daniel arsham plants rubber bumpers around hublot’s see-through ‘droplet’ pocket watch

Hublot and daniel arsham for a teardrop-shaped pocket watch

Hublot and Daniel Arsham team up for the Arsham Droplet, a teardrop-shaped pocket watch crafted from titanium and sapphire crystals. It is ringed around with bumpers made with custom Arsham green rubber. Gone are the wristbands as the New York-based artist trades them for a chained necklace. With the Swiss watchmaker’s resources and materials at his disposal, the artist manages to create a timepiece that fits the palm of the hands and can be held between fingers, bringing back the era of pocket timepieces in the era of smartwatches. It’s not the first time that the duo has collaborated. At Schwarzee, a site backdropped by the Matterhorn peak in Switzerland, Daniel Arsham sculpted the larger-than-life timepiece entitled ‘Light & Time’, which took shape as an Hublot-inspired sundial.

Side bumpers made of rubber for the Arsham Droplet

The Arsham Droplet pocket watch is enclosed in a titanium case and lined with side bumpers in a custom Arsham green rubber. Daniel Arsham’s monograms are stamped onto the surface of this material, and the addition of rubber may be considered a temporary departure from the usual timepieces that Hublot produces. The two titanium chains feature the Swiss watchmaker’s patented double ‘one-click’ system, which can allow  for a swift snap and lock. The New York-based artist designed his Droplet pocket watch in such a way that it can be used or displayed in multiple ways, from a necklace or a timepiece to a centerpiece on its titanium and mineral glass table stand. 

domed crystals for open-worked titanium case

Hublot steps in for the ‘sandwich’ construction of Daniel Arsham’s Droplet pocket watch. Its craftsmen produced domed crystals in teardrop shape to allow for a see-through, open-worked titanium case. In this way, the user can see the clockwork and mechanism inside the timepiece. The case also boasts a double-sealing system with no less than 17-ring seals to tightly lock the components inside. Hublot’s design elements still show on the pocket watch through the Swiss watchmaker’s signature six H-shaped screws, and the Daniel Arsham Droplet pocket watch has a water resistance of up to 30 meters.

Wearers of the Arsham Droplet can enjoy a 10-day power reserve with Hublot’s Meca-10 manufacturing movement. It allows for extended periods of using the timepiece without the need for winding. In a statement, Hublot’s CEO Ricardo Guadalupe says that the Swiss watchmaker’s collaboration with Daniel Arsham brings forth a new model that doubles as a piece of art. ‘It can be enjoyed in three different ways: a pocket watch, a pendant, or a table clock,’ the CEO says. As of publishing the story, the Arsham Droplet is limited to 99 units.

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project info:

name: The Arsham Droplet

brand: Hublot

artist: Daniel Arsham