Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons – Puffed up, Down to The Smallest Detail

A week after announcing its partnership with Jeff Koons, Hublot has unveiled the first watch model created in collaboration with the artist. It is inspired by Jeff Koons’ ‘Balloon Dog’, created between 1994 and 2000, a monumental sculpture made of mirror-polished stainless steel in the shape of a balloon animal. For the Classic Fusion Balloon Dog, Hublot has incorporated its rounded forms into the case, dial, controls and strap.

Jeff Koons’ ‘Balloon Dog’ as a recurring theme

A balloon animal is not usually meant to last forever. With his ‘Balloon Dog’, created between 1994 and 2000, Jeff Koons transformed it into a substantial sculpture made of mirror-polished stainless steel. The work forms part of his ‘Celebration’ series, begun in the 1990s, in which familiar motifs from celebrations and childhood were intended to take on a completely new character through their size, material and reflective surfaces.

For the new Classic Fusion, Hublot has drawn inspiration primarily from the rounded, taut forms of the sculpture. The watch therefore does not feature a large image of the dog on the dial; instead, numerous components have been modified to resemble the inflated segments of a modelling balloon. It is precisely this that distinguishes the model from those editions in which an existing work of art is simply printed on the dial or engraved on the case back.

Why Hublot chose the Classic Fusion

Hublot first made a name for itself in 1980 with a watch that combined a gold case with a rubber strap. The Classic Fusion carries on this early design in a simpler and flatter form.

Compared with the more imposing Big Bang, the Classic Fusion usually has a more understated, relatively flat profile. In the new model, the case, bezel, crystal and dial are significantly more domed, giving the Classic Fusion a more voluminous appearance without, however, losing its characteristic basic shape.

The case measures 42 millimetres in diameter and 11 millimetres in height, and is water-resistant to 50 metres. A raised, domed and anti-reflective sapphire crystal sits above the dial, whilst even the H-shaped bezel screws, crafted from polished titanium, have been fitted with rounded heads to realise the ‘Ballon’ concept as faithfully as possible.

Inflated down to the smallest detail

Even smaller components follow this design principle: on the side of the case at 10.30 o’clock is a decorative rubber element intended to resemble the tied end of a balloon animal, whilst the crown is modelled on a balloon valve and, depending on the version, is made of anodised aluminium or stainless steel with a rubber sleeve.

The dial is also domed and significantly more raised than on a standard Hublot Classic Fusion. The raised hour markers and hands are coated with white 3D Super-LumiNova. At 6 o’clock, Jeff Koons’ signature is also featured, whilst a small miniature of the Balloon Dog has been fitted as a counterweight at the tip of the central seconds hand. The date window at 3 o’clock, by contrast, blends into the design in a comparatively conventional manner.

The padded rubber strap features an embossed inlay, whose metallic sheen and colour-coordinated stitching are matched to the respective case colour. Furthermore, each variant is supplied in its own box, the shape of which is modelled on the Balloon Dog and colour-coordinated with the watch.

Red, Blue and Silver

The Classic Fusion Balloon Dog is available in three versions. In the Red and Blue versions, the case, bezel and caseback are made of polished aluminium with a red or blue anodised finish, whilst Hublot uses high-gloss polished stainless steel for the Silver version.

The choice of material also alters the watch’s appearance: in the Red and Blue versions, the colour is not applied as a lacquer to the case; instead, the aluminium surface itself is coloured red or blue through anodising, which is what makes the vibrant red and blue finishes possible. The silver version eschews bright colours and, with its silvery sheen, is more closely modelled on the mirror-polished stainless steel of the original sculpture. All three versions are limited to 200 pieces each.

No other manufacturer is currently as keen to experiment with materials as Hublot; you can find out more about the Big Bang Original Soft Touch in rubber here in our article.

The calibre: HUB1710

Inside, the automatic HUB1710 calibre features central hands for hours, minutes and seconds, as well as a date display at 3 o’clock. Comprising 185 components and 27 jewels, the movement operates at 4 hertz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, and offers a power reserve of 50 hours.

The HUB1710 is based on the Zenith Elite 670 and has been adapted for Hublot, which is why it cannot be described as a fully independent in-house calibre. For this model, it features a specially designed rotor, the curves of which echo the shape of the case.

The movement therefore remains the most conventional part of the Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons. Its performance figures are solid, but do not stand out particularly in this price range, whilst the bulk of the development effort has gone into the newly shaped external components and their surface finishes.

Price and availability

The Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons is limited to 200 pieces per version, costs 24,600 euros or 20,800 Swiss francs, and is available from selected Hublot retailers and via the manufacturer’s website.

hublot.com