Hublot’s tribute to NYC
Hublot’s latest timepiece, the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Concrete Jungle, is a tribute to New York City co-designed by visionary street artist Tristan Eaton
Celebrating the partnership, Jean-François Sberro, Managing Director of Hublot of America, hosted a three-part event in downtown Manhattan with the artist to reveal the new watch.
Hublot welcomed journalists and art cognoscenti to Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighbourhood, in the glass-enclosed Penthouse at the Hotel on Rivington. Surrounded by immersive visual projections of Eaton’s works and imagery of the Concrete Jungle timepiece, guests enjoyed themselves in the company of the acclaimed artist.
Following a sit-down dinner at the Café Medi, they made their way through graffiti-covered doors to the “underground” lounge JIA where they enjoyed music, provided by DJ Doug Rand. Sberro was joined on stage by Tristan Eaton for a question-and-answer session to discuss the genesis of the collaboration, the brand’s first concrete timepiece, as well as Eaton’s creative process.
The event also served as occasion to unveil the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Special Edition Concrete Jungle. Hublot wanted to create a piece that was a tribute to New York City and found that “Concrete Jungle” would be a fitting name; both as a nickname for the city, as well as naming an actual material component of the watch.
In following the brand’s mission to “Be First, Be Different, Be Unique,”the latest style will incorporate real elements of concrete in the bezel. The watch’s case back features Eaton’s signature collage technique that creates a colourful motif of the Statue of Liberty, named Liberty (2016).
The subject was first explored in Eaton’s original piece, Liberty, painted in September of 2012 at the corner of Mulberry Street and Canal Street in New York City’s Little Italy neighbourhood. Liberty serves as a perfect example of how Eaton’s works incorporate the “Art of Fusion”, an important aspect to Hublot’s brand identity.
The timepiece has a diameter of 45 MM and a thickness of 13.40 MM, and is water resistant to 50M or 5 ATM. The case back is of microblasted black ceramic and carries the legend “SPECIAL EDITION” image and “N°XX/50” engraved on it, while the case back glass is of sapphire with interior anti-reflective treatment and carries the logo “NYC16”.
The dial of the watch is made of sapphire, with the NYC logo printed at 3’o clock and has microblasted rhodium-plated appliques. The timepiece houses a Caliber Hublot HUB1155 movement and has a power reserve of 42 hours.
The “Concrete Jungle” Classic Fusion Aerofusion timepiece is limited to 50 pieces, and is available for purchase at Hublot New York boutiques on Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue for $19,500.
