‘I have been obsessed for quite some time with this dynamic between performance and tactility, discretion and material contrast, which is happening within the luxury watch sector surrounding automatic and chronographic movements,’ says Samuel Ross when we meet in London. ‘So when it came down to developing our first chronograph with Hublot, I had to lean into that personal desire.’

Ross, whose relationship with Hublot began when he won the Hublot Design Prize in 2019, has found his fascination with materials and architectural leanings a natural match for a watch brand defined by unexpected design pairings.

These industrial design codes run throughout the watches Ross has created in collaboration with Hublot, and the new Big Bang Unico SR_A is no exception. As the first signature SR_A model created with Hublot’s Unico chronograph movement, it offered new challenges for Ross, who looked to a simple, clean aesthetic to showcase this new technicality.

‘I wanted a deep contrast, so as not to cannibalise the structure we've established with the tourbillons we have worked on together, which lean into this explosive use of materiality [with] carbon fibre in acidic greens and oranges. When it comes to the chronograph, it has a completely different case.’

It is a purity expressed in a monochrome ceramic exterior and a new rubber strap in Ross’ signature honeycomb, making for a contemporary and cool watch that is, above all, very wearable. Adds Ross: ‘Initially, the perforated honeycombs idea began as we wanted to reduce the weight of the face, and then also to expose all of the open work, because it's just an absolute joy visually to see all of the mechanisms at play. That factored into the band development, because it was able – to a certain degree – to reduce the amount of sweat traps that you have.’

Limited to 200 pieces, the watch’s release marks a deliberate widening out of a collection that is more open and accessible than its predecessors. For Ross, how the watch feels to wear is the key driving force behind this. ‘Most of the aesthetics have been driven by functionality first. We've spent a little bit of time refining them, but it's always going to be practicality which leads.’

hublot.com

Intent on designing a timepiece for Hublot that was rule-breaking and aesthetically contrapuntal, over a two and half year gestation period, Arsham took a willfully, elegantly irregular approach, deploying counter culture material choices and a Gaudi-goes-scifi architecture.

The Arsham Splash is, as the designer likes to say, 'a time collapser'. 'You’re not quite sure if it’s an object from the past or the future. Perhaps the most striking thing about the Splash is the matte sapphire,' Arsham says. 'Crystal samples come as flat tiles with different clear and colour possibilities but I noticed that the reverse of the sample was matte and unpolished. That’s what we used.'

Experimenting with the miniaturising constraints of watchmaking, Arsham developed the Splash around Hublot’s new and compact Meca-10 in-house movement. 'I sat with a drawing of the movement, laying over tracing paper, experimenting with scale and shapes, trying to make something new, unusual and atypical.'

The final version pushed the envelope of the form within conventional sizing and boundaries. The Splash's distinctive asymmetrical 42mm titanium case houses the movement, its polished machinery visible through both the dial and the sapphire caseback.

Hublot MP-17 MECA-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire is limited to 99 pieces and costs around £57,000

hublot.com

This article is taken from the December 2025 Entertaining Issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 6 November. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

What is a statement watch? From big brand power to small-sized independent watchmaking, making a statement is increasingly in the mind of the wearer - whether that's going bold with size, or demonstrating a savvy technical nous or apprciation of avant-garde style. We’ve drawn together a few recent releases that put understatement to one side and embrace the potential of a watch to catch the eye and start conversation.

Throughout all sports today, watches are on the return, as some players eschew the buzz of connectivity for a light sports watch. Brands like Richard Mille are on point for offering the lightest, tech-iest wrist machines out there, while some top athletes embrace the function-forward aspect of Connected wristwear. Improving your swing might have nothing to do with your wristwear, but its functionality still makes it a vital accessory on the green, no matter the skills of your caddy.

2025 is the year of creamy Mocha Mousse, according to Pantone. This warm, indulgent shade of mocha has a sweet-tasting vibe, blending tones of chocolate, mauve, nude, and subtle hints of rose gold. For wristwear, this coincides with independent and bigger brands alike enriching their portfolio with watches that combine modernity and retro into coffee tones, adding depth to an understated elegance.

Trilobe Nuit Fantastique

French minimalist chic doesn’t get better than the evocatively named Nuit Fantastique by Trilobe, with its rich, pared-back style. In a choice of two case sizes, the 9.2mm slim Trilobe comes on a brown leather strap, with a warm-grained golden dial. The Nuit Fantastique features a flush-fitting rotating outer ring for the hours, while the minutes and seconds are displayed by an offset, patented figure-of-eight two-part display that remains remarkably legible.

Nuit Fantastique, Dune Rose Gold, €22,800, from trilobe.com

Hublot Big Bang Beige Ceramic

In brawny contrast to the minimalist Trilobe, the recently released curved Spirit of Big Bang has an almost dusty pink tinge to its ceramic case. It’s a delicate contrast to Hublot’s tool-watch aesthetic, and the soft-toned case has a big presence. Through the magic of soft-touch lightweight ceramic and an ergonomic, curved case, the self-winding chronograph is a comfortable beast with a soft heart.

Spirit of Big Bang Beige Ceramic, £23,500, from hublot.com

Parmigiani Fleurier Serenissima Due

Parmigiani's Tonda PF is a minimal take on classic sports watch design we didn’t know we needed. In collaboration with Singapore-based watch media giant Revolution, the latte-beige guilloche dial of the 40mm Serenissima Due limited edition works in more ways than one. It has a remarkably slim 7-8mm case, and it distils recognisable cues into what can only be described as essential elegance, modernising a well-known genre with a dollop of mocha.

Parmigiani Fleurier x Revolution Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Serenissima Due, €25,850, from revolutionwatch.com

Circula Facet Brown

The new Facet by German brand Circula is fiercely modern, presented in a mid-sized 38mm diameter case with a distinct multitude of brushed and polished angles. It sits softly on the wrist, despite its drama, with the dial offering a warm contrast. Juxtaposed against a cool faceted exterior is the dial in a rich chocolate tone featuring a concentric brick pattern. A focus on details includes a proprietary typeface for the numerals, while the slim 10mm case houses an automatic movement from La Joux-Perret.

Facet Brown - Steel Strap with Butterfly Clasp, €1,990, from circulawatches.com

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Mojave Desert

IWC has long been at the forefront of ceramic technology for watch cases, and the Top Gun Mojave range was a world first with the sand-beige-hued ceramic. The 41mm Chronograph plays an understated game, featuring a matte chocolate dial and tonal latte-looking beige. Can we get a refill please?

Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Mojave Desert, CHF10,500 (£9,266), from iwc.com

Brew Retrograph Espresso

Not many watch brands were created through a love of coffee, but New York-based Brew is the espresso-inspired exception. The design mission for the Retrograph Chronograph was to create a utilitarian, retro-tinged watch that could be used for measuring increments over periods of time, more specifically an espresso shot in the range of 25-35 seconds. Featuring full chronograph functionality courtesy of a meca-quartz movement, the rounded shape of the PVD-rose gold plate works oh-so well with the sunray brushed mocha dial.

Brew Retrograph - Espresso, £305, from brew-watches.com

Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5968R

Patek Philippe remains one of the strongest players when it comes to creating collectable collections, and the timeless design of the Aquanaut is a classic. It remains a superb everyday watch, on a soft brown rubber strap, and the combination of chocolate brown and rose gold is pretty hard to beat.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5968R, patek.com, also available at watchesofswitzerland.com, £67,010

Tudor Royal

The Black Bay series is a big success for Tudor, and for all the right reasons. But dive deeper into the company's catalogue and you’ll find the timeless Royal giving a warm 1980s vibe. With a two-tone case in four sizes, it boasts a personal take on the integrated bracelet design we all want and an everyday tough 100m depth rating. But at the end of the day the Royal lives up to its name, offering a strong red-carpet factor that includes a warm cocoa dial with gold details and a rather slim 10mm case.

