Swiss watchmaker Hublot advocates its unique “Art of Fusion” concept by inviting “crème de la crème” and legends from different fields to participate in designing timepieces that fuse traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and modern technologies and materials. In 2017, Hublot is setting its foot in harbour city’s central business district by opening a brand new boutique at ifc mall. To celebrate, Hublot held a Grand Opening ceremony on 21st March, 2017 and invited Hublot Brand Ambassador, world renowned Chinese female photographer Chen Man to officiate the ceremony and unveil her latest collaboration with the brand. In addition, to live up with the spirit of “Art of Fusion” and show how much Hublot Loves Art, the brand created the Hublot Loves Art Exhibition, showcasing the artworks as well as collaboration timepieces with Chen Man and other world famous and talented artists.
Next to Chen Man, guests officiating the ceremony of the boutique included Mr. Benoit Toulin, President of LVMH Watch & Jewelry Greater China, Mr. Loic Biver, General Manager of Hublot Greater China, and Mr. Karim Azar, General Manager of International Finance Centre Management Co. Ltd. The curtain of the ceremony was lifted by a motivational speech by Mr. Loic Biver, followed by a sharing session with Chen Man. “Hong Kong is a very energetic international city where East meets West and tradition mixes with innovation. This is the best example of ‘Art of Fusion’ so dear to Hublot,” the Ambassador said. After the speeches, guests officiated the grand opening ceremony and toasted to the success of the newly opened boutique. Conveniently located at the centre of the town, the new boutique follows through Hublot’s elegant design. With a collection of Hublot’s masterpieces on display, the boutique is destined to be a place of pilgrimage for watch lovers.
Coinciding with the occasion, Hublot is holding the Hublot Loves Art Exhibition from 21st to 29th March, 2017 at Atrium, ifc mall, Central. After the Grand Opening of the boutique guests witnessed the unveiling of Hublot and Chen Man’s collaboration watch and the opening of the exhibition. Mr. Loic Biver gave a sensational speech before the big reveal. With thundering applause, the Big Bang One Click Chen Man Special Edition made its debut. The two creators then had a discussion on the design and concepts of the novelty. Both of them agreed that they share a persistence in tradition and innovation, and
espouse the philosophy of “Art of Fusion”. Elaborating on the design concepts of the novelty, Chen Man said “I tried to capture the subtle details and differences with my female instinct, revealing the hidden characters of time in the eyes of a woman. On top of that, I applied the “Art of Fusion” by incorporating traditional Chinese philosophical ideas and modern design concepts into this timepiece.” Lastly, the mistress of ceremony invited Mr. Benoit Toulin, President of LVMH Watch & Jewelry Greater China and Mr. Karim Azar, General Manager of International Finance Centre Management Co. Ltd. on stage to join Mr. Biver and Ms. Chen for a toast to the successful launch of the watch and concluded the ceremony in a festive celebration.
“I could not be more excited to work with Hublot. I have high regard for the ‘Art of Fusion’ concept, so in the process of designing, Hublot and I discussed thoroughly how to better incorporate the idea into the timepiece. Hublot Big Bang One Click Chen Man Special Edition is a masterpiece that embodies my very own style and the impeccable watchmaking knowhow of Hublot. I look forward to collaborating with the brand again soon,” the female photographer remarked.
“With her exceptional style and captivating portraits, Chen Man is one of China’s most celebrated photographers, and one of the most unique icons in the field. Such qualities can be observed from the photographs she shot for Hublot’s ambassador campaigns. Chen Man shares the brand’s persistence in tradition and innovation, and shares our philosophy the ‘Art of Fusion’. The new timepiece and the Hublot Loves Art Exhibition are a perfect epitome of these attributes,” Mr. Loic Biver, General Manager of Hublot Greater China said.
