When Hublot was looking for a designer to help it commemorate the opening of its new Tokyo flagship, there was only one choice: Yohji Yamamoto.
The Swiss watchmaker tapped the Japanese designer to rethink its Big Bang GMT. Being that Yamamoto is known for preferring a noir palette, it should come as no surprise that his iteration of the timepiece is an all-black model. Limited to just 50 pieces only available in the brand’s Ginza boutique, it represents a singular aesthetic fusion.
“We are honored to celebrate the opening of our new flagship Boutique in Tokyo with fashion designer superstar Yohji Yamamoto,” said Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot’s CEO, in a press release. “This All Black limited edition we created together expresses a simple beauty through the fusion of Yohji Yamamoto’s black design signature and the complicated GMT manufacture movement.”
Designer Yohji Yamamoto. Photo by Kazumi Kurigami
The 45mm case (water-resistant to 100m), case back and bezel of this unique style are all made from micro-blasted and polished ceramic. Smoked black sapphire crystal covers the black dial and hands while “Special Edition” is engraved across the back. This houses the self-winding Hublot Unico manufacture movement HUB1251 with a 72-hour power reserve and 41 jewels. To reinforce a sense of duality, the GMT allows the wearer to view two time zones simultaneously via a patented proprietary module, enabling the second time zone to be updated instantly by a push-button. The watch fits around the wrist with a tonal black rubber strap and is secured with a black-plated titanium deployant buckle clasp.
“This watch can easily display the time zones of the two cities where I’m based, Tokyo and Paris,” Yamamoto said in a press release. “Moreover, the hours are invisible. As a person who isn’t always forthcoming, I find that highly amusing. I’m pleased to have taken part in the creation of this model to celebrate the opening of Hublot Boutique in Ginza, a unique, famous and iconic neighborhood of Japan.”
The new shop in Tokyo’s Ginza neighborhood is scheduled to open this May.
