FeatureHublot’s Sculpted New Work Of Art – The Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski

Faceted, chiselled and full of life, the sculptures of artist Richard Orlinski are by far some of the most eye-catching works of art you’ll ever see. Known for his sculpted interpretations of wild beasts, Orlinski is currently the world’s best-selling contemporary French artist, whose works are mostly stark bursts of energy. Any creature Orlinski depicts speaks volumes with just its stance, and even with its singular hue. With a pop art style that is dynamic and incredibly memorable, Orlinski’s concept of ‘Born Wild’ seeks to depict the scary and beastly aspects of wild animals in a more positive way, making even the wildest of them all appear almost endearing, and certainly fascinating. Though his inspiration is not limited to wildlife. “My inspiration is more about what I see everywhere, day or night. My inspiration is everyday life. I don’t have special things,” he relates. “It’s not possible to identify what inspires me. It could be a window or anything around me.”

The Fusion Of Two UniversesThe artist’s medium depends on the outcome he hopes to achieve. Though Orlinski does work with stone and bronze, he leans more towards contemporary and innovative materials such as resin and aluminium. This is just one of the characteristics of his artistry that makes him and Hublot the perfect partners. Hublot, known for their art of fusion, are constantly looking for new and innovative materials. They are among the few watch manufacturers who still strive towards always achieving tangible value through high-tech materials. Hence, it should be of no surprise really that they sought to collaborate with the likes of Orlinski for the latest addition to the Hublot Classic Fusion collection. “The fusion of our two universes – that of Hublot, who take precious materials to create exceptional products, and my own bright world of colour inspired by pop art – came about quite spontaneously, almost naturally,” says Orlinski.

“I’ve known Jean-Claude Biver [president of the LVMH Group’s watch division, which Hublot is a part of] and [Hublot CEO] Ricardo Guadalupe for a while,” Orlinski informs. “They suggested that we collaborate. On seeing my sculptures, they felt that it would be very interesting to make something together.” And as the three began talking about the possibilities of a collaboration, it became clear to them what the product could be. “I accepted very fast because they let me do what nobody had done before, which was to work with the case of the watch. I was free to do what I wanted with the case.” Orlinski explains enthusiastically, “For an artist, it’s amazing to have the freedom to create what one wants. And that’s how it began.”

The Watch Itself – A Work Of Art

It’s not unusual for a watch to become the canvas for creativity that isn’t about the craft of watchmaking. “There’s art through mechanics, but there’s also art through the work of artists. And Richard Orlinski is a sculptor, with a strong identity, with his facets,” says Guadalupe. From the engraving of imagery and sculpted elements to gem-setting brilliance and miniature paintings on enamel dials, we’ve seen it all on watches from various maisons such as Vacheron Constantin, Piaget, and Breguet. What we haven’t seen much of is the build of the watch itself becoming the artwork. And that’s what Orlinski did with the Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlisnki. “I started from scratch. Hublot let me do exactly what I wanted. It was like a successful marriage,” expounds Orlinski. “Each of us brought something to it. I brought my art, they brought their watch factory, and we mixed it together to create something.” He says that he already had the initial 3D models ready when he went for his first meeting to Hublot. “With the entire structure bevelled, its three-dimensional silhouette meant completely redesigning the construction of the case, whose facets were extended to all the contours of the bezel,” adds Guadalupe.

Fusion Meets Functionality

The Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski is crafted in various versions, including cases in titanium with diamonds, black ceramic, and Hublot’s very own King Gold. However, the most significant versions are in vivid, blue ceramic, and in titanium. The design truly represents Orlinski’s brand of art, with its chiselled structure, angles and reflections that can be identifiable by anyone who knows Orlinski’s work. The ridges and edges come together in streamlined symmetry to generously, yet definitively encase the timepiece with resplendence.

The 45mm cases are designed with mirror-polished perfection but not without an ergonomic sensibility, despite the artist’s wild creativity and artistic vision. “My vision depends on the creation. If you’re talking about a watch, it has to be specific vis-à-vis the size. It can’t be two metres high. So, I have to, of course, follow some things,” explains Orlinski. Hence, despite its imposing silhouette, the Chronograph Orlinski watches have been designed to be worn comfortably on the wrist.

Both versions run on the same self-winding chronograph movement – the calibre Hublot HUB1155 – that offers a 42-hour power reserve, a date display at six o’clock, and can be seen through the open-worked display of the sapphire crystal dial. The hour markers and hands – rhodium-plated in the titanium model, and micro-blasted, black-plated titanium in the ceramic model – are seen clearly through the sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment. With the case, bezel, lugs, crown, and pushers in polished titanium or micro-blasted blue ceramic respectively, both versions are water resistant to 50m and come with black rubber straps. The caseback with sapphire glass also features each piece’s unique serial number from the limited edition – 200 each of titanium and ceramic.

Even with artistic form, the functionality and timekeeping performance are not compromised on, which makes these watches truly exemplify the art of fusion. “It is a good example of a piece of art,” says Guadalupe. “Original, bold, intriguing, the Classic Fusion Orlinski is a sculpture that tells the time.” And we can’t agree more.

The Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski watches in blue ceramic and titanium are available on special order. For any queries regarding these watches, please call +91 8725028890.

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