Hublot’s new timepiece comes from one of its most artistic partnerships.
The new Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph All Black Shepard Fairey timepiece expands on the duo’s most recent collaboration, from 2020, which also reimagines a watch from the brand’s Classic Fusion series. Like its predecessor, the new watch makes Fairey’s signature mandala, an ornamental symbol that a number of culture use in traditional art forms, its centerpiece. But it’s the new edition’s all-black finish that sets the watches apart.
“Over the course of my watchmaking partnership with Hublot, I discovered that the Mandala—a recurring theme of my work and an ongoing source of inspiration—lives in perfect harmony and balance within a timepiece and it naturally became the center piece for my collaboration,” Fairey says in a statement. “In revisiting this design for a North American exclusive, we took this distinctive shape and married it with the Hublot signature All Black ceramic for a look that fuses our respective artworks together.”
The timepiece runs on Hublot’s in-house HUB1155 movement that has a frequency of 28,800 vph and a 42-hour power reserve. The dial features dark gray hands and hour markers and its openworked design exposes two of the 60 jewels in the movement. The model is being issued in a limited-edition of 50. The number seen on each model’s caseback marks the limited-edition release, while a black rubber strap ties it all together.
Hublot and Fairey first collaborated in 2018 to create the Big Bang Meca-10 Shepard Fairey watch. The Los Angeles native practices a variety of art forms, from painting to graphic design. He is perhaps best known as the founder of clothing company OBEY. His brand’s iconic 2008 “Obama Hope” poster became globally recognized during the former president’s 2008 presidential campaign. The artist is behind the piece “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” which was created as a symbol of hope for France after the 2015 terrorist attacks. Fairey is also the first-ever artist to have works installed onto the Eiffel Tower.
“Shepard Fairey is an artist of global significance, but first and foremost, he is an artist of American significance, defining our changing and sometimes challenging times” explains Richard Guadalupe, Hublot’s CEO. “For this reason, it is fitting that we produce an edition exclusively for the North American market that celebrates both the art and the artist and in the city he calls home.”
You can buy the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph All Black Shepard Fairey timepiece now at Hublot’s US boutiques and on the brand’s website for $25,200.