Hublot and contemporary artist Daniel Arsham have partnered up, and it’s a match made in watch heaven. Both the watch brand and the artist himself are known for pushing the envelope, so naturally, this watch is his debut as an official Hublot ambassador. While Arsham isn’t necessarily a household name like Hublot, he has gained applause and acclaim throughout his career with several brand collaborations (Pokemon, Hot Wheels, Adidas), gallery exhibits, and global installations.
For the limited-edition Hublot, Arsham did what he does best, creating fluid, organic shapes all coming together to form the Arsham Droplet. Being an artist, Arsham wasn’t going to settle for just any old watch, so for his collaboration with Hublot, he made The Droplet a versatile piece that’s multi-functional: a mechanical pocket watch that can also be worn as a pendant or put on display as a desk clock using a magnifying stand. It’s a collaboration that has taken the traditional pocket watch and turned it upside down with modern materials to create what is essentially a piece of art.
In a statement, Arsham said, “The Arsham Droplet is a true testament to the power of collaboration. 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.”
Hublot X Daniel Arsham: The Droplet
The Droplet features a titanium case, rubber bumpers in Arsham green (embossed with the artist’s monogram), and sapphire crystal. It measures 73.2mm in length, 52.6mm in width, and 22.5mm thick. The larger end of the watch contains the movement and time display, while the middle part is an open-worked frame with circular shapes resembling bubbles. The skinnier end houses Hublot’s One-Click strap-changing system, so it can easily be transformed into a pocket watch, pendant, or clock options.
Technical breakdown
If you’re still curious about technical specifications, we’ve got quite the breakdown for you. The Droplet contains the manual winding Caliber Meca-10, which comes with a 10-day power reserve, which pretty respectable for what is essentially a pocket watch on a chain. Of course, most people probably don’t need that for something such as this (it’s a timepiece more for show than anything else), but Hublot just can’t help themselves. The movement has a rare layout in that it has two power reserve indicators: a digital display on the skeletonized gear at 6 o’clock and a colored segment on the skeletonized barrel cover on the right of the display (Hublot sure does love their skeletonized anything.)
Constructed with sandblasted grade 5 titanium, the case comes with sapphire crystals secured by Hublot’s famous H-shaped screws and dual sealing system with 17 gaskets, meaning The Droplet has 30 meters of water resistance.
Our thoughts
While the technical details of this Hublot watch are all well and good, it’s obviously the look of it that will have people spending their hard-earned dollars. The materials used are high-tech, as is naturally what Hublot does best, but Arsham has obviously infused his artistry into the piece. It exudes an organic look that looks as if you could hold it in your hand and simply play with it like a smooth stone, an adult fidget spinner if you will (a very expensive one.)
Hublot’s collaborations have proven to be a highly effective marketing strategy for a brand that bases its reputation on purposefully taking a bold approach to just about everything. Arsham himself has gained admiration and criticism through his art, but what he’s best at is leveraging a collaborative zeitgeist that earns him significant financial success through his branding, maybe even more than through the art itself. What we can say is that The Droplet is an equal blend of Arsham and Hublot, which is really what you want out of a true collaboration but rarely get these days, with most celebrities simply sticking their name on something.
How much is the Hublot Arsham Droplet?
The Droplet by Hublot retails for $88,000. You can learn more about it at the official Hublot site.
