Hublot and Jeff Koons transform the Classic Fusion watch into wearable pop art
Contemporary pop artist Jeff Koons brings his iconic Balloon Dog sculpture to the world of haute horlogerie with a limited edition Classic Fusion timepiece.
The Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog By Jeff Koons. (Photo: Hublot)
New: You can now listen to articles.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
By
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
One only needs to look at the Takashi Murakami, Richard Orlinksi, and Sang Bleu collaborations to recognise how much Hublot loves working with artists. This year, the haute horologist is expanding its portfolio to include one of the most prolific contemporary artists of the century, Jeff Koons.
For more than four decades, Koons has forged a career from creating visual icons, and his most famous creation, Balloon Dog, is perhaps the best example of how he has managed to make the ordinary extraordinary. Today, that same sculpture – which is still one of the most expensive artworks by a living artist – has managed to find its way into three limited edition timepieces.
You’ll spot the Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog By Jeff Koons timepieces from a mile away not only because they’re a sizeable 42mm, but also because their cases come in three bright colours and in a distinct puffy shape. The blue and red versions are crafted from anodised aluminium, while the silver comes in fully polished stainless steel for a glossier finish.
A few easter eggs are scattered throughout the watch, the easiest to spot being the crown, which is designed to resemble a balloon knot. On the top left, a little extra piece of rubber that’s jutting out from the side of the case symbolises the tail of the Balloon Dog. Hublot’s a stickler for details, so even the H-shaped titanium screws have a puffy appearance to match the bezel and dial. The latter continues the theme with curves that dent gently for the applied hour markers.
While the hour and minute hands are fairly regular in shape and size, the seconds hand sports a miniature Balloon Dog as a fun counterweight. A date window at 3 o’clock adds a bit more functionality to this otherwise whimsical timepiece. Even the strap drives the inflatable look home with stitched metallic leather (red and blue versions) and glossy polymer (silver version).
Behind, the sapphire caseback reveals the automatic HUB1710 calibre, based on the Zenith Elite 670. The luxury timepiece offers a power reserve of 50 hours and runs with a frequency of 28,800vph. Another easter egg here: the tungsten winding rotor with the Hublot ‘H’ logo has also been designed with the balloon animal aesthetic.
Each Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog By Jeff Koons timepiece gets you a collectible chrome-finished box with an embossed Balloon Dog on top. Only 200 pieces in each colour are available, so fans of both Koons and Hublot will want to move fast with this.
Source: CNA/sn
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
