Portrait Of A Masterpiece

Hublot Unveils The MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire, A Collaboration With The Renowned Japanese Artist And An Exploration Of When Pop Art Becomes A Masterpiece

- JONATHAN HO

BORN WITH INNOVATION IN MIND, Hublot's Masterpiece or MP collection represents the fusion between revolutionary movements and spectacular designs. With each iteration since the department's inception in 2010, the highest levels of craft entirely dedicated to Grand Complications embody the brand's pure prowess, inviting us to look at time in a new light.

If its first model, the barrel-shaped titanium MP-01 presented in 2011 with a shaped chronograph movement offering a 10-day power reserve, was a celebration of extraordinary movements and cutting-edge research, its latest model which celebrated its debut in November 2023 fused the work of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami in a creation unlike any Masterpiece that has come before at Hublot.

Although there are differentiating criteria on the specific elements involved in defining a work of art as a masterpiece, there are common qualities that every masterpiece shares: It must provoke sentiment and emotion, be it curiosity, awe or disgust. There should be style, technique and harmony. That said, in our modern times, a masterpiece is a creation in any area of the arts that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity or workmanship.

Beyond Superflat

Takashi Murakami should be an artist who needs little introduction. With influences spanning from the antiquated techniques of traditional Japanese Nihonga paintings to contemporary anime, he is one of contemporary culture's most popular collaborators. From album covers and music videos through streetwear and high fashion to landmark cultural institutions, his fingerprint is all around the industry. An icon of contemporary pop art, Murakami is often defined as "the Japanese Andy Warhol".