Tudor Royal, £3,490, from tudorwatch.com

Bremont Terra Nova

After a big re-jig last year, Bremont launched a new range, including the Terra Nova. The 40.5mm Terra Nova features a strong retro-infused tonneau case and a hand-stitched leather strap. The new Bremont logo features on a bold, pilot-inspired dial, and the limited edition ‘Caramel’ version comes in a fetching shade of coffee with cream markings.

Bremont Terra Nova 40.5 Date Caramel, £3,200, from bremont.com

Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Golden Brown

With over 30 years at Patek Philippe and a racing career under his belt, Laurent Ferrier has carved out an award-winning name for his eponymous, small Genevan brand since its inception in 2010. Today the father-and son atelier offers a distinct take on traditional watchmaking, culminating in the deep brown dial of the Grand Sport Tourbillon. A bold 44mm case in brushed rose gold encapsulates the brand’s understated ethos while redefining the hotly contested genre of the sports watch.

Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Golden Brown, CHF225,000 (£198,500), from laurentferrier.com

Hublot has announced details of eight new watches launching at LVMH Watch Week 2025, from a serpentine chronograph to a vibrant green sapphire-cased tourbillon.

True to form, the brand’s first launches of the new year come big, bold and plentiful in number. Between them they manage to touch on everything we know and expect from Hublot: mechanical intricacy, impactful colour and decoration, and otherworldly materials.

Starting with the most timely – as the Lunar New Year, often also referred to as the Chinese New Year, will be celebrated on 29 January 2025 – we have the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Year Of The Snake edition. Hublot has marked the last four lunar new years with limited-edition watches, each themed around the animal associated with that year under the Chinese zodiac system. As 2025 ushers in the year of the snake, Hublot takes the opportunity to coil a gold-coated snake around the chronograph subdials of a Spirit of Big Bang, which has also had its ceramic case and rubber strap embossed with reptilian scales.

The 42mm watch – which is almost entirely monochrome, apart from the rose gold hour markers, hands and snake – sits alongside three other Spirit of Big Bang debutantes. These draw on Hublot’s commitment to creating colourful ceramic alloys; these shades of beige, green and blue have all previously been available in the round-cased Big Bang, and are now available on the Big Bang’s tonneau-shaped cousin. Each watch, including the Year Of The Snake Edition, runs on Hublot’s HUB4700 chronograph movement, which is a repurposed version of sister brand Zenith’s El Primero 3600. As such, it beats at 5Hz, enabling measurements down to a tenth of a second. All three ceramic models are limited to 200 pieces; the Year Of The Snake model will be an edition of 88 pieces.

Another material that Hublot is revisiting for 2025 is SAXEM, a proprietary form of solid sapphire crystal. Standing for sapphire, aluminium oxide and rare earth mineral, SAXEM introduces colour at a scale and sturdiness that would be impossible with pure gemstones, by virtue of adding trace quantities of rare earth elements. SAXEM was first used in the Big Bang collection in 2023, and this edition adds a rich emerald green to the library of possibilities.

The movement inside is Hublot’s in-house automatic tourbillon calibre, featuring a one-minute tourbillon at six o’clock with a 72-hour power reserve. Only 18 pieces will be made.

Last but not least, Hublot has revamped its Meca-10 movement for use inside a smaller watch, giving us the Big Bang Meca-10 42mm. For the uninitiated, the Meca-10 is a hand-wound calibre first seen in 2016 that reorganised the layout of a traditional watch movement along angular, simple lines reminiscent of Meccano, while at the same time vastly improving efficiency and power reserve. The watch can run for more than ten days on a full wind; Hublot says it caps the power reserve officially at ten days because after that, daily accuracy can suffer. The power reserve is displayed on the skeletonised barrel at three o’clock, with a digital display that shows the number of days remaining. Previous watches using the Meca-10 calibre were either 45mm Big Bang or Spirit of Big Bang models; now the brand has re-engineered the movement to fit in a 42mm watch.

The watch launches in three variants, cased in titanium, 18ct King Gold (a proprietary alloy of Hublot’s chosen for its warm tone and brilliance) and a material that Hublot calls ‘frosted carbon’, similar in appearance to forged carbon, wherein layers of carbon-fibre-reinforced-polymer are cut to give an organic look. As a brand whose marketing activities sometimes threaten to overshadow its technical prowess, Hublot’s more colourful releases may get the lion’s share of the limelight, but the Meca-10 is proof that the brand is serious about its own very particular approach to horology.

hublot.com

Read more news for LVMH Watch Week 2025

LVMH's Watch Week has become something of an institution, with the group’s stable of brands combining to own the airwaves, ahead of shows such as Geneva’s Watches and Wonders (where most of the brands still take part). It’s also an opportunity to get a first sight of the watch trends that will dominate the year ahead (check back to LVMH Watch Week 2024).

Last year was a tough year for the industry as a whole, thanks to the usual array of geo-economic headwinds not to mention the tail end of the Covid hangover. That said, LVMH has reasons to be cheerful as brands all had positive developments to report. Keep an eye on this frequently updated guide for all the news from LVMH Watch Week 2025, kicking off 21 January in New York (moved from Los Angeles due to the LA fires) and with a European leg in Paris.

LVMH Watch Week 2025

Tag Heuer

Clearly, the biggest news for 2025 is TAG Heuer’s new status as Official Timekeeper for F1. The watchmaker is nothing if not a motorsport brand, and with the new status comes a new Formula 1 Chronograph collection. Designed to capture the spirit of extreme engineering that the cars represent, the Formula 1 chronographs feature titanium cases, aluminium and forged carbon bezels, hands and hour markers coated in NAC ceramic. In a suitably 80’s manner, the black dials and cases are contrasted with pops of bright colour not just on the dial but on the crown and edges of the straps.

See Tag Heuer's new collections at LVMH watch week

Zenith

One of the more surprising launches of Watch Week is Zenith’s Chronomaster Sport Rainbow in white gold. It brings together one of Zenith’s most enduring legacy designs and the name of one of the brand’s most sought-after watches but whereas the 1997 Rainbow was almost purely monochrome (bar three sectors on the minute counter), the 2025 watch is set with 50 baguette-cut diamonds, spinels and sapphires that create a rainbow spectrum around the dial and on the hour markers.

Tiffany & Co

This year sees the most comprehensive watch collection from Tiffany & Co since the 2021 acquisition, with the most characteristically Tiffany design being the Jean Schlumberger inspired piece. Derived from a 1959 design, the watch dial features a rotating ring decorated with a cross-stitch motif in 18k yellow gold and is set with 707 diamonds totalling more than 6.5 carats. Heritage and modernity unite in the piece, with the cross-stitch motif inspired by Schlumberger's origins from a family of Alsatian textile manufacturers.

Bulgari

2025 is the Year of the Snake, so no real surprise that Bulgari lead off with an update for the Serpenti, the mid-Century design that’s most distinctively Bulgari. For the first time, the Serpenti gets an automatic movement designed specifically for the case shape and is released in both Sedutorri (where the case is integrated with a serpent scaled bracelet) and Tubogas (the open ended, double-wrap bracelet) forms. “More than an icon: a signature” says Fabrizio Bounamassa Stigliani, Bulgari’s Executive Director of Watch Design. If Cleopatra wore a watch ..

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton’s redefined Tambour case meets the brand’s unique Spin Time complication in the Tambour Taiko. Inspired by the old mechanical displays used at airports and train stations, the Spin Time was the first movement designed for Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps and, for the first time, sits on top of Louis Vuitton in-house movements, including a world timer and a central tourbillon.

Hublot

Hublot’s cascade of launches starts with a Big Bang Tourbillon cased in emerald-green Saxem, a sapphire like material that’s enhanced with rare thulium and holmium, that give it an enhanced brilliance. There is also the return of the Meca-10 in a more compact 42mm case in the typically Hublot material mix of King Gold, Titanium and Frosted Carbon. Inspired by Meccano-type construction systems, the MECA-10 is an exercise in creative micromechanical design.

