Cut For Time: Hublot’s Art, TAG Heuer’s Blue Tourbillon, Star Wars, And NORQAIN’s New Freedoms

Shepherd Fairey is a man of many talents, including creating art. His “Obama Hope” poster from the 2008 campaign is among his most well-known creations. Beyond painting, he is also a DJ, street artist, skateboarder, and founder of the OBEY clothing company. 
 

As part of the “Hublot Loves Art” series, this is Farey’s second creation. Artists Takashi Murakami and Richard Olinsky are also Hublot collaborators. Fairey, whose works are on show at the Smithsonian, MoMa in New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, chose the Classic Fusion collection for his limited-edition piece and decided to craft it in titanium. His 45mm watch, which is limited to 50 pieces, features a mandala on the dial.
 

A mandala design first appeared in Buddhist art in the first century B.C.E. and has been employed by many cultures in history. In the present day, generally unity, harmony, the cosmos, and the universe. “I wanted to integrate the art of the mandala into the piece as, for me, this evokes the connection between the inner self and the outer world,” Fairey said in a press release. “[It’s] a powerful concept to consider when looking at a watch and thinking about time." 
 

NORQAIN joined the watchmaking scene just three years ago, in 2018. But in that short time, the brand has firmly established three collections – Independence, Adventure, and Freedom. By their names alone, it’s clear that NORQAIN isn’t focused on watches for the usual 9 to 5 routine, although the timepieces could just as easily fit in at the office. 

In particular, the Freedom 60 GMT pieces’ design is inspired by “the spirit of classic 1960s watch design with a resolutely contemporary aesthetic.” And the two new models retain that aesthetic but with new materials.
 

First, an opaline dial is the highlight of the new Freedom 60 GMT Opaline, as its name suggests. The white dial is a perfect background for the 24-hour GMT central sub-dial. The dial ring is composed of two colors – the upper blue half indicates the night hours of 6 PM-6 AM, and the lower red half-ring indicates daytime, from 6 AM-6 PM. The GMT is a jumping hour hand, meaning it moves to the next hour instantaneously at the top of the hour, rather than slowly progressing by the minutes. 
 

And second, the Forest Green Limited Edition exemplifies environmental awareness. NORQAIN has gone vegan for its strap, which is made of Perlon rubber by the Swiss-based BIWI that specializes in vegan-certified products. The watch’s new forest green dial harkens to the natural environment, and an all-new bronze case enhances the watch’s overall outdoorsy look. Like the other Freedom 60 GMT watches, this model also has a central GMT ring, this time in black and white, and a date indicator at 3 o’clock. It’s available in a limited edition of just 300 pieces. 
 

(Images provided by the brands)