Is this 2021’s most unlikely design trend? From Hublot to Bulgari, luxury watchmakers go graphic with timepieces
- From Ulysse Nardin’s Freak X Razzle Dazzle to Finnish artisan Stepan Sarpaneva, watchmakers are daringly embracing dense geometric and monochromatic designs
- Hublot’s Classic Fusion Chronograph is a collaboration with American artist Shepard Fairey, and Japanese architect Tadao Ando worked on Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo
The ever-changing universe of timepieces has recently embraced an emerging trend of monochromatic, densely textured dial designs with minimalistic or architectural patterns, delivered with the help of artists and architects alike.
The most eye-catching is an in-house creation of Ulysse Nardin. Aptly named Freak X Razzle Dazzle, its geometrical pattern is inspired by wildlife camouflage and the patterns used to confuse observers trying to track the movements of warships during WWI. The vibrant dial has been “razzle-dazzled” using three techniques – lacquer, galvanisation and lasers. As it is actually a moving part of the self-winding carrousel movement turning every 60 minutes, the optical illusion is extremely vivid.
Rolex is also taking a step into this direction with the 2021 Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 in Oystersteel and yellow gold. This version of the model, first introduced in 1945, features a gold dial with a repeated, fluted motif, where half of the trapezoid shapes have a sunray brushing, whereas the other half are matt. Subtle as the quadrilateral pattern may be, its technical underpinning is impressive. The extremely precise etchings are made using a hi-tech piece of equipment called a femtosecond laser. This technology directs bursts of ultra-short (billionth of a microsecond) laser pulses onto the dial surface at an extremely rapid rate.
Monochromatic dark watches have always been the start of my designs ... I prefer to stay as dark as possible. Why? I am from Finland, and Finland is darkness: the people, the music, the mentality – everything is about darkness
Hublot’s latest contribution to this genre is the Classic Fusion Chronograph made in collaboration with the American artist and activist Shepard Fairey. Here pop art meets a hypnotic, floral mandala, horologically applied in a three-dimensional manner onto a skeletonised dial, engraved titanium case and star-engraved sapphire crystal. During a Zoom meeting, Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe was completely transparent about such a watch being a talking piece that adds value to the brand image.
He also talked about the win-win situation: collectors of Fairey come to Hublot, and collectors of Hublot come to Fairey. “The 50 pieces are sold out – some of them delivered to young collectors in China,” he added.
Fairey, for his part, believes having his art on a watch is an ideal extension of his principles, since he is a long-time advocate of art being woven into people’s daily lives. “The mandala symbolises life’s cycles and circular elements like the sun ... It was important to me that the mandala be legible while the watch’s functional timekeeping also be legible. I believe that even if a timepiece is also an art piece, it should still serve its original function properly,” he says.
Geneva-based Gianfranco Ritschel, watch expert and founder of the company Time to Train, consults and educates thousands of watch industry staff every year. “In the past technical prowess was enough to impress the clients. Now aesthetics and high-profile partnerships with artists outside the watch industry are becoming more and more important as this adds cultural and artistic value to the timepiece,” he says.