See all of Hublot's new collections at LVMH Watch Week 2025

Samuel Ross and Hublot continue to build on their creative collaboration with a new watch, the Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A. In chromatic blue, it is inspired by Ross’ love of bold colour and sharp geometric silhouettes, with Hublot’s distinctive mixed materials reflected in grey carbon lugs, a sapphire dial and a bezel featuring both a satin and microblasted finish. Here, Ross talks us through the design.

Samuel Ross on the design of the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A watch

Wallpaper*: What do you enjoy about working with Hublot?

Samuel Ross: There’s a sense of purity and liberty in their creation process. By that, I mean Hublot's manufacture has the capacity to produce and engineer new materials and realities, on what a watch of the future can be, be it composites of unseen grades of material - or purely form studies. Or be it the ability to stir and question expectations within the luxury watch industry with total freedom.

It’s a semblance between engineering innovation and disruption. It’s also youth. Hublot is young. It's raw. But astute. Thats exciting. There's a sharp edge in the conversation. there is emotion.

W*: What inspired you with this design?

SR: From the start of our dynamic, establishing structure and continuity has been at the crux of how the final watch comes to be. As we debut 3.0, incremental refinements continue to deploy, it’s a unique approach to iterative design based on a deep rapport rooted in constant dialogue, one that is made possible by on-site engineering and artisans in Geneva. Each is fundamentally a unique piece – this opens up much that is possible. Subsequently, updates micro-refinements, and choices continue to come into fruition across each model.

Such as the redeveloped closure mechanism on 3.0 – completely new tooling, and new grade of titanium. Or the first introduction of compressed carbon fibre to display the dynamism, and uniqueness offered by the watch face, whilst retaining our aspiration of producing a lightweight tourbillon capable of functioning as a luxury, leisure-based watch through choices tied to weight, material and colour. I’m inspired by dynamic supply chains and hyper-emotive, potent possibilities in both luxury and culture. 3.0 catalyses both of these matters.

W*: The previous watches united vivid colours with clean, minimalist lines. How does this new watch build on those you have created with Hublot in the past?

SR: A rhythm has been established. Octaves and parameters you could say. This methodical approach enables us to express and isolate the development to particular components of the watch. Each model illuminates a design revelation of the watch's core architecture. Shifts in material, colour profile or tooling. You can see my thinking, in real time. We are focused on engineering the future of luxury watches – through the purist lens possible.

hublot.com

A partnership was a natural prospect for watchmaker Hublot and artist Daniel Arsham, who have each championed a collaborative ethos in respective projects that criss-cross the worlds of art and design (from Hublot’s watches with Takashi Murakami, to Arsham’s own watch designs and partnerships with the likes of Tiffany & Co).

Now, the watchmaker and the artist have united for a new timepiece, limited to 99 pieces, which celebrates this spirit of crossover, drawing from both traditional and futuristic references. The Arsham Droplet, crafted from a mix of titanium and rubber, can be a pocket watch, a table clock or a pendant suspended on titanium chains, its smooth contours making it a comfortable fit to hold in the hand.

Hublot and Daniel Arsham’s Droplet

‘By combining Hublot's technical expertise with my own artistic vision, we have created a timepiece that transcends the traditional pocket watch, blending the past, present and future in a captivating and unexpected way,’ says Arsham of the multidisciplinary piece. In a rethink of the parameters of traditional watch design, the Droplet cuts an unconventional silhouette, imbuing its tough materials with an unexpected delicacy in the domed teardrop-shaped crystals, which flank a titanium case seemingly woven as if it were lace.

‘Together with Daniel, we made the impossible possible,’ adds Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. ‘The Arsham Droplet is a testament to Hublot's unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of both form and function. This groundbreaking timepiece is a true work of art, blending our horological expertise with Daniel Arsham's artistic vision.’

hublot.com

At Watches and Wonders 2024, alongside classic designs from a multitude of major and independent watch brands, there is a leaning towards the thoroughly modern. Occasionally wildly outré wristwatches that don’t look like mid-1960s talismans are back with a vengeance – and we’re here for it.

Futuristic watches at Watches and Wonders 2024

Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad

As a concept, the Freak S is over 20 years old. That doesn’t stop it from being a revolution compared to every other watch out there. The spacecraft vibes are strong in the new Nomad, its warm tones inspired by desert travels, and their carousel movement-as-minute hand is still baffling. But this time there is a deeper meaning, with a guilloché hour disc as the ‘dial’, forging a bond to the distant past. The beige CVD-gold-finished disc takes one craftsman 240 continuous movements and over three hours to cut. And the interwoven diamond shapes, a pattern that goes back to 19th-century pocket watches, serves as a thought-provoking background to the UN-251 movement, as always resembling an alien ship born in another galaxy.

Ulysse Nardin.com

De Bethune DB Kind of Grande Complication

Rocking the brand’s familiar yet still inspiringly mad case design, any De Bethune has a 10ft visibility if you’re in the know. And with its crown recessed at six o’clock and centre-pivoting lugs, it might just be what watches should look like in the future. Yet it displays a rich traditional flourish when it comes to every hand-finished titanium part, and you will surely become lost in some time-lapse loop-gazing into the jaw-dropping intense blue dial. With its appliqué gold stars and spherical moon phase, it competes for attention with the ultra-complex DB2529 calibre, which constitutes no fewer than 751 pieces including a 30in titanium tourbillon.

Debethune.ch

Hautlence Retrovision ’47

This one had me torn – is it futurism, or retro-futurism, or a kind of colourful steam-punk creation? Who cares when it looks as fresh as this, with a charming back story to boot. At first glance, it looks like a watch from Thunderbirds, complete with a communicator speaker grille. Hautlence is a progenitor of mechanical futurism and will never release a round watch with three hands, trust us. The Retrovision ’47 was designed with the premise of Hautlence being established in the 1940s. A charmingly bonkers concept explaining the TV-like design, and it looks refreshingly like nothing else on the planet. The hand-painted cuboid case has an apple-green tinge and a Bakelite vibe, with a small off-set dial in brass and 2N red gold. It comes on a scintillatingly red strap, and if we told you there was a flying tourbillon under the speaker grille you might not be surprised.

Hautlence.com

Cartier Reflection de Cartier

Cartier just dropped one of the most enigmatic pieces of Watches and Wonders 2024, a square-profiled bangle of sorts. But in fact, it is also a watch, ensconced in the bangle end, reflected in the opposed polished god part. Inspiring, quirky and precious, with a quartz heart. This airy creation, standing out among a number of future-facing watch bracelets at the fair, is available in rose, yellow or white gold, with a few tempting gem-set versions that are rather breathtaking in their multi-coloured splendour.

Cartier.com

Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Water Blue Sapphire 

Hublot never disappoints, taking sapphire craftsmanship to unseen levels with the new MP-11. Casting and machining man-made sapphire is one of the most difficult operations in the watch industry, but the brand doesn’t shy away from material challenges. The deceptively sweet tone of radiant blue suffuses the new MP-11 with light, while clear-framing the complexities within. It is a new and brand-exclusive sapphire tone, while the 14-day calibre is a mechanical piece of art. The manufacture movement has a skeleton aesthetic, with the massive power reserve powered by the engine-like seven spring barrels giving the case its characteristic hump.

Hublot.com

Urwerk SpaceTime Blades

This is not a watch per se, rather an horological sculpture (also explored in our pick of offerings from independent watch brands ). The 1.7m human-height sculpture boasts 20kg of artisanal glow in the form of a vertical digital display. A glass dome – featuring the same thickness from base to rounded top – protects the SpaceTime Blade indications, eight vertically aligned and individually flame-shaped handmade Nixie bulbs. The metal base and top are solid bronze. The base represents an Urwerk crown, and the brass itself has been patinated and polished by hand. What do the eight Nixie bulb modules display? With a capacity of changing up to 500 times per second, they offers anything from mundane hours and minutes to a calendar, the Earth’s rotation in km, and its revolution around the sun. Quite.

