Hublot and Daniel Arsham's new collaboration is more than just a pocket watch
Artist Daniel Arsham showcases his creative versatility in a spectacular collaboration with Hublot. The result is a timepiece that defies expectations of function, material, and form.
Daniel Arsham is an artist whose work almost always confronts the concept of time: What do we do with time? What does time do to us? How do everyday objects and time interact? Throughout his artwork, one can easily observe time as a creative focal point, so it’s only fitting that Arsham's latest masterpiece, a pocket watch, pendant, and table clock all in one, keeps time with Swiss watchmaker Hublot’s elite mechanical accuracy on an inspired backdrop of his own design.
As perfect as this collaboration may be for Arsham and Hublot, it is also a clear departure from his signature, modernism and geodes aesthetic (the one that he applied to products from vintage cameras to Pokemón). This time, instead of taking inspiration from the ever-changing consumer world, Arsham turned to the natural world, placing his faith in the smooth, patient power of water for this timepiece. Shaped like a singular drop of water and boasting a translucent visage atop precise mechanical organs, Hublot presents the Droplet.
The Droplet comes with two micro-blasted titanium chains, one that turns the Droplet into a pendant, and another that makes it a pocket watch. Additionally, you can display the timepiece on a glass desk stand that magnifies it and creates a captivating centerpiece for any surface.
The Droplet’s versatility showcases Arsham’s intentions with the timepiece: it suits his goal of producing “future relics,” or works of art that highlight how new technologies rapidly become obsolete. Just 100 years ago the pocket watch was a premier time-keeping accessory. Now, they are almost completely nonexistent within global society. At the same time, the Droplet challenges the supposed limitations of the pocket watch and introduces a functional work of art that will certainly stand the test of time, to be marveled at by future generations.
The materials used for the Droplet are unprecedented for such a product. Arsham chose to combine durable titanium casing and Hublot’s iconic H-shaped screws with “Arsham Green” rubber bumpers and dazzling sapphire crystal. The result is not only Hublot’s first asymmetrical watch ever, but a deeply elegant item that evokes the flow and spectacle of real water. This timeless, fantastical design ultimately brings visual attention to the clock itself, which maintains Hublot’s iconic ingenuity and superior functionality. A perfect seal and 10-day power reserve are guaranteed.
Considering its importance in Arsham’s oeuvre, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that time is a hot commodity when it comes to the Arsham Droplet. Hublot only plans to sell 99 models of the timepiece so, for those in the market for one of their own, time is of the essence.
The Limited Edition Arsham Droplet is now available on Hublot’s website, and enquiries begin at $88,000.
