The Takashi Murakami and Hublot partnership was never going to only involve one or maybe two models. For his fans and Hublotistas alike (and the crossover) a new model, again featuring his chart-toppingly popular flower, can now be yours, funds permitting.
The new MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire is the first limited edition Hublot watch with a central flying tourbillon is Hublot’s first serially-produced central flying tourbillon.
The polished sapphire case is 42mm, has a polished sapphire bezel, sapphire case back, sapphire crown, translucent flange, and water resistance of 30m. The dial is polished transparent composite resin and is fused with the case and movement.
Starting from the central tourbillon, with its Murakami smile atop are hours and minutes and short black-plated hands that pass beneath the tourbillon cage. The white hour markers and hands have white Super-LumiNova. They are surrounded by his flower, whose twelve petals are made of sapphire.
This new model is wound and set using a crown at 3 o’clock. It’s ‘manually’ wound, but not in the familiar way. It is done with the use of a stylus designed for this piece and which is rechargeable through a USB. You place the stylus on the crown and it winds one hundred complete revolutions.
Looking at the movement – the skeletonised HUB9015 has a power reserve of 150 hours, with a tourbillon designed without an upper bridge. There are two barrels, which drive the central tourbillon. The escapement and the hour and minute hands share a space. In order to achieve this, the cannon pinion and the hour wheel had to be pivoted around the tourbillon support by creating a co-axial construction.
Coming on a transparent rubber strap with a sapphire crystal and titanium deployant buckle, the new MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire comes in a limited edition of fifty pieces has an RRP of CHF300,000/ AUD 475,000.
Some of may be aware of this – Hublot’s entry this year in the postponed Ony Watch 2023 is/ was the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Only Watch, a 42mm-sized sapphire watch with a central flying tourbillon surrounded by twelve petals set with 444 gemstones. It obviously also uses the HUB9015 and comes on a transparent rubber strap with the familiar flower and a sapphire and titanium clasp.
[Photo credit: Takashi Murakami/ Hublot]
Categories: Hublot, Limited Editions, Watch Profile, watches, Women's watches
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