Hublot teams up with contemporary artist Jeff Koons to reimagine the Classic Fusion as one of his iconic works of art: Balloon Dog!
If there is one thing you can’t accuse Hublot of, it is that it isn’t afraid to have some fun and go out on a limb with its designs, especially when it comes to artistic collaborations. This time, the Nyon brand is teaming up with contemporary American artist Jeff Koons, and in doing so, has given the Classic Fusion a new twist, with the watches transforming into Jeff’s iconic Balloon Dog theme!
Hublot has always been brilliant at allowing artists, especially, the freedom to create and mould their ideas and designs into Hublot’s watches. We’ve seen this with the likes of Richard Orlinski and Samuel Ross transforming the Classic Fusion and Big Bang into forms that take inspiration from, or mimic, some of their most iconic design codes, and with Daniel Arsham, something completely different.
And now, Hublot has handed the Classic Fusion over to Jeff Koons to do the same. The result? A very cool, and very fun Classic Fusion that takes on the form of Jeff’s most recognisable sculptures – Balloon Dog.
The Backstory On Jeff Koons
Jeff Koons is one of the most recognisable names in contemporary art, known for his highly polished sculptures that take inspiration from everyday objects, popular culture and childhood imagery. Koons began gaining attention as an artist in the 1980s, when he started incorporating familiar household objects, toys and commercial products into his work. His early series deliberately challenged the distinction between fine art and popular culture, and he quickly developed a style that was as much about the idea behind an object as the object itself.
In the 1990s, his work became increasingly ambitious, leading to some of his most recognisable pieces, including the Celebration series and the now-famous Balloon Dog. Constructed from highly polished stainless steel and produced on a monumental scale, Balloon Dog transformed a simple children’s party balloon into a major work of contemporary sculpture.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Koons has become one of the most commercially successful contemporary artists in the world, with his work displayed in major museums and collections around the globe. And now, his distinctive approach to art has been lent to Hublot, bringing his creative vision and Balloon Dog to the wrist.
The Classic Fusion, But More Playful
For those readers who have kids, you’ll possibly know the delight on your children’s faces when they have the chance to get their hands on a balloon animal or object. My daughters love them, and any balloon animal at a birthday party is a sure-fire hit. A balloon dog, cat, bike, hat – whatever it is, they have to have it. It is this delight that comes to mind when I see Jeff Koons’ work, and with Balloon Dog, it rekindles the kid inside you and takes you back to those weekend birthday parties. Now, you can see this every day thanks to both Koons and Hublot.
For this release, the Classic Fusion has been reimagined to be what a watch would look like if it were made from balloons. The 42mm case has been designed to look soft and light as air through shapes that look like they’ve been inflated by air, as a balloon would. Puffy is a word that comes to mind when seeing it.
“Translating Balloon Dog into the language of the Classic Fusion required far more than fusing an artwork with an existing watch. The challenge was to fundamentally reinterpret the architecture of the Classic Fusion through the visual and sculptural language of inflatable forms. Traditionally defined by its sleek and relatively flat profile, the Classic Fusion was entirely re-engineered to create the illusion of inflated volume and tension, as though each component had been shaped by air pressure,”
Jeff Koons
Via the use of polished and anodised aluminium, or stainless steel, the watches take on a surreal look and feel. The whole theme of a balloon has been followed through on the collection. Koons has even included a little flexible balloon tail at 10:30, as you would find on a balloon dog, and the rubber-moulded aluminium crown has been shaped like the end of a balloon where you tie it up.
The dial is made from a similar inflated anodised aluminium; the hands and indices also feature an inflated effect, featuring domed appliques with 3D white Super-Luminova inserts, along with a silver powdered Jeff Koons signature and balloon dog motif at 6 o’clock. Even the strap made from a debossed metallic leather insert features an inflated effect.