Urwerk.com

Hublot’s ‘Art of Fusion’ tagline is used to inform and explain almost everything the watch brand does, from researching new materials and designing new watches right through to marketing. According to Hublot’s globe-trotting CEO, Riccardo Guadalupe: ‘It’s what makes us different from any traditional Swiss watch brand and, as a young brand, we need to be able to come out with unique and different products. Fusion, how we connect innovation and tradition is how we do that.’

Sometimes that means developing new ways to machine sapphire, sometimes it’s new movements and sometimes it’s genius marketing moves like the Hublot referee boards flashed up to audiences of hundreds of millions at the FIFA World Cup final. The collaboration with Takashi Murakami, however, is next level.

Murakami is the master of blurred boundaries and shattered limits from his early mixing up of Manga with more traditional techniques through the development of his ‘Superflat’ theory (an idea that covers both the 2D aspect of Japanese art and factory-produced art that ranges from phone rings and stickers to ‘Monogramouflage’ bags for Louis Vuitton via Crocs). He’s created a studio/gallery set-up, Kaikai Kiki, that handles production in the way that Science does for Damien Hirst, but also handles licensing, events and represents other artists as well. And tucked away in Murakami’s back catalogue are watch collaborations with Casio and the independent Japanese maker, Hajime Asaoka (founder of Kurono, whose timepieces feature among our pick of minimalist watches).

Hublot MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire

Speaking at the launch of his latest, and most spectacular, Hublot watch collaboration (previous joint projects include 2023’s one-off Hublot MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Only Watch, and a watch and NFT collaboration, among others), Murakami recounted how the partnership with Hublot came about and what he aimed to achieve. ‘The first time [I was asked], I said no, because I didn’t want to collaborate and have to produce a kind of “cover” design. That would have been very boring to me. So when Miwa [Sakai, Hublot president Asia Pacific Region] asked me, she was able to guarantee that I was free to do whatever I wanted. I came to the Hublot factory in January 2019; it was just so impressive, the quality, the potential… I love visiting factories! When I first started working with Louis Vuitton, I was invited to the factory and it’s such an incredible environment, I love the smell, the employees, the system. I wanted to express how the world is not 4D but a multiverse. I’m a physics geek – I see time as not linear but multifaceted.’

Murakami also revealed that the new Hublot MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire is the realisation of the first idea he had for the project but is only released now because its technical demands took so long to meet. One area where Hublot is the undoubted leader in the industry is in machining sapphire, a material that’s notoriously difficult to work with, and figuring out how to render the curves of the petals, each being incredibly deep. Alongside that work, Hublot had to develop an entirely new movement with a central tourbillon that sits above the hour and minute hands.

As Murakami intended, the watch works on multiple levels, as an expression of space-time, of craft ingenuity, and of sculpture. Pure fusion.

hublot.com

Aqui Thami is the winner of the Hublot Design Prize 2023, the annual competition launched by Hublot in 2015 to recognise original designers under 40.

Thami has been recognised for the social impact of her work, which benefits women and girls in her local community in Mumbai. Her eclectic portfolio includes founding South Asia’s first feminist library, the Sister Library, and spearheading graphic and social design, art and performance. 

The jury, composed of Marva Griffin, the founder of Milan's Salone Satellite, Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of London's Serpentine Gallery, Alice Rawsthorn, design critic, author and former Wallpaper* Guest Editor, and Tawanda Chiweshe, a creative director and industrial designer. ‘This year was amazing, given the variety and quality of the projects a new generation of hybrid designers is emerging, less focused on objects and more conscious of social and environmental issues,’ says Obrist, president of the Hublot Design Prize jury.

Finalist Gabriel Fontana was awarded the Pierre Keller Prize for his work with sport, and the way he uses it for positive social impact. Other finalists, including Deema Assaf, Jibbe Van Schie, Germane Barnes and Trifle Studio, were recognised for the innovative ways they support the community. 

Says Hublot CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe: ‘Design is in Hublot's DNA, and we are proud to be able to reward the talent of young designers worldwide, and help boost their careers.’ 

This year’s award follows the Hublot Design Prize 2022 win by Nifemi Marcus-Bello, whose community projects with an ethnographic bent include a Wallpaper* Design Award-winning portable handwashing station.

hublot.com

Colourful watches showcasing a rainbow of bright hues are among this year's most eye-catching new releases, with shades from sorbet to psychedelic illustrated in bright straps and unexpected materials. From the blue tones of IWC and Audemars Piguet, to the pretty in pink Hublot, wine-coloured Montblanc, via the bright Richar Mille , Tag Heuer and Patek Philippe and more understated Omega and Jaeger-LeCoultre – discover the exquisite new watches here.

The new colourful watches

Tag Heuer

A sporting history is alive and well in the Extreme Sport chronograph from Tag Heuer, which puts a stylish spin on everyday materials with an orange rubber strap.

tagheuer.com

Montblanc

Montblanc nod to a spirit of adventure with a a play on pattern of the dial, here drawn in a deep burgundy.

montblanc.com

Audemars Piguet

A deep blue is an elegant foil for the rose gold detailing on this exquisitely understated Code 11.59 watch.

audemarspiguet.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Cutting a strong geometrical silhouette, the Reverso Tribute, here in a deep racing green, proves simple can be striking.

jaeger-lecoultre.com

Hublot

A sweet baby pink belies the sharp technicality at the heart of the Big Bang, crafted in sapphire to allow us to fully appreciate the beauty of the movement.

hublot.com

IWC

IWC marks its relationship with Formula One in style, with bright blue markers and detailing emphasising a shared commitment to legibility.

iwc.com

Richard Mille

A distinctive tonneau-shaped case is given a vibrant new lease of life when drawn in dark yellow quartz, as an in this shapely RM 65-01 chronograph.

richardmille.com

Omega

Sporty, clean and simple - Omega references a classical watchmaking heritage with the Seamaster Planet Ocean, which comes with a green rubber strap for easy wearability.

omegawatches.com

Patek Philippe

A dark face is a sharp foil for a bold orange strap in this very modern rethink of the Aquanaut collection.

patek.com

A version of this article appears in the December 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 7 of November, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

In partnership with Hublot

Hublot is celebrating a digital first with the release of the Hublot Big Bang Unico Essential Grey. Only available from hublot.com, the exclusive release marks an official acknowledgment of the importance of the e-commerce platform.

Limited to only 200 pieces, the new piece in futuristic silvery hues cuts a sleek silhouette, the smooth satin finish of the case, bezel, hands and dial a clean foil for the complexity of the face.

The distinctive design codes of the Big Bang are drawn here in bold monochromatic tones. Crafted from titanium, the watch is comfortable and effortlessly light to wear, with a technical accomplishment guaranteed thanks to the column-wheel chronograph movement, HUB1280, which comes complete with a 72-hour power reserve. Measuring 42mm and with a case thickness of 14.5mm, the watch’s easy proportions make this comfortable for all.

‘For the first time in the history of Hublot, we have imagined and designed the Big Bang Unico Essential Grey limited edition solely to be sold online,’ says Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. ‘In doing so, we wanted to emphasise how important e-commerce has become in our thinking. All our fans, collectors and potential clients now have an equal chance to obtain this magnificent and rare new model.’

Wearers can choose from two straps to pair with the exclusive model: a rubber strap with satin-finished titanium clasp, or a grey fabric strap with Velcro fastener, each effortless to change with one simple click. Neatly presented in a Big Bang Unico Essential Grey presentation box, the watch is set to become a future collector’s item.

INFORMATION

hublot.com

After winning the first Hublot Design Prize in 2019, creating a sculpture for the brand’s 40th anniversary and serving as an ambassador for Hublot ever since, the British fashion designer Samuel Ross has reimagined the label’s iconic Big Bang timepiece to bring a new perspective and visual language to watchmaking. Issued in a limited edition of 50, the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross brandishes a satin-finish, polished titanium case, a smooth rubber strap in Ross’ signature orange shade and an architectural honeycomb structure, making it a true collector’s piece.

