Artist Takashi Murakami and Swiss watchmaker Hublot created the MP-15 watch with an open central tourbillon and jeweled hands. The project was developed in anticipation of the Only Watch 2023 charity auction, which aims to raise funds for research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
This is the first model with a flying tourbillon in the Hublot line. The artist personally insisted on including the element in the design. The watch brand expressed its doubts, since the tourbillon and hour hands are quite difficult to position simultaneously in the central part of the dial, but thanks to the skill and expertise of both participants in the collaboration, the MP-15 took the form originally conceived by Murakami.
Hublot craftsmen decided to position the tourbillon so that the hour wheel could rotate around it. Thus, it appears to float in the air, while the hour and minute hands are located under its frame. The hand-wound movement has a 150-hour power reserve thanks to two barrels. All details can be seen through the back of the case, made of sapphire crystal.
The watch, made in Murakami’s signature colors, is decorated with 444 precious stones. The petals surrounding the dial, like those of a real flower, face the center of the watch. The artist’s goal was to experiment with the brightness of the hues and sparkle of the gemstones. The final touch, indicating that it belongs to the Murakami universe, was a laser engraving with a smiley face under the convex sapphire crystal above the dial.