By John Galt
Hublot has released their offering, mixing influences from pop art, for the ‘Only Watch auction’ being held in November in aid of raising funds for medical research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) a debilitating neuromuscular disease.
Hublot has been partnering with the ‘Only Watch’ auction since 2005 now, ten years on they still don’t fail to astound us with their creations, this year’s offering being no exception. This year Hublot have teamed up with renowned Brazilian pop and cubism artist Romero Britto to create a dial based on his work, this unique Classic Fusion Britto watch is influenced heavily by the pop art movement in Brazil.
This unique Hublot Classic Fusion Only Watch Britto blends the modern pop and cubism of artist Romero Britto with the age old tradition of enamelling. Anyone that follows or admires Hublot will notice that the case is pure Classic Fusion with its 45mm polished black ceramic case, black ceramic winding crown and Hublot’s signature six screws on the bezel, but this piece isn’t about the case, it’s purely the unique dial of the watch.
Romero Britto, the artistic influence behind the Hublot Classic Fusion Only Watch Britto
Picture © Coral Springs Museum
The base of the dial is 18k white gold decorated with the Champlevé Grand Feu Enamel Britto ‘Only Watch’ design which the artisan dial makers at Hublot have managed to perfectly and correctly reproduce the design of the colourful work of art by Britto. On the dial, the master dial-maker, guided by the vibrantly coloured work of art by Britto, reproduces the lines of the design at the perfect scale. Then, the white gold dial is struck to prepare it for the champlevé́ enamelling. Finally, the enameler applies thin layers of the powder enamel to the piece, adding the 6 opaque colours from the 250 shades in his palette one by one. The paint is then fixed to the dial through successive firings at a temperature of approx. 800°C. Britto’s iconic designs are brought out perfectly by the meticulously applied enamel. In creating this dial, the real challenge was to transcribe in miniature all the harmony and energy of Britto’s work. If you look closely at the dial you will see Hublot have added a sub-seconds dial at 7’O’clock so not to obscure the aesthetics or colours of the dial.
This unique timepiece stands apart from the other models in the Only Watch lineup and one of a kind piece as it is being auctioned along with the canvas that inspired it. A first!
Inside the Hublot Fusion Britto beats the heart of Hublot’s in-house movement the HUB1302 Manual movement with a power reserve of 90 hours.
Finishing off this unique piece is a sumptuous glossy red alligator strap with platinum stitching sewed onto black rubber which really finishes off this the stylish and vibrant look to this piece.
Conclusion
This piece will not be to everyone’s taste with its wild and vibrant colours with a rich vein of pop art running through it, BUT I’m sure this will find a new home after the auction especially as it comes with a canvas of the original painting and is for a very good cause.
For more info, please visit hublot.com
JOHN GALT – CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
John Galt caught the horology bug back in 2010 on his first visit to a London watch show and has snowballed since; John has become an avid writer and blogger of timepieces of all kinds, from everyday timepieces to modern Luxury HauteHorology, his favorite brands being HYT and Greubel Forsey that push the boundaries of modern watch-making. John keeps a keen interest in the UK watch scene with their many emerging brands and timepiece’s. John Galt currently contributes watch related articles for online publications in the UK and USA. Read his articles here.