‘Without a doubt, this watch is a completely new reinterpretation of the Big Bang Tourbillon seen through the eyes of Samuel Ross,’ says Hublot’s CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. ‘Together, we were able to play with the codes of the watch, like the case, the titanium honeycomb mesh, the lateral bumpers that protect the case, and the rubber strap and present it in a new way. Hublot is thrilled to take part in a project with a multidisciplinary artist like Samuel Ross, because it pushes our teams to be even more innovative with our ideas, materials, shapes and colours. We are very honoured that Samuel Ross has trusted our production teams to convey his creative vision with our Big Bang.’

Ross says, ‘Our design and development process began as a shared sentiment – the possibility of what the future of watchmaking could look like, across a generation of engineers, collectors and aesthetes. The objective was always rooted in conveying industrial beauty through radical form supported by engineering.’

In Ross’ hands, Hublot’s distinctive Big Bang case – a stylised hexagon – takes on an extra flair with a titanium honeycomb mesh used on the sapphire dial, case back and strap. Considered one of the fundamental building blocks in nature, seen everywhere from beehives to snake scales, the honeycomb structure’s robustness and efficiency bring a modernity and utilitarian aspect to the wristwatch while packing a visual punch.

Ross says, ‘Hublot is industrial design in its purest form. [This design was inspired by] movement, acceleration, industrial beauty [that] reflect[s] our immediate environments. The city, the coarse materials and colours that format our global epicentres. The flecks of deeply saturated tones bring this matter and repeated glints of colour into a universal palette of vigilance and one linked to global melting pots – this is where the prominence of our signature orange takes centre stage.’

Comfort and wearability were also front of mind for Ross. The Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross is intentionally lightweight and teamed with a malleable rubber strap that can be switched out should the wearer prefer a more subdued mood. Sporty orange, however, was specifically chosen for its energy and optimism, and gilds the watch’s tourbillon bridge and lateral bumpers – a striking contrast to the satin-finished case and bezel.

Guadalupe concludes, ‘With [Samuel’s] incredible energy and his unique sensibility to design, we knew that working together would bring to life a one-of-a-kind project. His charisma and creative vision brought out the best of our creative team at Hublot and I think you can see this in the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross. It’s truly different and unique, and it’s also a great example of Samuel’s love of stark geometry, form and design.’

INFORMATION

hublot.com

Mohammed Iman Fayaz has won the 2021 Hublot Design Prize, announced by a jury composed of Marva Griffin Wilshire, founder and creator of Salone Satellite; Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of Serpentine Galleries; Alice Rawsthorn, design critic, longtime Wallpaper* contributor and 2020 guest editor; and Formafantasma, the design studio and winner of the 2018 Hublot Design Prize.

US-based illustrator Fayaz was chosen from a shortlist of eight and announced as winner at a ceremony at Serpentine Galleries. It is the sixth edition of the prize, launched in 2015 by Jean-Claude Biver and Pierre Keller as a way of supporting younger generations. The shortlist – composed of Ben Ganz, Christoph John, Eva Feldkamp, Federica Fragapane, Mohammed Fayaz, Irakli Sabekia, Thebe Magugu, and Archibald Godts & Theresa Bastek of Studio Plastique – united designers across a range of different disciplines and styles.

Winner Fayaz, a member of art collective and creative studio Papi Juice, impressed the judges with his works of art and infographics, which reinvent the traditional form of illustration. Fayaz also documents the queer and trans communities, supports his local community through pro bono projects that capture post-pandemic scenes in bold colours, and designs arresting posters, dispensing advice to first-time visitors to marches, for example.

‘There is simple communication on them – the march is free, it’s outdoors, a mask required, to let people know what’s going on and not put them off,’ he explains. The poster he drew for a silent march for Black trans lives, was, unusually for him, in black and white to reflect the sombre nature of the event, and was acquired this year by MoMA. ‘It was before in-person gatherings were really allowed, so with something as simple as putting the masks on the poster – it’s not the most beautiful thing but it is powerful,’ Fayaz says. ‘You can still see yourself, you see your friends, you see your colleagues, your loved ones.’ The protest drew 15,000 people, the largest for trans lives in history.

What the Hublot Design Prize 2021 jury said

‘We were absolutely unanimous that Mohammed was the winner,’ says Alice Rawsthorne. ‘He really has documented an extraordinary community of queer and trans people of colour who at times are very vulnerable and at others are happy and joyous. I think he’s caught their complexities and subtleties and idiosyncrasies, and that’s such a difficult thing to do.’

The Pierre Keller Award was also presented to Eva Feldkamp and Federica Fragapane at the event. Fragapane elevates statistics into works of art with her intricate illustrations of facts. ‘Data generally is one of the most dynamic areas of design at the moment and the pandemic obviously accelerated that as we all became obsessed with data trackers,’ says Rawsthorne. ‘Federica is a brilliant data designer because she takes very complex data and expresses it in a way which makes it much more accessible to many more. The visual language with which she decodes it is so original, so innovative and so seductive.’

Feldkamp connects creative professionals with not-for-profit organisations through her company, All in Awe. Rawsthorne adds: ‘Eva is filling a gap in the design community by building bridges between non-profit and social enterprises and charities that need the work of talented designers and architects for social community projects, and the growing number of designers who want to engage with those projects.

INFORMATION

hublot.com

‘Sapphire is a hard material, but at the same time it is also fragile,’ says Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe, who has just unveiled the first Big Bang model that boasts both an integrated case and bracelet crafted from the unyielding material. The Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire watch builds on foundations laid with an earlier model, 2016’s Big Bang Unico Sapphire, which marked the brand’s first time industrialising sapphire with a vast, 500-piece collection.

Now, this new limited edition piece goes one step further than the first sapphire watch, integrating the case and the bracelet to create a streamlined silhouette, hitherto thought to be an impossible technical challenge.

Hublot and its full sapphire quest

The new watch is an elaborate puzzle of sapphire pieces – there are 37 in the case alone, five of which are made solely from sapphire – and with 165 parts to the bracelet, a third of these designed specifically to be flexible and hug the wrist in what is a comfortable and ergonomic design. Each sapphire component, requiring its own process and tools, was milled and polished; it is a risky process that only exposes imperfections upon its completion, making errors expensive.

The reworked geometry of the watch’s case subscribes to an essential philosophy, stripping back all visible screws so that the bridges and the main plates of the movement appear to hover in space, facilitating the flow of light.

‘The most complicated part was to work on a design that could get maximum transparency,’ Guadalupe tells us, reflecting on the complexity of producing the three sapphire bridges. ‘It is very difficult to precisely position the wheels in relation to each other. We had to add brass plugs (which contain the watchmaking rubies) glued to the sapphire bridges. This is a real challenge for production.’

Technical prowess and a remarkable raw material combine in a clear show of strength.

INFORMATION

This article appears in the September 2021 issue of Wallpaper* (W*269), now on newsstands and available for free download.

hublot.com

A focus on skilled craftsmanship and exquisite materials united French men’s fashion house Berluti and watch brand Hublot when they first collaborated on a watch four years ago.

Now, the brands have come together again, this time to create the elegant Hublot Big Bang Unico Berluti Cold Brown which features a dial crafted from Venezia leather. For creative director of Berluti, Kris Van Assche, it was a chance to add a modern edge to the brand’s heritage leather. ‘There is a very contemporary feel to these sports watches, a little sports, of course, a little chunky, and I immediately felt this universe would make for a more surprising contrast with our Venezia leather and patina,’ he says. ‘I always push for the Berluti heritage to be discovered in unexpected new contexts.’

In this new piece, the Venezia leather in Cold Brown patina – originally inspired by an archive patina and renewed to achieve its warm hue – is inserted between two pieces of sapphire glass, with a cut-out silhouette revealing the movement beneath. In a first for both brands, the leather also forms part of the bezel, meaning like the strap it will develop a new patina over time as it ages.

