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Timeless Collaboration with a Moment

Hublot unveils new edgy timepiece in collaboration with a popular Japanese artist Takashi Murakami
Timeless Collaboration with a Moment
Hublot unveils new edgy timepiece in collaboration with a popular Japanese artist Takashi Murakami
You know how much I love to solve marketing mysteries and learn the secrets of brands. So, today we've got a bunch of new experiences and numbers. Let's get to it! Premium watchmaker Hublot has revealed its second timepiece in a collaboration with iconic Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.

Taking its origin in Switzerland, Hublot is translated from French as a “porthole” and is pronounced [yblo].

The company operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the luxury conglomerate LVMH. At the end of 2021, the premium brand, embodying the art of fusion, launched a new timepiece in collaboration with Takashi Murakami, one of the most popular contemporary artists of our time. Just like a barista fills your morning coffee with some milk, the Japanese artist fills colour onto the clock faces.

What stands behind HUBLOT’s love of art?

I was impressed by how well the timepieces and the paintings worked together.

Apart from being an art object, the item also becomes an integral part of the lives of potential consumers. The brand reaches out directly to them so they don't have to. When it comes to new ideas and thriving combinations of the past and the future, Hublot misses no opportunities; and that what makes it so great. According to CEO of HUBLOT Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot has been showing its love of art for a decade now. The premium watch brand teams up with artists to create unique timepieces reflecting the individual vision of both sides. With innovation, traditional materials and an extraordinary view on design combined in brand’s DNA, Hublot chose “The Art of Fusion” as its slogan.

Its philosophy is also reflected in its collaboration with the world's leading designers and artists. In 2014, the Hublot Loves Art project brought the boldest creative ideas in watchmaking to life using the brand's technical capabilities. The project was pioneered by the American street art artist Thierry Guetta. In 2014, he designed the Big Bang Unico for Hublot, which was presented at Art Basel in Miami Beach.


IDEA

Takashi Murakami is one of the most successful and influential figures in the modern world of art. In his works he straddles the perceived divide between traditional and modern mass culture (anime and manga) of Japan. And not only is he incredibly popular with art lovers but he’s also quite successful among major brands.

This is why Hublot's collaboration with Takashi Murakami was just a matter of time. Being in high favour with Fondation Louis Vuitton, which is a personal project of Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, Murakami has previously worked for Louis Vuitton's commercial lines. He teamed up with art director Marc Jacobs to design the bags and change the patterns of the famous Louis Vuitton monograms.
You've probably have seen those smiling flowers, that remind you of cute Japanese comic book characters. That's the most popular piece in Takashi Murakami's work. In this collaboration, Hublot's watch faces were lit up with joyful famous Murakami flowers. At first Takashi, however, turned down the collaboration offer, as he wanted “to create something special and very original”. And now the happy flower makes sure that its friend is not late for work.

“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.”
Takashi Murakami
“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.”
Takashi Murakami
A total of 487 gemstones, including rubies, pink sapphires, amethysts, blue sapphires, tsavorites, yellow, and orange sapphires, collectively represent all the colours of the rainbow. The central part of the flower includes a ball-bearing system that allows the petals to move under the crystal. The transparent case of the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Sapphire Rainbow is cut from sapphire crystal.

The new design is targeting contemporary art insiders. And those need to keep their eyes peeled as the company stated that the watch is to be available as a limited edition of 100 numbered pieces.

Interesting facts about Takashi Murakami:




  • Japanese artist, sculptor and designer. His goal consists in revealing the link between Japanese tradition and pop culture which might not be that obvious but is definitely there. Murakami's influence on Japan is as great as Andy Warhol's on the USA. Much like Warhol, Murakami believes that one should portray things that are loved, thought and dreamt about by everyone.

  • Not only is Murakami admired by art collectors and art dealers around the world, but his artworks are also highly regarded by rappers and fashion designers, being included in permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, New York and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

  • Murakami's style is called Superflat. It combines the pop art style and the Japanese culture of manga, anime and mass-media comics.

  • He uses collaboration to promote his own brand. His designs can be seen on Supreme and Uniqlo T-shirts, Crocs and Vans footwear, Louis Vuitton bags and Kanye West’s album covers. He works with Kid Cudy, Billy Eilish and Virgil Abloh, Supreme and Billionaire Boys Club.

  • He draws inspiration from the Japanese otaku subculture, a term used to describe people devoting themselves to pop culture. Murakami uses his art to explore contemporary Japanese culture and how it is influenced by the West.

  • He’s a flower lover. Takashi used to work as a schoolteacher and buy fresh flowers for art classes with his pupils. Over nine years, he got so passionate about the variety of flowers and their “personalities” that Murakami's flowers are now his most recognisable motif and are featured in countless works of art and products.

  • He takes care of young artists at Kaikai Kiki Co. since 2001. With offices in Tokyo and New York and branches in Berlin and Taiwan, the company has helped many young artists gain international recognition.
FIRST EXPERIENCE



In the spring of 2021, Takashi Murakami and Hublot introduced the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black. The solution perfectly fitted into the Hublot All Black art concept, first unveiled in 2006. The watch is inspired by a three-dimensional, smiling Murakami flower. The centrepiece and 12 rotating petals are covered with 563 black diamonds.
Issued in a limited edition of 200 pieces, the watch became a collector’s item not only for those interested in watchmaking, but also for the art lovers.

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Hello, my friends!

The launch of this blog was inspired by my professional love for brands, innovative solutions that harmoniously combine brand, audience, content and creativity altogether.

Together we will find out about trends in marketing communications.
As a professional I have already helped hundreds of local and international brands working with content and implementing their communication strategy in different media.

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Julia

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