In 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. This new collaboration represents a continuation of past projects, by rewarding the first buyers of the watches and collectors of the first NFTs through an exclusive approach
At an exclusive event that took place at the Glass House in New York on February 2, Hublot and Takashi Murakami announced their fourth joint artistic project: the launch of thirteen new NFTs and thirteen unique timepieces.
The thirteen unique NFTs are inspired by Japanese video games and TV from the 1970s as well as the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black, the first collaboration between the Swiss watchmaker and Takashi Murakami that was launched in January 2021. These NFTs are linked to a limited edition of 13 new and unique Classic Fusion watches that will be exhibited at Watches & Wonders 2023 in Geneva. Twelve of these watches will be available for purchase exclusively online on a platform, 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 and the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Sapphire Rainbow), before they were allowed to be exchanged on the decentralised 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, unveiled in New York, 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 centre 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.