‘It is an amazing technical feat made possible by the expertise of our watchmakers, designers and engineers, all of whose know-how was required to master the conception of this new bezel,’ adds Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot.

INFORMATION

hublot.com

A shared appreciation of industrial design and function characterises the new partnership between Samuel Ross and Hublot. Both have demonstrated a willingness to experiment with atypical materials in commercial contexts. Ross says: ‘It was a very natural process of meshing these key value systems, bringing them together and having an informed dialogue about what a collaboration could look like, what type of materials we would bring forth and what type of techniques and treatments would be encouraged.’

To mark the new partnership, Ross has created both a sculpture and the scenography for Hublot’s 40th anniversary exhibition, currently showing at the Hublot manufacture.

Ross’ sculpture juxtaposes granite with steel in a marriage of organic and industrial materials, a hybrid previously seen in the Hublot Fusion. It is an idea explored further in the sculpture’s finish, which contrasts a traditional mirror polish with technologically advanced CNC milling. The resulting angled polygon, crafted in aluminium, plays on notions of transparency with holes in the structure. Much like a watch it is designed to be handled, and two aluminum rods are there to be played with in a celebration of tactility.

These themes are echoed in the exhibition itself which includes a showing of artefacts Hublot has collected over the last four decades. ‘My role here was to work with the theme in regards to a mood and a value system that these artefacts and design elements permeate to a certain degree,’ says Ross. Ergonomic design, lightweight materials and perforation all distinguish the space, with design elements holding cultural resonance or nodding to Hublot’s championing of sporting prowess.

‘An essential design element would definitely be the stainless steel perforated aluminum display tables,’ he adds. ‘They have a beautiful LED lighting rig which sits underneath the supporting frame and edge of the unit display. We also produced concrete cast watch holders to bring in that texture and character which is associated with Hublot.’ Each piece explores the duality of transience with motion: ‘I’ve tried to capture that through quite linear centralised modular display units. For window displays, there’s this notion of movement, modularity and transparency that runs throughout all the articles and design elements produced for the exhibition.’ 

INFORMATION

hublot.com

Unexpected amalgamations of materials have long been key design codes of a Hublot watch, which utilise innovative components for functional results. Their so-called Magic Gold, for example – an 18k scratch-proof gold alloy – has surprised in the past when combined with rubber for a sportier timepiece. Ultra-tough ceramic and fully transparent synthetic sapphire look sleek and are more than strong enough to protect a watch's exposed movement within.

Their boutiques around the world incorporate this same balance of design and functionality, with the opening of the sixth in Tokyo – it follows Paris, Geneva, New York, London and Hong Kong – also marking Hublot’s largest retail space.

The 56m high store on the city’s Chuo-dori Street encapsulates these juxtapositions in both the interior and exterior. The three floors within are dominated by a staircase of laser-cut mirrored stainless steel; interior accents of ebony, leather and crystal make for a warmly textured welcome. Despite the large space, Hublot cultivates a feeling of intimacy: floors in black lava stone and marble are a contemporary foil for graphite-coloured leather and alcantara furnishings. ‘We worked with various high-tech materials and colours, as well as playing with mirrors inside the boutique,’ says Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. ‘This mix of materials, shapes and colours allowed us to break up the different perspectives, on the ground and in the height.’

It is a design tick also embraced in the exterior of the building. Guadalupe adds: ‘We used glass panels, inside of which we inserted crystals so that we can play with the day and the night light. During the day the facade is sparkling, and during the night light is reflected.

INFORMATION

hublot.com

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Samuel Ross, the just-announced winner of the fifth Hublot Design Prize, translates a preoccupation with resocialising public space into his work. ‘I want to encourage interaction in public space to remove perceived social boundaries and uplift the overall psyche of communities,’ he says of one of his artworks, a neon orange steel three-seated bench which has allowed him to showcase his skills in industrial and product design.

Another piece, a refuge point, is designed to house blankets to help those in need of them. Created from upcycled materials developed by himself and Nike Lab, and crafted from recycled plastic bottles, these are the best blankets for those with any eye on sustainability.. Ross hopes in the future they will be freely available in parks, replenished regularly by the council. His methods involve identifying a solution to a social problem he wants to address before applying any creativity. ‘The work has to be steeped in rationale and reason,’ Ross explains. ‘They may look highly artistic, but that’s a veneer on top of the function.’

‘There is a wealth of expression of design represented this year,’ says Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. As such, the judges, who comprised regular panel member Marva Griffin Wilshire, founder of Salone Satellite, furniture designer Ronan Bouroullec and Serpentine Gallery’s artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist, had the non-envious task of searching beyond obvious high quality in the six finalists for a distinctly audacious thinker.

Other contenders for the prize this year included architecture professor Mae Ling J. Lokko, artists Marion Pinaffo and Raphaël Pluvinage, designer Shigeki Fujishiro and artist Than Hussein Clark. 

Dimitri Bahler, a designer based in Switzerland, creates products that explore the relationship between volumes, textures and colours. His ’Parobole Lights,’ left, were orginally conceived as a wooden canvas and allow Bahler to play with light and shadow, as the surface of the lamps become a reflector. 

Than Hussein Clark, an American artist based in London, frequently translates a passion for old books into pieces rich in literary and historical references. The ’Jean Bourgoin Table Lamp in the Style of Diego Giacometti’, crafted from cast plaster and with a porcelain light bulb, pays tribute to Swiss designer and sculptor Giacometti.

Architectural scientist Mae-ling Lokko focuses on the upcycling of agrowaste in her work. ’Hack the Root Wall’, left, is grown from mushroom panels amnd suggests an alternative to traditional roots which displace life around it as they grow. 

Marion Pinaffo and Raphaël Pluvinage are fascinated by electronics. ’100 Meters Stories’, right, is a display screen made up of a moving ribbon mounted on a metal frame. It looks at the disparity between the sophisticated nature of how a message is sent and the archaic way it is displayed. 

INFORMATION

hublot.com 

When it came to picking a winner, the panel at this year’s Hublot Design Prize was split – so split, in fact, that its six judges decided to divide the prize. Amsterdam studio Formafantasma and rising furniture-design star Dozie Kanu were awarded CHF 50,000 each at this month’s ceremony in Basel.

Rather than give rising talent a platform, the Hublot Design Prize specifically sets out to give relatively established designers a boost. Thus, it has carved out its niche since it launched in 2015. This year’s panel included Pierre Keller, chairman of the Contemporary Art Centre in Geneva; Marva Griffin Wilshire, founder of Salone Satellite; furniture designer Ronan Bouroullec; Lapo Elkann, founder of Italia Independent; Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of London’s Serpentine Gallery; and gallerist Libby Sellers.

Formafantasma and Kanu take an approach to materials that chimes with Hublot’s own enthusiasm for fabric experimentation. As Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe says: 'Our Design Prize specifically rewards innovative and extraordinary experimental projects that illustrate innovative materials, techniques and technologies.'

Brooklyn-based Kanu is a case in point. Combining both high and low materials in his skewed industrial chairs and tables, recent pieces include a poured concrete bench anchored by polished chrome wheel rims, a marble stool capped with the corrugated shell of a Rimowa suitcase – part of a collaboration at this year’s Salone del Mobile – and an aluminium-framed chair padded with foamy recycled plastics.

Formafantasma’s Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, meanwhile, were recognised for their ‘design with conviction’, such as their multi-sensory installations and, most recently, their ‘Ore Streams’ project for the National Gallery of Victoria, investigating alternative means of recycling electronic materials.

Other designers who were contenders for the Prize this year included Brazilian architect Guto Requena, who experiments in bringing emotional connection to digital technologies, Eindhoven-based jewellery designer Jing He And French graphics artist Thibault Brevet.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Hublot website

Richard Mille was a pioneering force in this area of horological design, while MB&F, Greubel Forsey and Hublot are increasingly pushing the boundaries of form and cutting technology. Not only does the use of sapphire crystal result in a visually arresting watch housing, but its toughness is almost unrivalled. ‘It can only be marked by a diamond, so it stays beautifully transparent, without any scratches,’ says Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot’s CEO.

