Creating a timeless watch is an art within itself, but there’s no reason you can’t spice up your sleeve with a timepiece that is literally a work of art.
From colorful street art to colorful abstractions, the world of watchmaking has tapped directly into some of the most innovative minds of the modern art world to create some truly eye-catching designs.
See also: Bulgari Celebrates 50th US Anniversary With Limited Edition Collection Featuring Ancient Roman Coins
Below, we’re celebrating some of our favorite artistic timepiece collaborations, from Hublot to Tag Heuer, Felipe Pantone to Carmen Herrera, the “Mona Lisa” to Dali and everything in between.
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Contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami is one of the most vibrant visionaries of our time. His inventive "superflat" style takes pop art to a new dimension, bringing traditional Japanese art techniques to technicolor explosions of psychedelic modernism. Hublot tapped the iconic creative to design the Takashi Murakami Sapphire Rainbow, part of the brand's Classic Fusion line. It glitters in polished sapphire crystal with 384 colored gemstones dropped in the shape of Murakami's signature flower. The transparent body and spinning internal face make this a show-stopping timepiece for any colorful collector.
Following its big win with Murakami, Hublot continued the artistic Classic Fusion lineup with the Aerofusion Chronograph All Black Shepard Fairey. The “Obey” street artist is world renown for his massive murals and his work on former President Obama’s “Hope” signs. Usually working within a tri-color palette scheme, Fairey’s take on the timepiece pops in shades of black, choosing rather to distinguish itself by the artist’s uniquely intricate style of linear form. The fluid and compact design symbolizes the cycles of life and the unity that exists between seemingly disparate cultures. Politics and brotherhood have always played a central role in Fairey’s work.
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Fairey isn’t the only street muralist to touch the timepiece universe. Spanish artist Felipe Pantone turns heads with his retro-futurist style and bold primary colors. A modern master of the kinetic art movement, Pantone brought his dynamic style to Zenith’s Defy 21, and the result is a wristwatch that redefines its genre. The case and bezel are engraved in a grid, while lightning bolt hands in a gradient of colors point out the time, each hourly index of which is marked not by a number but by its own distinctly colored block. The face is the real standout piece, though, expertly marked with Pantone's signature mix of black lines and brilliant color blends. You won’t see another watch like this anywhere in the world.
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The Swiss have long been masters of the timepiece trade, and Corum teamed with Québécois artist Elisabetta Fantone to create a modern watch with ties to one of the most classic masters in the whole of art history. For this limited-edition timepiece in Corum’s Bubble Watch collection, Fantone explores the concept of "cumulative advantage," wherein the richer or more famous a person or artifact is, the richer and more famous they continue to become. Leonardi da Vinci's “Mona Lisa” was a rather obscure painting for most of its life, until a grand theft in the early 1900s made it the most popular painting on Earth. It remains the most popular piece in The Louvre’s grand collection, and yet its hold on popular consciousness leaves many artists bewildered, Fantone included. On this face, we see the coquettish smile and its wearer reinterpreted in bold colors, abstract patterns and a sexualized pose.
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Speaking of artworks that earned recognition late in their lives, Cuban-American abstract artist Carmen Herrera was 89 when she sold her first painting in 2004. The immensely talented painter has since moved the world with her clean lines, bold colors, and loud yet minimal approach. In 2021, shortly before her passing in 2022, three of her most beloved works were translated into watch faces by American luxury watchmaker Movado, including 2016's “Night Forest,” “Borealis” from 1966 and 2016, and “Orange & Red” from 1989. The attention-grabbing looks are a must for any fan of the mid-century modern movement.
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One more street artist taking the timepiece world by storm, Alec Monopoly is easily spotted for his use of bright colors, dripping tag motifs and Rich Uncle Pennybags mascot (made famous as the main character in the game Monopoly). A native to New York City, his works pay homage to the graffiti world, and he brought his cartoonish energy to the face of Tag Heuer. The Formula 1 Alec Monopoly Special Edition.
See also: See Jacob & Co.'s $600K Alec Monopoly Watch With Spinning Diamond
Long-standing relationship with Tag Heuer aside, no one watchmaker has a monopoly on Alec. The street artist also collaborated with celebrity-jeweler Jacob & Co. on a moving timepiece that takes its style to even higher surrealist heights. The Astronomia Alec Monopoly is a wacky wonder that puts "the Monopoly Man" and "Scrooge McDuck" right in the center of a galactic face. Dollar bills, old coins and shimmering diamonds create a whole cinematic scene that fits on your wrist.
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If any artist in the world were prime to design a watch, none is more prepared for the job than Spanish surrealist master Salvador Dali. His iconic painting “The Persistence of Memory,” with its melting clocks and abstract scene, is perhaps the most famous surrealist artwork of all time. This wild and wonderful watch by Softwatch Exaequo takes those melting clocks and puts one on your wrist, so you can always tell what time it is, even when you’re absolutely out of your mind.
Interested in other cool artistic collabs and fun-loving jewelry items? Check out this limited collection of wearables from Norwegian electronic duo Royksopp and jewelry maker Tom Wood, or these adorable rings and necklaces from Alita that put childish whimsy at the forefront.
Photography by: Courtesy of Hublot; Courtesy of Jacob & Co.
