Labeg News! New Brand No Identity Puts the Artist’s Cardboard Creations on Your Wrist
Co-founder and Creative Director Gabriel Lau is now making wearable watch art.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
We here at Watchonista are long-time fans of Gabriel Lau, the not-so-secret identity of the Hong Kong-based artist Labeg. We first wrote about his fanciful-yet-faithful recreations of luxury timepieces made from paint and cardboard in 2021. His work is much sought after by collectors, who may find themselves waiting for months for commissions.
But now Lau’s latest venture makes it easier to own a Labeg. He and his partners have created a new brand, No Identity, that takes Lau’s almost naive visual style and transforms it into wearable art watches.
Off The Wrist
We recently caught up with Lau at a collector’s meet-up in Toronto, where he studied Industrial Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design before relocating to Hong Kong to help run his family’s business.
The gang was excited to see some of Labeg’s latest assemblages in person. And I must say, as the owner of one of Lau’s earlier works, I found it incredible to see just how much his technique has evolved since he first started making them as a creative outlet from his day job in 2019.
Lau’s art has since become highly influential in the luxury world. He’s partnered with brands such as Ulysse Nardin (he was their onsite “watchmaker” at Watches and Wonders in 2023) and H. Moser & Cie (he created a room full of paper Moser watches for pop-up exhibits at the brand’s boutiques in Hong Kong and Silicon Valley).
He’s also made surprisingly detailed models of super complicated watches by MB&F, Richard Mille, De Bethune, and even a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. And he has somehow captured the essence of a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Rainbow” using the humblest of materials: a brush, a knife, paint, and cardboard.
All that being said, what we at this Toronto meet-up were really excited to see were examples of the inaugural No Identity offerings.
It was a truly meta moment: Functioning metal watches that shared all the design language of Labeg’s famous cardboard representations. Moreover, Lau shared some happy news with us: By co-founding the new watch brand No Identity, Lau is now working full-time on watch art and watchmaking.
In The Metal
One of the most instantly identifiable attributes of Labeg’s art pieces is that they are by no means faithful representations, but at the same time, no detail is overlooked. No Identity takes Lau’s design language of handwritten typography and slightly askew case shapes and applies it to functioning timepieces.
Take, for example, the Octonoid 39 Delta Black – perhaps the best expression of the No Identity aesthetic. This sporty design features a 39.6mm DLC-coated black stainless-steel case, an integrated bracelet, and artsy calendar complications. Yes, the silhouette is a little wabi-sabi, but somehow, on the wrist, this watch feels perfectly balanced.
And even though the look of No Identity’s timepieces has been described as “Cute Ugly” because of its hand-drawn origins, the designs are very versatile. For instance, the Octonoid collection comes in either 36mm or 39mm (44mm to 46mm lug-to-lug) and is available in black, yellow-gold, or stainless-steel finishes. The dials are just as fascinating, with an off-kilter faux clos de Paris design in a wide array of colors.
My fave is the Octonoid 36 with a stainless-steel finish and salmon dial. Its design is an inventory of all things luxe.
Final Thoughts
According to the No Identity mission statement, the goal is to “disrupt the seriousness of the watch industry by bridging fine art, street culture, and watchmaking.” By making it art, says Lau, the brand provides buyers with a new way to appreciate horology.
With most pieces priced between $630 and $680, each watch is a masterclass in the design language of time-telling, and you won’t have to take out a massive student loan to get that education.
For more information about the brand and its watches, check out the No Identity website.