Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami has launched his own watch brand, Takashi Murakami Time Objects, following a string of collaborations with Hublot. Its debut Skull Flowers collection comprises five skull-shaped watches with rotating flower eyes, jumping hours, and a flying tourbillon, continuing the artist’s exploration of unconventional wristwatch forms.
Initial thoughts
Mr Murakami’s move into watchmaking taps two converging trends. The first is the growing crossover between high-end watches and contemporary art. The second is the emergence of specialist manufacturers capable of developing and producing small batches of highly imaginative watches, allowing an artist to establish a brand without building a manufacture.
Branching out independently seems like a shrewd business move. Mr Murakami has already established a presence amongst watch collectors through his Hublot collaborations, which progressed from spinning flowers in Classic Fusion cases to the purpose-built MP-15 with its central tourbillon.
Mr Murakami appears to have recognised what brands like Hublot and Audemars Piguet already understand: a prominent artist can draw contemporary art collectors into watch boutiques.
Hublot’s recent Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons is said to have attracted a large number of such buyers, while Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Concept KAWS “Companion” reflects similar ambitions at an even higher price point. With Time Objects, Mr Murakami has developed a platform to capture a segment of that crossover audience for himself.
The five Skull Flowers references range from black on black to rainbow pavé, with prices spanning CHF85,000 to CHF148,000, depending on the configuration. They will not be to everyone’s taste, but they are instantly recognisable as Murakami works, which is ultimately the point of a limited edition watch positioned between contemporary art and haute horlogerie.
To my eye, the two entry-level versions — Black Rainbow and All Black — are among the most appealing. Each is limited to 12 pieces and features a grade 5 titanium case with a microblasted finish and black DLC coating. The matte surface gives the sculpted form definition while directing attention towards the flowers in the eye sockets.
A mechanical Skull Flower
The pairing of skulls and flowers draws on a recurring theme in Mr Murakami’s work: life and death existing side by side. The cheerful flowers celebrate life, while the skull serves as a reminder of its impermanence, a perennial theme throughout the history of watchmaking.
The flowers provide more than a decorative reference to Mr Murakami’s work, bringing movement to the otherwise static skull. Their petals rotate on ball bearings with the movement of the wrist, recalling the spinning flowers of his earlier Hublot watches.
The skull itself is more substantial, measuring approximately 44 mm across and 18.4 mm high, with a flying tourbillon visible through the sapphire case back. The time display is tucked into the case band at six o’clock, similar in concept to the lateral display of the M.A.D.1.
Here, however, the hour cylinder jumps instantaneously at the start of each hour, while the minutes advance continuously on a disc. According to the brand, this is the first cylindrical digital jumping hours display.
Unusually, the hours follow a 24-hour scale, distinguishing morning from afternoon. Jumping hours discs are rarely large enough to display all 24 hours, but the cylindrical arrangement, which wraps around the calibre, has plenty of room. That does mean more mass to move with each jump, hinting at the technical sophistication of the movement.
A new level of white-label manufacturing
The Skull Flowers tourbillon appears to be powered by a movement from Kross Manufacture, the specialist behind Kross Studio and a growing number of third-party projects. Led by Marco Tedeschi, the manufacture specialises in the small production runs that would be impractical for many larger suppliers. Chanel acquired a minority stake in the manufacturing business earlier this year to secure access to exactly this capability.
The hand-wound cal. KM 7012 TM combines the unconventional display with a lengthy five-day power reserve. The large mainspring is wound using a ring integrated into the case back, a mechanism that has proved a pleasure to operate on other watches using the same arrangement.
This functionality leaves the skull’s silhouette unmarred by a conventional winding crown. Instead, a discreet pusher on the left side of the case activates time-setting mode, with adjustments made using the same case back ring.
Mr Murakami’s flower motif is repeated on the tourbillon cage itself, while the barrel bridge is engraved with a repeating pattern of skulls and flowers. These details demonstrate the lengths the artist went to leave his mark on the design inside as well as out.
Key facts and price
Takashi Murakami Skull Flowers Cylindrical Jumping Hours Tourbillon
Ref. TMSKL26-TN-RAIN (Black Rainbow)
Ref. TMSKL26-TN-ALLB (All Black)
Ref. TMSKL26-TN-RAIN-FP01 (Full Pavé Diamonds)
Ref. TMSKL26-TN-ALLB-FP02 (Full Pavé Black Diamonds)
Ref. TMSKL26-TN-RAIN-FPRB (Full Pavé Rainbow)
Diameter: 44 mm
Height: 18.4 mm
Material: Grade 5 titanium, with black DLC coating or gem setting depending on version
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m
Movement: Cal. KM 7012 TM
Functions: Jumping hours, minutes, and tourbillon
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 125 hours
Strap: Rubber strap with titanium folding clasp
Limited edition: 12 pieces each for Black Rainbow and All Black
Price: CHF85,000 (Black Rainbow or All Black), CHF148,000 (Full Pavé Diamonds), CHF142,000 (Full Pavé Black Diamonds), CHF140,000 (Full Pavé Rainbow), excluding taxes
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