The exhibition will be held from 21st to 29th March, 2017 at Atrium, ifc mall, Central. The interior design of the exhibition took a simplistic yet modern approach in order to enunciate the unique qualities and characteristics of the timepieces and artworks. Chen Man’s masterpieces will be displayed alongside collaboration timepieces and collections of celebrated artworks by Hublot and some of the world’s top artists, including Mr. Brainwash, Romero Britto, Maxime Büchi and Sang Bleu, Tristan Eaton, and Yue Minjun. All are welcome to visit the exhibition.
A brief introduction on the artists and the items on display are shown as below:
Chen Man: As an international visual artist, Chen Man is famous for her unique female senses and profound characterisation of the object in her photographs. She fuses Chinese traditional philosophical culture and modern fashion, creating a series of extraordinary visual art pieces. Hublot invited Chen Man to become Brand Ambassador in 2015. This year, they jointly present the Big Bang One Click Chen Man Special Edition, which will be featured in the Hublot Loves Art Exhibition with 18 of her mesmerising photographs.
Mr. Brainwash: French-born, Los Angeles-based street artist. His artworks incorporate historic pop imagery and contemporary cultural iconography. In December 2014, he designed an installation and a one-and-only limited edition timepiece to commemorate the opening of Hublot’s Bal Harbor boutique. Three of his artworks, namely Hublot American, Hublot Blind Lovers, and Hublot Lichtenstein, will be on display in the exhibition.
Romero Britto: Brazilian artist, painter and sculptor who is influenced by the Pop Art and Cubism art movements. His iconic style makes reference to a joyful, brightly coloured universe of patterns which are infinite in their combination and variation. In 2015, he collaborated with Hublot to create the limited Classic Fusion Enamel Britto that symbolises the fusion of time. The timepiece and his artwork, Patterns, will be on display in the exhibition.
Maxime Büchi – Sang Bleu: Swiss graphic designer, tattoo artist and the creative director of the independent and multi-disciplinary artistic platform – Sang Bleu. In April 2016, he created the first Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu with shapes that characterize his tattoo designs and echo the quest for perfection and the worship of symbols. The latest collaboration timepiece Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu King Gold and a glass and metal sculpture created by the artist will be on display in the exhibition.
Tristan Eaton: American visionary street artists. In 2016, Eaton and Hublot co-designed the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Concrete Jungle that is made with real concrete, as a tribute to New York City for its liveliness, tenacity and inspiration. The watch’s case back features visual of Eaton’s signature painting, Liberty. The timepiece and the painting will be on display in the exhibition.
Yue Minjun: Internationally influential Chinese artist best known for oil paintings depicting himself in various settings, frozen in laughter. To pay tribute to traditional Chinese culture through his unrestrained artistic fantasy, in
2016, Hublot and Yue delivered the Classic Fusion Monkey Artistic Watch, with a “Laughing Man” in the Monkey King disguise on the dial. The timepiece will be on display in the exhibition with his art piece, Happiness.
About Hublot
“Hublot – A different way to progress” say those who know this unique Swiss luxury watch company, where each and every moment moves forward to create the future at breathtaking speed. A dream, initiated and developed by Hublot’s Chairman Jean-Claude Biver with CEO Ricardo Guadalupe when they took control of the brand in 2004. These two men are responsible for turning the Hublot brand into a genuine success story in which the Big Bang, Classic Fusion, and MP Masterpiece Collection represent the symbols of a constantly evolving tradition.
From in-house watch complications, including award-winning minute repeaters and tourbillons, to revolutionary materials such as patented and scratch resistant Magic Gold, colored Texalium carbon fiber, and transparent sapphire cases to world class collaborations such as Ferrari, FIFA™ World Cup, and Italia Independent, Hublot characterizes itself through the “Art of Fusion” philosophy, bringing tradition into the future.
Released by: Trinity International Limited
On behalf of Hublot
Tel: +852 3583 3100 / Fax: +852 3583 1331 / E-mail: info@3trinity.hk
Contact persons: Miss Helena Hui (+852 3583 3131 or +852 9534 0813 / helena@3trinity.hk) or Miss Heidi Lam (+852 3583 3310 or +852 5533 5001 / heidi@3trinity.hk)
