With the Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph All Black Shepard Fairey watch, the Nyon-based watchmaker continues a decade-long legacy of Hublot Loves Art. This 50-piece limited edition, exclusive to Hublot North America, is the latest fusion of internationally renowned contemporary street artist Shepard Fairey and Hublot’s All Black design signature.

Launched in 2018, this partnership was joined by other legendary collaborations with Takashi Murakami, Richard Orlinski, and Maxime Plescia-Buchi, among other greats in the world of art, music, gastronomy, and sports. Expanding on the latest Hublot and Shepard Fairey iteration (released in 2020), the partners again chose a watch from the Classic Fusion collection with the Mandala as the centerpiece. Fairey explains: “Over the course of my watchmaking partnership with Hublot, I discovered that the Mandala — a recurring theme of my work and an ongoing source of inspiration —lives in perfect harmony and balance within a timepiece, and it naturally became the centerpiece for my collaboration. In revisiting this design for a North American exclusive, we took this distinctive shape and married it with the Hublot signature All Black ceramic for a look that fuses our respective artworks together.”

The brand, famous for being first, unique, and different discovered a natural partner in Shepard Fairey, renowned for breaking molds and challenging opinions with his striking artwork that is housed in some of the world’s finest galleries, as well as democratically displayed on streetscapes in major cities across the USA and the world. Fairey is a contemporary street artist, painter, graphic designer, activist, DJ, illustrator, and founder of the OBEY Clothing company. He is perhaps most famous for the 2008 “Obama Hope” poster that became an iconic representation of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, as well as the piece “Liberté, égalité, fraternité,” which he created as a symbol of hope for France after the 2015 terrorist attacks, and the massive 2015 “Earth Crisis” installation at the Eiffel Tower supporting environmental responsibility. Fairey was the first-ever artist to have work installed on the Eiffel Tower.

Presented in a 45mm-wide and 13.45mm-thick case in micro-blasted black ceramic, the Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph All Black Shepard Fairey rocks a special engraved design on its case profile, the top of its lug structure, as well as on its bezel and dial. A most spectacular pattern meets the most subdued color palette, All Black, to create a piece of extraordinary contrast. Contrast remains the theme throughout: Engraved and smooth surfaces follow each other, extending a visual experience into a tactile one in the case of this special Aerofusion. The sapphire crystal caseback reveals the HUB1155 self-winding chronograph movement with 207 components, 60 jewels, and 42 hours of power reserve.

The “sapphire décor” dial follows suit as its reflective hands and hour markers stand against the countless black voids created by the engraved and partially open-worked dial. To anyone who has ever owned one of Hublot’s trademark All Black pieces, it is known that they are much more legible than the heavily constrained range of colors would lead one to expect. It is only right that the piece is complemented by the classic black rubber strap of Hublot, secured with a folding clasp in black micro-blasted steel.

To celebrate the launch of the North American limited edition, Hublot paid tribute to the famous Angelino in his hometown, hosting an exclusive party at West Hollywood establishment Delilah’s in the presence of Hublot friends, featuring custom-made Mandala projections and Moroccan-inspired lanterns that embodied the distinctive outlines of Shepard’s Mandala’s, lending a moody theme to the night that paid homage to the spiritual object’s significance across a range of cultures and times, including the present moment. The message and motif of Shepard’s Mandala’s continued to be cast throughout Los Angeles and North America, with a large-scale visual activation of Shepard’s work wrapping the Hublot Beverly Hills Flagship Boutique that brings to life the creative mindset of both artist and timekeeper.

Continuing to create and inspire, Shepard’s latest collaboration with Hublot testifies to the duo’s abilities in taking form, and material, to the next level. The Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph All Black Shepard Fairey watch is priced at $25,900 and is limited to just 50 pieces. You can learn more at the brand’s website.

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