Like the artist Richard Orlinski himself, Hublot always manages to discover new sensations from the seemingly limitless number of materials for its creations. Characterised by rough edges, the Swiss watchmaker and Richard Orlinski have created a multi-faceted watch in the French artist’s characteristic style. Another milestone for a collaboration that has been in place since 2017 is founded in the now unveiled Hublot Classic Fusion Orlinski Bracelet – the missing link in their joint collection. The previous watches that emerged from this partnership were made of ceramic and fitted with rubber straps. As a fruit of their partnership, Hublot presented four variations of the Classic Fusion Orlinski Bracelet with a new integrated metal bracelet at Watches and Wonders 2022.
Richard Orlinski is probably known to many through his colourful and symbolic animal sculptures. In a contemporary sense, the artist creates a watch on the border between vintage and neofuturistic style. These stylistic characteristics can be recognised not least in the edges and bevels that define the aesthetics of the case, bezel and crown.
Let’s first look at how the art continues on the case. The dimensions of the 40 x 11.1 mm case have not changed with regard to the last model, the Classic Fusion Orlinski Blue Ceramic. What has changed, however, is the material. Here, the ceramic has been replaced by polished titanium.
As the name of the Classic Fusion Orlinski Bracelet suggests, the main change is in the bracelet, which is integrated into the case. The titanium bracelet, made up of 83 individual parts, continues the angular, faceted aesthetic and at the same time illustrates the expertise of Hublot’s engineers. The H-shaped links are reminiscent of the Hublot logo.
The dials, however, retain the material of their predecessors. Here one has the choice between black and white ceramic. With its three-dimensional appearance, the dial is the eye-catcher of the watch. Designed in an angular motif, it skilfully continues the look of the watch and is a very successful composition in its entirety. Hublot provides the ceramic with polished hour markers and faceted hands. The end of the seconds hand has a large “H”, which also reflects Hublot’s stylistic elements and serves as a counterweight.
Inside, the Classic Fusion Orlinski Bracelet houses the HUB1100 automatic movement with a power reserve of 42 hours. The movement consists of 63 different components and is mounted between 21 jewels. Last but not least, it operates at a frequency of 4 Hz.
A partially diamond-set version of the Classic Fusion Orlinski Bracelet turns the watch into a piece of jewellery at the same time. The diamonds on some facets of the case, bezel and bracelet, with a total weight of 3.79 carats, are a real feast for the eyes in dynamic lighting conditions. Of course, Hublot charges quite a bit for this version, with prospective buyers paying 44,500 euros for the diamond-studded alternative. The regular alternatives cost 15,500 euros each.
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