Pick A Colour
In the collection, a red, silver and blue Classic Fusion are on offer. These colours work incredibly well, being vibrant and fun. The red and blue stand out in my opinion as these really encapsulate the essence of what a balloon creation would be like in watch form. The blue and red models are made from the aforementioned anodised aluminium, whereas the silver is done in mirror-polished stainless steel.
Thanks to the lighter nature of aluminium, the blue and red models are lighter on the wrist, which in essence adds to the playful and balloon-like nature of the Classic Fusion. The stainless steel, on the other hand, feels more like a “normal” watch would, but also, the silver tends to not play with the light as much.
Being a limited series of 200 pieces per model, the packaging of the limited edition pieces has been thought through, with the balloon dog in a metallic motif on top done in a chrome finish, colour-matched to each watch variation.
It Is Not Air Inside
For this release, Hublot has powered the watch with the Calibre HUB1710 – based on the Zenith Elite movement from its sister LVMH brand. While it strictly isn’t a Hublot Manufacture Calibre, like the HUB1280 Unico or the Meca-10, it is part of the movement lineup borrowed from Zenith. And Zenith is no slouch when it comes to movement making, as we know.
The HUB1710 beats at 4 Hz / 28,800 VpH, and has a solid 50-hour power reserve. Now, Hublot being Hublot, has tweaked the movement aesthetics a little to be more “Balloon-esque”. The polished rhodium-plated oscillating weight has been designed with an inflated effect that matches the overall look of the Classic Fusion Balloon Dog. This, along with the caseback, also given the balloon treatment, completes the overall look.
Initial Thoughts
When I first saw the new Classic Fusion Balloon Dog models in person in Geneva a few weeks ago, I was impressed and delighted at the same time. I wasn’t sure how you would imagine a watch that looked like a balloon creation, but Jeff Koons and the crazy watchmakers in Nyon have somehow done it, and done it well too. No detail has been overlooked with these, and the watches do really look like Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog sculpture, but also like they have been inflated with air from the inside.
And this is where Hublot really comes into its own. Daring to do things other watch brands are not. I’ve said that the Art of Fusion extends beyond the use of pairing materials together; it is about the way Hublot manages to take one of their products and lets a collaborator freely have fun with it. A fusion of creativity between the brand and the artist, which inevitably creates a watch like no other. And the Classic Fusion Balloon Dog is like no other watch out there!
Limited to just 200 pieces each (600 in total across the three models), these watches talk to the kid inside and will really appeal to those collectors who want a super fun, colourful and very different piece on their wrist. Maybe they are fans of Jeff Koons, or maybe they are bored with the same old, same old. But either way, the next time you go to a party (adult or kids!), it will certainly be a talking point. Or if you have kids like me, they will bring joy to their faces every time you wear it.
References & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| References | Red: 542.UR.8170.NR.JKN26 / Blue: 542.UB.5170.NR.JKN26 / Silver: 542.SX.0820.NR.JKN26 |
| Dimensions | 42 mm x 11 mm thick |
| Case | Polished red or blue anodised aluminium, or polished stainless steel with an inflated design, featuring a rubber “dog tail” decor at 10:30 and an anodised aluminium or steel, rubber-coated crown, designed like a balloon’s inflation valve |
| Dial | Full dial with an inflated, polished finish, featuring domed appliques with 3D white Super-Luminova inserts, and a silver powdered or brilliant white Jeff Koons signature decal at 6 o’clock. |
| Crystal | Transparent Sapphire with anti-reflective treatment, featuring a raised domed surface and rounded edge |
| Caseback | Sapphire caseback with polished anodised aluminium or steel with an inflated design |
| Water Resistance | 50M / 5 BAR |
| Movement | Automatic Calibre HUB1710 with a polished rhodium-plated oscillating weight with an inflated effect. |
| Functions | Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Date |
| Power Reserve | 50 Hours |
| Strap | Rubber base with a debossed metallic coloured leather insert featuring an inflated effect and tone-on-tone stitching |