Make It Pop

Hublot has collaborated with musicians, athletes and chefs to create exceptional watches. Yet, it is the limited editions produced in partnership with Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami that stand out as some of the most colourful, coveted and endearing.

- Alvin Wong

Though his time on the stage was brief, Takashi Murakami was everything the capacity crowd imagined him to be. “Enjoy yourselves tonight,” he told the expectant audience. “I will be going back to my hotel to sleep!”

The 62-year-old was in Singapore last November to launch his latest collaboration with Hublot—the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire limited edition with central flying tourbillon—and was given a rock star’s reception. Hublot aficionados, watch enthusiasts and celebrities turned up in force to see Murakami and the watch. Their roar of laughter and applause at Murakami’s candour was testament to the effect the contemporary pop artist and his works have on his audience; unbridled joy at experiencing something that is honest and adorable all at once.

Looking like an animated character himself, Murakami, with his round-framed glasses and trademark faux-surprise pose, exudes child-like generosity and charm-not unlike the colourful anime-style motifs he lavishes on his works. Though formally trained in traditional Japanese painting, Murakami pioneered the postmodern art movement Superflat in 2001, which combines two-dimensional art, traditional Japanese art, manga and anime. Among his most famous creations is the 'smiling flower', which he designed in 1995 and has appeared on album covers, music videos, fashion accessories and, since 2021, on highly exclusive Murakami-designed limited-edition watches.