The MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow (All photos: Hublot)
Dominated by cartoonish characters and psychedelic colours, the visually supercharged world of Takashi Murakami is born out of the clashes of the traditional and contemporary.
Trained in nihonga, a late-19th-century style of classical Japanese painting, Murakami holds a doctorate in the subject from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts. The origins of his highly serialised smiling flower motif are closely tied to a subtopic of his field: setsugekka, which translates into the depiction of snow, moon and flowers.
His zany blooms, beaming with rainbow petals, rode on the tailwinds of Hello Kitty, the poster child of Japan’s kawaii culture that took the world by storm in the 1970s.
Murakami’s flowers, too, attained global commercial success, resulting in their proliferation in art, music and fashion, alongside his other creations such as Mr DOB — a hybrid of Sonic the Hedgehog, manga character Doraemon and yōkai monsters of Japanese folklore — that espouse his “superflat” theory. The postmodern art movement doffs its hat to Japan’s long history of planarity in art and remarks on the superficiality and lack of depth of consumer culture.
Murakami first began working together with Hublot in 2021, which subsequently saw the launch of his eponymous Classic Fusion models, as well as a series of non-fungible token (NFT) artworks paired with 13 unique pieces. The concept of bridging the digital and physical not only represented a first in watchmaking but also exemplified both the artist’s and Hublot’s innovative spirit to push boundaries and explore uncharted territories.
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In 2023, the duo unveiled the MP-15 Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow for the Only Watch charity. Accepting Murakami’s challenge, Hublot debuted its very first central tourbillon using his smiling flower, bedecked with a vibrant gradient of precious gems. It sold for CHF420,000 (RM2.1 million), with the proceeds donated to Duchenne muscular dystrophy research and the medical care of children fighting the disease.
Now, a limited edition of just 20 pieces, with a variation of the petals, is up for grabs. Meticulously crafted from a block of sapphire crystal, the 42mm smiling flower case features 12 petals with polished titanium inlays set with 444 brilliant-cut precious gemstones. From scarlet rubies and pink sapphires to blue topazes and green tsavorites, the stones are grouped together such that each petal has a different hue, reflecting the original Murakami design.
“For the past two decades, I’ve always admired complexity in watchmaking. I was most impressed by Hublot because they gave me the opportunity to be involved in Swiss watchmaking and make my own design from scratch. This time round, we were able to do that, so I think it represented a major milestone for me. In terms of the crystal sapphire, my initial request was fulfilled perfectly,” says Murakami in a video call.
At the heart of the MP-15 (“MP” stands for “masterpiece”) lies the HUB9015 calibre with a central flying tourbillon, which can be admired through the domed sapphire crystal engraved with the icon’s jocular expression. To keep its viscera clearly in view, the hours and minutes have been pushed to the dome’s periphery, with their tips pointing upwards and outwards, made possible thanks to the intricate co-axial construction. Twelve baton hour markers, corresponding to the colour of the petals, are set on a flange ring like stamens.
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While this MP-15 epitomises sculptural, wearable art, it is by no means merely a looker. The manual-winding calibre has a power reserve of 120 hours — enough to run for nearly a week. And to make the winding experience as effortless as possible, Hublot has created a rechargeable stylus. Secure it to the crown and it will wind the twin barrels in 100 revolutions. A transparent watch strap ensures the flower remains the centre of attention. Like the case, the deployant buckle is also crafted in sapphire crystal and titanium.
Murakami still remembers the first time he got to know the manufacture. “About 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Basel watch fair and that was my first contact with Hublot. I asked what kind of brand Hublot was and the response was it was a high brand that was very sporty. I also heard the brand was very compelling to young watch enthusiasts. I believe that left an indelible impression on me.
“So I had this notion if there’s an opportunity for me to work with Hublot, I’ll probably be targeting very young people. And that’s how it turned out in reality as well.”
Though now a household name, the artist faced a fair share of rejection when he first ventured into the Japanese contemporary art world. “But then, I became very involved in various exhibitions outside Japan and became very active internationally. Since then, followers of my art began to increase [in numbers]. But I believe it’s high time young Japanese artists with totally different concepts emerge and overtake our generation.”
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Murakami’s involvement with NFTs is his way of embracing progression in art and a mindset shift amidst a new era of creatives. Just last month, the 13th and final unique piece of his NFT series with Hublot was sold at the Phillips Toki Watch Auction in Hong Kong for a whopping HK$2.09 million (RM1.2 million), blowing the original estimate of HK$450,000 out of the water.
While each of the previous 12 Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Black Ceramic pieces featured a single colour on their spinning petals, the 13th watch takes on all the colours, like the Sapphire Rainbow edition.
All proceeds from the realised price, excluding premiums, of the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Black Ceramic Rainbow have been donated to Fond’Action contre le cancer, a Swiss-based non-profit foundation that finances innovative research projects in oncology.
While Murakami’s radiant floral motif looks as though it is the picture of joy and positivity, it was actually intended to reflect the concealed and suppressed emotions of society from a catastrophic time in Japanese history. It is a symbol of contrast, a metaphor of the cycle of life and death.
“When you compare design and art, [the former is] actually about that particular moment. That’s very important. But art covers a much longer span; it’s one of longevity. For example, even if we pass away, art should still be relevant. And I think watchmaking is similar,” he says.
This article first appeared on Dec 23, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
