takashi murakami brings whirlwind of glittering color to hublot classic fusion

takashi murakami and hublot

following its all-black debut, takashi murakami drops a second timepiece as part of the hublot classic fusion collaboration. now, the face is illuminated with the artist’s signature rainbow palette. the japanese designer has translated his trademark smiling flower into a spectrum of 384 gemstones — including rubies, amethysts, tsavorites, and pink, blue, yellow, and orange sapphires — all set within a fully transparent 45mm sapphire crystal hublot case.

the bejeweled petals of the smiling flower are mounted on a ball bearing system which allows them to spin independently when the watch is worn on the wrist. beneath the flower is a hublot HUB1214 automatic movement with a power reserve of 72 hours. meanwhile, to coincide with watches & wonders 2022, murakami and hublot present two NFT digital works inspired by the hublot classic fusion takashi murakami watches.

images courtesy of hublot (see more here)

100-piece limited edition

takashi murakami (see more here) comments on the collaborative effort: ‘this partnership with hublot has enabled me to express my creativity in what is a totally new medium for me. the mastery of the watchmaker’s technicians has opened up new fields of possibilities for my inspiration. the result is this new watch in the colours of the rainbow.’

the classic fusion takashi murakami sapphire rainbow is a 100-piece numbered limited edition and is available now through hublot for $106,00 USD.

luxury craft and playful design

with the classic fusion collaboration, takashi murakami continues to hybridize the worlds of art and fashion, luxury and play. with its kawaii imagery and rainbow palette, the timepiece is child-like, almost like a toy. still, the piece shows intricate and meticulous craftsmanship, a signature of hublot. the glittering, rotating 12-petal flower shows as a vibrant icon, set within the otherwise colorless sapphire crystal case and translucent band.

take a look here at takashi murakami’s first iteration of the hublot classic fusion, which shows the iconic smiling flower rendered entirely in black diamonds.

TWO NFTS LAUNCH DURING WATCHES & WONDERS 2022

to coincide with the 2022 watches & wonders international tradeshow, hublot and takashi murakami present two NFT digital works, inspired by the hublot classic fusion takashi murakami watches. the two artworks are inspired by the hublot classic fusion takashi murakami all black and the classic fusion takashi murakami sapphire rainbow – the first two watches launched jointly by the swiss watchmaker and the great japanese artist in 2021.

the two static NFTs feature the smiling flower with its mischievous smile, the iconic theme of murakami’s work and his superflat artistic movement. the first one is based on the all black version and comes in a limited edition of 216, while the second, which recreates the colors of the highly exclusive sapphire rainbow version, is a limited edition of 108.

NFT hublot takashi murakami sapphire rainbowNFT hublot takashi murakami all black