Here’s the First Look at Hublot’s New Watch Designed by Shepard Fairey
The street art legend shared an exclusive sneak peek.
Swiss luxury watch brand Hublot has a knack for creating buzzy collaborations, whether it’s limited-edition timepieces inspired by Bruce Lee, Floyd Mayweather and Kobe Bryant, or a watch designed by Kanye West’s favorite tattoo artist.
Hublot’s latest collab is with artist, graphic designer and activist Shepard Fairey, Maxim can reveal. You might know Fairey from his “Obey Giant” street art series that questioned authority while memorably shouting out Andre the Giant. He also created the iconic Obama “Hope” poster during the 2008 presidential campaign, and was the subject of the 2017 Hulu documentary, Obey Giant.
Fairey is following his OBEY brand’s recent streetwear line celebrating horror punk heroes The Misfits by designing something considerably more high-end: a $28,000 Hublot for the brand’s Big Bang MECA-10 series.
Fairey’s watch showcases a unique architectural design inspired by a construction set. It has 223 parts, a gear-driven mechanical aesthetic, and a stylized skeleton revealing a cogwheel power reserve indicator. It comes in racing grey or blue, with just 100 made in each colorway.
“My creative process for working with Hublot was to look at the size of the ‘canvas’ and think, ‘What are the natural elements within my work that would work harmoniously with the overall watch?'” Fairey said about his design inspiration.
“There isn’t a lot of surface area and the design shouldn’t be too flashy. I looked at the subtle elements of my work; a lot of the foundation work that I do in my collages have a subtle, tonal quality I thought would be elegant and could work well.”
“I looked at the elements I use in my work that I think work well graphically and that can be read in a small area, but also have a signature look that is recognizably mine.”
Hublot provided more technical details about the mechanics of their latest creation, in case you’re interested:
Accentuating this mechanical architecture, an opening at 3 o’clock sees Shepard Fairey’s “STAR GEAR” logo and unveils a red dot when the movement is nearing the final days of its power reserve, while a gearwheel at 6 o’clock indicates the exact number of days remaining and the regulating organ, coupled with the small second regulator, appears at 7 o’clock.
Another key technical feature is Hublot’s patented “one click” mechanism, which allows the watch strap to be changed quickly and easily to offer variety.
Stylistically, the Texalium™ case wears a tribal, floral pattern to mimic the artist’s work, which extends throughout the straps. Additionally, the “Star gear” logo can be found in the 3-o’clock sub dial, which further builds on the overall steampunk vibe.
The Big Bang Meca-10 Shepard Fairey is available beginning in July for $28,300. Plus tax, of course.