takashi Murakami is allowing us to construct a history that interlinks all the works we have released with Takashi, both digital pieces and the watches themselves. Faithful to its history, Hublot is once again first, unique and different in how it rewards its collectors, providing them with privileged access to both ownership of and trade in unique artistic pieces. Hublot Loves Art!
Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot CEO
The 12 watches available for purchase by NFT holders 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. Owners of the 12 new unique watches will also receive a corresponding exclusive NFT.
Collectors will then have the chance to trade the twelve NFTs on the OpenSea platform in the next year. By the end of this year-long period, in April 2024, only the collector who manages to collect all 12 new unique NFTs can purchase the thirteenth and most sought-after watch: the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Black Ceramic Rainbow. The watch will be auctioned by Hublot to raise funds for charity if no one manages to complete the NFT collection.
The final watch of the collection is a collectible masterpiece inspired by two previously launched pieces. The dazzling creation reimagines the iconic emblem of Takashi Murakami – the smiling flower with its 12 petals formed by a perfect gradient of rubies, sapphires, amethysts, tsavorites and topaz. Every move sparks a display of rainbow-coloured brilliance against the 45mm black ceramic case as the petals spin on an axis of an ingenious ball-bearing system developed by Hublot’s engineers. The centre of the smiling flower is placed on top of the sapphire glass to create a three-dimensional effect, while the heart of the watch beats with the manufacture Unico calibre that offers a 72-hour power reserve.
Look out for the limited-edition collection this April at Watches and Wonders 2023 in Geneva.
Images courtesy of Hublot, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
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Hublot x Takashi Murakami In Full Colour
