How Watch Collaboration Comes Together: Seasoned Makers Recruit Designer Input
Watches have always been the product of collaboration. Despite the current emphasis among brands on doing everything in-house, in decades past even the world’s most respected watchmakers regularly relied on outside help to provide cases, bracelets, and even movements. These days, however, as the industry has matured, the practice of collaboration has become much more outwards facing, with brands seeking creative input from architects, artists, fashion designers, and even professional athletes, while taking care of the watchmaking savoir-faire in-house.
Hublot × Takashi Murakami
Hublot × Takashi Murakami
Hublot × Takashi Murakami
Hublot × Takashi Murakami
Hublot × Takashi Murakami
Hublot × Takashi Murakami
Hublot × Takashi Murakami
Hublot × Takashi Murakami
Hublot × Takashi Murakami
Few creators in any medium embody the spirit of collaboration as well as Japanese visual artist Takashi Murakami, who has worked alongside the likes of Louis Vuitton, Issey Miyake, and countless other A-list names on unique co-branded designs. Among his most frequent creative partners is Hublot, which released their fourth joint project earlier this year. Consisting of 13 new Classic Fusion watches emblazoned with Murakami’s trademark smiling flower, the collection will be available exclusively to owners of a set of Hublot x Murakami NFTs – making for a new 21st-century twist on the watch collab concept. ($65,800)
Breitling × Boeing 747
Some pairings are more obvious than others. In the case of Breitling – a brand known for its high-end pilot watches – it wasn’t much of a surprise to see a limited-edition timepiece dedicated to the world’s most famous jet, the Boeing 747, but that doesn’t make it any less of a slam dunk. To commemorate the legacy of the 747, which ended production this year after more than half a century of flying the friendly skies, Breitling commissioned a special edition of the Navitimer, its most famous pilot’s watch. With a red ring on the dial paying tribute to the red stripe on the first-ever 747, Boeing blue accents on its famous slide-rule bezel, and “THE ORIGINAL JUMBO JET” engraved on the display case back, aviation buffs wasted no time snapping up all 747 pieces. ($12,050)
TAG Heuer × Porsche Orange Racing
TAG Heuer’s history in motorsports has run on a parallel track to Porsche’s for more than half a century. Their ongoing collaboration has produced a steady stream of limited-edition watches designed to appeal to watch-loving Porsche owners, Porsche-loving watch collectors, and every shade of enthusiast in between. Their sixth collab piece, and their first of 2023, is the TAG Heuer x Porsche Orange Racing, a TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph inspired by the colour of the heat sparks made by the car on the asphalt. Complete with a Heuer 02 automatic chronograph movement and several aesthetic nods to Porsche, from the carmaker’s logo on the bezel to the oscillating weight inspired by a Porsche steering wheel, it’s a worthy tribute to a shared legacy of speed. ($8,800)
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
Seiko × Rowing Blazers
The latest collab between Seiko and NYC-based fashion brand Rowing Blazers proves you don’t need two big names to make a great partnership. While Seiko is one of the world’s biggest watch brands and produces hundreds of thousands of watches every year, Rowing Blazers has just a single brick-and-mortar location and a highly limited output. Nonetheless, the classic Seiko 5 Sports watch turned out to be the perfect canvas for the brand’s sporty and vintage-inspired aesthetic. Sadly, for anyone looking to add one of these to their collection, this limited-edition release sold out in record time. With such an enthusiastic response to both collections, however, another colourful collab between these unlikely partners can’t be far off. ($815)
