In their latest collaboration, Hublot and artist Daniel Arsham build on the Arsham Droplet from 2024 with a new Masterpiece: The MP-17 MECA-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire.
Last year (2024), Hublot teamed up with contemporary artist, Daniel Arsham, to produce the Arsham Droplet – a three-in-one timepiece that flows between a pendant, pocketwatch and desk clock thanks to its unique design. We did what was potentially the only Hands On Review of the MP-16 Arsham Droplet in the world of the unique piece. While it was very unique, it was a cool concept and showcased beautifully how Hublot collaborates with artists to bring to life their vision and craft and fuses it with Hublot’s watchmaking. After all, Hublot is all about the Art of Fusion! It was limited to 99 pieces, and it quickly sold out thanks to its non-traditional looks, and collectors jumped on it as, let’s face it, it’s not every day something like that comes around. Well, almost…
Today, Hublot and Daniel Arsham once again team up to bring us another creation that, in Daniel’s words, “…explores the fluidity of time through a case inspired by the perfect geometry of a water droplet, crafted using Hublot’s Meca-10 movement. The watch’s transparent structure captures the clarity and motion of water, suspended, precise, and always in flux.” The MP-17 MECA-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire is that creation, and when you look at it, it does look reminiscent of the MP-16 Droplet, and when I first saw this piece, it seemed like a watch carved from and frozen in ice.
This piece is carved out of Sapphire and titanium. Don’t let the bezel fool you, that isn’t rubber like I first thought before handling it. Hublot has created a part bezel, part case made from sapphire, which is then laser etched and polished to give an effect that could be ice, or ripples of water, a little like frosted glass. Hublot’s ‘H’ style screws fix this to the titanium maincase, and the cutaway showcases the MECA-10 movement through the sapphire crystal.
The watch is 42mm in diameter and 15.35mm thick, with essentially no lugs, as the rubber strap that has Daniel Arsham’s logo etched into it joins directly to the case itself. Hublot has used the new generation MECA-10 movement in the Arsham Splash, the HUB1205, which has enabled the watch to be smaller than if it had used the previous generation HUB1201 MECA-10 that was designed for the 45mm case. This is on full display via the dial side and the reverse of the case, where the opening of the titanium caseback mirrors the fluid opening on the dial, revealing the MECA-10 movement inside. If you’re unfamiliar with the MECA-10, then head to my education article on The Movements Of Hublot, or check out my review on the OG MECA-10.
A Statement Piece For Collectors
Daniel Arsham’s work across multiple disciplines is like no other. He takes inspiration from nature, and imagines this into shapes that are part of a fictional archaeology vision, where he reimagines contemporary objects as ancient artefacts, blurring the lines between past, present and future. As he explains, “My work is about collapsing time. You’re not quite sure if it’s an object from the past or the future.” A very relevant statement for this piece, and a piece that makes a statement for sure.
Thanks to Daniel Arsham’s vision and Hublot’s expertise, this is one piece that is designed for the collector in mind. When you have a lot and want to stand out, then the MP-17 will do the trick. On the wrist, it looks like nothing else and will turn heads. The frosted sapphire looks almost rubbery in texture, so it’s a sensory trick when holding it and trying it on – your brain thinking it should be feeling something soft, when it’s rock solid, is a bit of a trip. The unusual cut-away dial shows off the MECA-10 well, making sure the power reserve wheel, small seconds and the rack system that drives the power reserve wheel are all on full display.
The pops of light green are a nod to Daniel Arsham’s signature colour, and can be found on the lumed hands and indices, as well as the last 2 days of power on the reserve indicator. Above the Hublot logo, which is etched into the crystal itself, is the Arsham logo on the dial periphery where the 12 o’clock indicator would be. All through, you can see the architecture of the MECA-10.
Initial Thoughts
I won’t mince words here. The Arsham Splash is just super cool. It shows what a watch brand can do when it lends itself to a creative who wants to create something totally unseen before. There are not many, if any, brands that would give over creative freedom to a collaborator like Daniel Arsham, and in saying this, not many, if any, that could bring to life the vision like Hublot. Hublot’s strength lies in its ability to create freely and not be constrained by decades and centuries of heritage. It’s building modern watches for people who want a piece left of centre. Which, I feel, is needed in any industry. It helps to push the boundaries and forces all brands to pay attention.
Outside of the idea behind the MP-17, the watch is serious, even if it doesn’t look like it. The MECA-10 movement is a great movement, and when conceived, it won the Red Dot Award for Product Design back in 2017, just after its 2016 release. This is a big deal if you’re in the business of designing movements. I do wish Hublot had kept the holes in the three bridges from the HUB1201, as this is what made the movement look like it was made from Meccano, but the newer HUB1205 movement is more refined and elegant, even if somewhat industrial.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a special release from Hublot if it weren’t limited, which it is. Like the Arsham Droplet, the Arsham Splash is limited to 99 pieces worldwide and retails for around A$104,000 here in Australia. We won’t see many if the MP-16 Arsham Droplet is anything to go by, and the few we did receive in the country were snapped up pretty quickly. For those with the means, I’d imagine that many owners of the Arsham Droplet will be in line for this, adding it to the collection so they can wear it on the wrist and the Droplet for other occasions.
Reference: 917.NX.6909.RX
Specifications:
- Case: 42mm x 15.35mm thick
- Case Material: Shiny Microblasted Titanium
- Dial: Rhodium-plated & Shiny Microblasted with Green Arsham Superluminova
- Bezel: Polished & laser textured sapphire crystal
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Movement: HUB1205 Manufacture Manual-winding Skeleton Power Reserve Movement. Beating at 21,600 VpH / 3Hz and pivoting on 29 Jewels
- Case-Back: Shiny Microblasted Titanium
- Water resistance: 50 metres / 5ATM
- Power reserve: 10 Days / 240 hours
- Strap: Charmille grained black rubber strap decorated with the Arsham Monogram & titanium deployant buckle