Synthetic sapphire, the base material, is grown in laboratories using a melted mixture of aluminium oxide that, on cooling, forms crystal cylinders known as ‘boules’. Its scratch resistance makes it popular as a ‘glass’ in industrial design; it is used in barcode scanners, laser rods and new-generation iPhones to protect the camera lens. Watch cases, however, are an entirely different affair, demanding more complicated shapes, water resistance and a fine finish.

Sapphire crystal’s extreme hardness is countered by a susceptibility to chipping, cracking or shattering. ‘The manufacturing process is long and complicated,’ Guadalupe says. ‘There can be a lot of breakage, and we need to restart the process many times from the raw material, to have the perfect shape and colour.’

Cutting and shaping a case is a seven-step process. The raw material is cut according to the final product size. It is then ground to the general shape, followed by CNC drilling of the required holes. CNC is used again to cut different case forms. Next, sandblasting finishes the holes, followed by fine polishing and, lastly, final polishing. The time-consuming polishing stages require extremely high-quality diamond powders.

For Hublot’s ‘Big Bang Unico Magic Sapphire’ chronograph, it sought the expertise of a Swiss sapphire crystal specialist, who collaborated with its horological engineers. The titanium screws and crown complement the look. Water-resistant to approximately 100m, with a power reserve of around 72 hours, this limited-edition timepiece has a production run of just 500.

As originally featured in the Precious Index, our new watches and jewellery supplement (see W*218)

INFORMATION

‘Big Bang Unico Magic Sapphire’, price on request, by Hublot. For more information, visit the Hublot website

As we are prone to set our clocks for the annual occurrence of Salone del Mobile, we deemed it the right moment to celebrate a suitably Italian horological collaboration: the Hublot Classic Fusion Italia Independent collection.

Milan was chosen by Hublot as the host city for its latest Art of Fusion line launch earlier this year. A collaboration with Fiat scion and industrial designer Lapo Elkann and the famed Neapolitan tailoring house Rubinacci, the result is a unique suite of classic Hublot Fusion timepieces with dials and straps created using classic, woven cloths.  

'When Hublot and my Italia Independent team started thinking about the idea of working with cloth, we thought there was no better family and tradition than Rubinacci – a three-generation business – as a partner. We were right because when I was invited to their bank vaults, they were not filled with money or diamonds but cloths. They have one of the most interesting fabric archives in the world – the possibility of choice was endless,' says Elkann.

Having had the chance to delve into Rubinacci’s fabric archives, Elkann asked Luca Rubinacci about a particular collection of tartan and check weaves from the 1970s, including houndstooth and Prince of Wales varieties, which are now re-interpreted in the 45mm watch designs, on the dials and straps.

'These are the fabrics that we use for the suits that we make for Mr Elkann,' says Luca Rubinacci, 'but I didn't think that it was possible to put wool on the straps and dial of a watch. Not only did Hublot manage it, the result is better than I could have hoped for. We have achieved a balanced watch, with a pattern effect that is neither too bold nor too light.'

It’s this tendency towards materials experimentation that makes Hublot such an innovative industrial player, regardless of the fact that its business is watchmaking.  As Elkann says of his ongoing collaboration with the marque: 'They make the impossible possible. It’s not just about developing a product, we have the chance to develop a world.'

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Hublot website

When, earlier this year, Italian designer Giuliano Mazzuoli introduced the Cemento, the world’s first wristwatch with a case made entirely from concrete, I figured 'Cool, but surely a cul-de-sac?' It followed Girard-Perregaux’s watches of 2012 and 2015 honouring Le Corbusier, with concrete dials.

Now, as Hublot launches the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Concrete Jungle, it begs the question: If 'one is chance, and two is coincidence', does 'three' mean we’ll all soon be wearing brutalism’s favourite fabric on our wrists?

Unlike titanium, precious metals, composites, ceramics or others offering combinations of lightness, strength or opulence, concrete makes only an aesthetic statement, and a prosaic one at that: cement is the most ordinary of building materials. With the Concrete Jungle, though, comes a fresh look.

The watch caseback bears Eaton's mark – a collage motif of the Statue of Liberty

It starts with a pun, but witty nonetheless. The Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Concrete Jungle (Hublot is incapable of brevity when choosing model names) marks the Swiss watchmaker’s collaboration with street artist Tristan Eaton, but instead of spray-painted style details, or an artist-designed strap, Hublot has opted for an amusingly literal take.

Created as a tribute to New York City, the watch bezel is created using a concrete-epoxy blend, which retains the exact shape of the classic Hublot Big Bang watch, complete with 'H' bolt heads holding it in place. The effect is suitably 'urban', applied to a 45mm automatic chronograph with skeleton dial.

The caseback bears Eaton’s signature collage technique, seen as a motif of the Statue of Liberty, which he first painted in 2012, at the corner of Mulberry and Canal Street in New York. It’s an admittedly cool piece, only heightened by Hublot’s wry in-joke.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Hublot website

This week, Hublot announced the winner of its Design Prize: 31-year-old Swiss industrial designer Christophe Guberan. Only in its second year, the Prize comes with a substantial and potential career-changing CHF100,000 winner’s fee. As he stood up to collect his award at the ceremony held at the Hublot manufacture in Nyon, Switzerland, Guberan looked just the right side of stunned.

The intentions of the Prize are to give designers in mid-career the kind of push – and breathing space – that can take them from final prototype stage to commercial fruition. As Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO Hublot put it: ‘The idea of this award is to help designers go from talent to success.’

This year’s jury included Pierre Keller, a former director of the Centre of Contemporary Art in Geneva, Marva Griffin Wilshire – founder and curator, Salone Satellite, French industrial designer Ronan Bouroullec, and Lapo Elkann, the New York-born Italian entrepreneur Fiat family scion and president of sunglasses brand, Italia Independent. Elkann, also a regular Hublot collaborator, praised Guberan for going beyond product ideas to have ‘a vision for the future, which we hope will be implemented.’

That mid-career focus of the Prize also results in an interesting nominee line-up because there’s always a familiar name in there and some of the designers have been winning prizes for years. This year, the quality of work and thinking on display bodes well for this young awards scheme.

In both terms, Guberan was the standout winner. Currently working with MIT Media Lab in Boston, his fascination with and exploration of fabric and textile design chimes with the watch industry’s longstanding dedication to materials development. ‘I was surprised to win because I’m not creating objects,’ Guberan said as he accepted the award. ‘I am experimenting.’ His aim, he says, is ‘not to wait for the industry to present me with materials to create with, but to create new materials for the industry’.

INFORMATION

For more information visit Hublot’s website

This year, to mark the tenth anniversary of its Big Bang watch, Hublot launched a 100,000 Euro design prize. It’s generous by any standards and will boost the fortunes of those mid career designers at whom it is aimed.

Pierre Keller, former director of ECAL, l’école Cantonale d'art de Lausanne, came up with the idea thanks to his old pal Jean Claude Biver, creator of the first Big Bang and president of the watches division of LVMH. Biver wanted to honour Hublot’s ‘Fusion Concept’ that lies at the heart of the Big Bang range and refers to the mixtures of materials it incorporates, such as ceramic, titanium, tungsten and gold.

‘Pierre and I have always shared the vision that young designers are key to success, and we wanted to offer them a springboard for their future,’ Biver explains. Keller pulled together a jury of industry heavyweights, among them Ronan Bouroullec, designer Lapo Elkann, (grandson of Fiat’s Gianni Agnelli) and Marva Griffin Wilshire founder of Salone Satellite in Milan. ‘We agreed the prize was to reward not just the Ron Arads, who are already famous, and not young students fresh out of school, but those in the middle who are in that long period in between.’ 

