Hublot & Takashi Murakami Turn the Classic Fusion Watch Collab Into NFTs
Remember Hublot and Takashi Murakami's watches from December 2021? Well, the sold-out timepieces are making a comeback, but this time, the two are turning the collab into an NFT (sorry, NFT adversaries).
Since Hublot is part of Geneva's Watches and Wonders convention, the luxury watch brand found it the perfect time to announce the next phase of its collaboration with Takashi Murakami, i.e., its watch-related NFTs.
Essentially, Hublot turned the collab's 2021 Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Sapphire Rainbow and All Black watches into digital NFT artworks, with an appropriate unveiling at Watches and Wonders.
Undoubtedly not as icy as the IRL Hublot x Takashi Murakami watches, the collab's pixelated NFTs present the Japanese artist's recognizable smiling Murakami flower on the timepieces' faces in black and rainbow versions.
The adorable Murakami figure also shows up on the NFTs' backgrounds as a repeating neutral-toned print.
Lucky for those who could cop the physical collaborative watches in 2021, they get first dibs on the Hublot Classic Fusion Murakami NFT.
To claim the free NFT, current owners of the Hublot x Takashi Murakami Classic Fusion watches must follow Hublot's detailed step-by-step process as laid out on its website.
In May 2022, holders of the collaborative watch and NFT will be able to trade the digital artwork via Hublot's new NFT marketplace, which will launch in May 2022 alongside the NFTs' public sale.
I wouldn't wait too long to snag your Hublot Classic Fusion Murakami NFT, as the digital works are just as exclusive as the real-life collab.
The Hublot Classic Fusion Murakami NFT All Black will only feature 216 limited pieces (16 more than the colorway's 200 units). The Sapphire Rainbow will include 108 pieces (eight more than the version's initial 100 units).
From Takashi Murakami's first Nintendo-inspired NFT to his avatar series with RTFKT, it's safe to say he thoroughly enjoys the NFT world, this latest linkup with Hublot included.
After all, the NFT space is a digital sphere made for artists (though unadorned million-dollar Bored Apes always find their way into the mix), and a forward-thinking artistic creative like Murakami is taking full advantage in leading the future of art.
While we await the collab's May NFT drop, be on the lookout as you may stumble across a Hublot x Takashi Murakami NFTs ad or two, like hidden posters or in-your-face projections, during your daily walk in London and New York.