Art and Watch fans are universally familiar with the names Shepard Fairey and Hublot, with both industry leaders first partnering in 2018 on the Big Bang Meca-10 Shepard Fairey limited-edition timepiece that would begin a celebrated pairing. True to Hublot’s mantra ‘’Hublot Love Art’’ Shepard Fairey has been embraced as a part of the Hublot family alongside peers Takashi Murakami, Richard Orlinski and Maxime Plescia-Buchi among other greats in the world of Art, Music, Gastronomy and Sport.
The brand, famous for being first, unique and different discovered a natural partner in Shepard Fairey, who breaks moulds and challenges opinions with his striking artwork that is housed in some of the worlds finest galleries as well as democratically displayed on streetscapes in major cities across the USA and the world.
Fairey a contemporary street artist, painter, graphic designer, activist, DJ, illustrator, , and founder of the OBEY Clothing company is most famous for the 2008 "Obama Hope" poster which became an iconic representation of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, as well as the piece "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" which he created as a symbol of hope for France after the 2015 terrorist attacks, or themassive 2015 “Earth Crisis” installation at the Eiffel Tower supporting environmental responsibility. Fairey was the first-ever artist to have art installed on the Eiffel Tower.
Expanding on the latest Hublot and Shepard Fairey iteration (released in 2020), the partners again chose a watch from the Classic Fusion collection with the Mandala as the centerpiece, anchoring the All Black design elements so unique to Hublot that intricately layer upon each other to add unexpected depth to the monotonal creation. Complete with a chronograph movement and cased in All Black ceramic with Hublot’s classic black rubber strap, the piece is a work of art and watch making precision. The opened case back, clad in sapphire, reveals the complication and number of this limited edition, one of fifty-two pieces available for sale exclusively in North America.
Shepard Fairey Artist - Over the course of my watchmaking partnership with Hublot, I discovered that the Mandala – a recurring theme of my work and an ongoing source of inspiration – lives in perfect harmony and balance within a timepiece and it naturally became the center piece for my collaboration. In revisiting this design for a North American exclusive, we took this distinctive shape and married it with the Hublot signature All Black ceramic for a look that fuses our respective artworks together
To celebrate the launch of the North American limited edition, Hublot paid tribute to the famous Angelino in his hometown, hosting an exclusive party at West Hollywood establishment Delilah’s The event featured custom made Mandala projections and Moroccan inspired lanterns that embodied the distinctive outlines of Shepard’s Mandala’s, lending a moody theme to the night that paid homage to the spiritual object’s significance across a range of cultures and times, including the present moment.
The message and motif of Shepard’s Mandala’s continued to be cast throughout the city and North America, with a large-scale visual activation of Shepard’s work wrapping the Hublot Beverly Hills Flagship Boutique and an animated social media campaign that brings to life the creative process of both artist and timekeeper.