Hublot announced the winners during Tokyo Design Week. Lausanne-based designers (and former ECAL alumni), Big-Game split the booty with Norwegian designer Daniel Rybakken, known for creating optical illusions on lighting and furniture. Augustin Scott de Martinville, Elric Petit and Grégoire Jeanmonod, the trio who make up Big-Game, already work with the likes of Muji, Hay and Alessi and the jury predicts great things in the future.

A further 10,000 CHF was awarded to runner up Brynjar Sigurdarson who completed a masters at ECAL in 2011 and now spends time in his native Iceland seeking inspiration from 75-year-old shark fishermen, harbour architecture, volcanoes and glaciers.

In addition to the prize, Hublot has launched three special tenth anniversary editions - the Bang Unico Full Magic Gold, the Big Bang Tourbillon 5-day Power reserve Indicator Full Magic Gold and the Big Bang Unico '10 years' Haute Joaillerie. 

INFORMATION

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Next week we'll be posting our report on watch fair SalonQP – which pitches up at the Saatchi Gallery in London this weekend (8–10 November) – but as Harrods has just announced an ongoing partnership with the event, we wanted to be the first to reveal that it is previewing a special collection of unique pieces at the fair.

Now in its fourth year, Europe's top fine-watch fair is fast becoming one of the most important dates on the global fine-watch circuit. Here, the world’s top names – Harry Winston, Bulgari, Hermès – show with lesser-known makers and independents, such as MB&F (founder Maximilian Büsser’s quirky Flying Panda watch was one of last year’s highlights).

A selection of watchmakers have created the pieces especially for Harrods to celebrate the first birthday of their Fine Watch Department, which is the most important in Europe. The watches, debuted today at SalonQP and on show for the duration of the show, will be available to buy at Harrods at the end of next week.

Franck Muller, Audemars Piguet and Breguet are just some who have contributed, and it's a deftly curated mix, not least because it has some serious women's watches among it. Take the Audemars Piguet Lady Tuxedo automatic: it retains all the design cred of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak model but with a shimmer of diamonds making it less masculine in all the right ways.

Then there's Vacheron Constantin's Metiers d'Art piece. While not specifically for a man or a woman, it is so elegantly realised – the guilloché dial has an overlay of enamel – that it can be suited to anyone with a passion for beautiful things.

The watches that Hublot, Zenith and Maurice Lacroix have opted to display, on the other hand, are all fine examples of the extent of their design expertise, with variations on skeleton and tourbillon techniques taking pride of place.

During its SalonQP residency at the Saatchi Gallery this weekend, Harrods will sponsor the Seminar Theatre, which will host a series of presentations, workshops and demonstrations across the weekend.

Another major pull is that Harrods is also setting up a pop-up watch service and after-sales bar at SalonQP – the first time it has done so outside the store. So, if you want to experience its exemplary watch repair and cleaning services or pop in for a bespoke consultation, take your favourite timepieces down to the Saatchi Gallery this weekend.

Omega Spacemaster Z-33

One of our favourite designs of the fair, Omega’s heritage-inspired piece of the year is this retro-design quartz pilot watch with digital display referencing an original 1970s model. It’s got so many hi-tech pushers and functions that we are almost convinced that, with just one push, we can make a plane fly

Baselworld, the biggest watch and jewellery fair on the planet is gearing up for change. Next year, all 160,000 square metres of the enormous exhibition centre on the Swiss-French border are due for a revamp as part of a major expansion. The perfect opportunity, then, for each brand to re-work the million-dollar temporary boutique stands that have been their Basel homes for the past six years.

From Rolex’s sweeping Roman-style marble staircase structure to Dior’s mini Avenue Montaigne-style boutique and Breitling’s giant ‘floating’ fish tank installation, the current stands have stood the test of time well enough not to feel too tired in their last year. The message? Baselworld is and always will be one of the slickest shows on earth.

And this year, with such polished ranges on show, we thought that the watches pretty much followed suit. From Omega to Zenith and Patek Philippe, the mood was focused on strengthening or building core lines. Hence, we were presented with some of the sharpest collections in years

Of course, getting it so right is all very well and good but it’s the crazy, ‘not quite sure about that’ pieces that are, in a way, a healthier representation of what makes watchmaking tick. It is, after all, an intensely creative business. To that end, we jostled our way through the crowds to get an up-close look at some of the most decadent dial designs ever – feathers, crystal gold, marble and wood were just some of the inventive materials on show. There were some pretty imaginative technologies being bandied about too. More of which to come. But for now, here’s our round up of 15 of the best in show.

Dior VIII Grand Bal ‘Plumes’

The house’s most inventive watch range just got more so, with its playful inverse caliber – the oscillating weight is mounted on the front rather than the back (where it is traditionally) – featuring a fan of feathers

Bell & Ross WW1 Heure Sautante Platinum

Jumping hour mechanisms – where the hour is relayed in a sizeable aperture on the dial – are beautifully old-school. This spanking-new take from French brand Bell & Ross also displays how they allow watchmakers more dial space to re-work traditional notions of design. Limited to 25 pieces

Chanel J12 GMT Black Matte

It was created as a watch suited to both men and women but this year the J12 gets a tad more masculine: the original high-gloss ceramic design is refashioned in subtle matte-black. The dial is a sizeable 41mm; the movement is self-winding mechanical and there’s the added fun of a world-time function

Hublot Classic Fusion Extra-thin Skeleton

The brand best known for its super-sized wristpieces has taken a super-skinny turn with this year’s skeleton model. It’s also given us a new alloy – King Gold – to think about. Good old Hublot for reminding us of the watch industry’s ability to re-invent the wristpiece

Maurice Lacroix Pontos

Sporty Nato straps are a big trend this year and Maurice Lacroix’s Pontos nails it to a T. A great value chronograph for sporty and stylish types alike, it’s fitted with a reliable Valjoux chrono movement

Patek Philippe Ladies First Perpetual Calendar (ref 7140)

Brands are falling over themselves to create mechanical watches for women – a relatively new trend – but Patek create such established models that it feels as though they’ve been doing it forever. This seriously complicated piece is an elegant case in point

Rado True Thinline

When it comes to new technology and design, Rado has always been pretty out there – it was one of the first to experiment with now-ubiquitous ceramic. This year, the brand has developed an intriguing method of turning white ceramic into gold using a plasma treatment that slowly transforms the atomic make-up of the material

Hermès Arceau 1912

It was 100 years ago that one of the Hermès family came up with the idea of a leather watch strap for young Jacqueline Hermès’ pocket watch, so that she would not lose it while at play. Not only does this new model pay homage to her, it is Hermès’ first mechanical watch for women

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller

This deceptively simple-looking little number comes complete with dual-time zone and 24-hour time display, read via a rotating disc on the dial. The fact that it is placed in an off-centre position is sure to have collectors standing to attention

Tag Heuer Limited Edition Heuer Carrera

Jack Heuer – the man who put the square-case Monaco on Steve McQueen’s wrist in the early 1970s – is 80 this year. He designed some of the most iconic watches of our times. The Carrera was one of them, and this anniversary issue shows why

Tudor Pellagos

This new divers’ watch is actually inspired by one of the house’s original models from the 1960s. The good-looking satin-finish titanium case is one major selling point; the helium valve (designed to absorb variations in pressure), marked ‘Gas Escape Valve’, quite another

Breitling Transocean Chronograph

The Transocean is one of Breitling’s key models, designed in the 1950s. This year’s decidedly handsome world-time model nods to its past but, equipped with a new in-house movement, most definitely points towards a brighter future

Louis Vuitton Tambour Regatta America’s Cup

As official timekeeper of the America’s Cup – which takes place in San Francisco next year – Louis Vuitton has created a series of watches dedicated to the sailing competition. This version has a nifty five-minute revolving-cube countdown function

Zenith Pilot Big Date Special

Pilot watches are, quite literally, big this year, and Zenith’s limited-edition Montre D’Aeronef Type 20 leads the charge with its 57.5mm diameter dial. For those less inclined to strap a giant timepiece to their sleeve, the brand’s more demure Pilot Big Date Special was a best in show