Hublot & Daniel Arsham Turned The Pocket Watch Into A Futuristic Relic
Say what you want about Hublot, but the Swiss watchmaker knows how to design a head-turning watch case and how to create a hype watch collab.
Both of these skills came to a head today with Hublot's new partnership with the "fictional archeologist" and contemporary artist Daniel Arsham. Dubbed the Arsham Droplet, the duo has reworked the pocket watch with a bit of biomimicry and industrial futurism.
Think of it as an "art piece" that can be worn as your standard pocket watch (Like Berry Keoghan at the 2024 Met Gala), as a pendant around your neck à la the legend Slick Rick, or as the ultimate statement desk clock with its titanium and mineral glass table stand.
Hublot had me at pocket watch but seeing it take this futuristic, organic form is what is winning me over.
For the uninitiated, the pocket watch goes back to the 1600s with very few notable design updates to the exterior — specifically its circular shape.
The Daniel Arsham-designed 73.2 x 52.6 mm case is stunning. Made from sapphire (a very hard material to work with), titanium, and rubber, the pocket watch is translucent and quite literally looks like a water droplet.
And can it tell time? Oh, it can do more than that. The Arsham Droplet houses Hublot's beefy MECA-10 movement. Launched in 2016, the in-house movement has 223 components generating a 10-day or 240-hour power reserve.
To put that into perspective, most "standard" watches can have anywhere between 24 and 72 hours of power.
It should also be noted that the Arsham Droplet comes with 30 meters of water resistance if any of you are planning to take your droplet timepiece swimming this summer. But, if you want to get your hands on one you are going to have to move fast.
The Hublot and Daniel Arsham collaboration is limited to 99 pieces and will set you back $93,000. You can currently enquire about the Arsham Droplet on the Hublot website.
It seems high-profile collaborations are not going away anytime soon in the watch world and I am curious to see what is to follow in the coming months and years.
If things continue heading in this direction I won't be mad at that, especially if we see more pocket watches in the horology meta.
Eager to check out the latest and greatest in the watch world? Be sure to stop by our Highsnobiety Watch Guide or pick up a few watches in our Highsnobiety shop. In the meantime, have you seen Rolex's 2024 novelties?
