Hublot Celebrates the Arrival of the Year of the Rabbit - Happy Together

The Year of The Rabbit with Hublot & Chinese Artist Wen Na

Hublot recently collaborated with Chinese artist Wen Na to create a unique artwork for the dial of the Spirit of Big Bang Black Ceramic Rabbit to commemorate the Year of the Rabbit. The artwork depicts 12 double-hours with joyous lanterns, firecrackers, and a lion dance. The time is filled with amazement and excitement at every double-hour, expressing the Art of Fusion ethos of Hublot.

Wen Na received inspiration for the artwork from the ancient Chinese cultural artefact Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Calendar. The twelve double-hours are blended with rabbit imagery. In this picture, a group of clever bunnies bring to life the activities connected with the Lunar New Year, such as performing dragon and lion dances, putting up or replacing door gods, hanging celebratory lanterns, and exchanging red packages. Additionally, the twelve Earthly Branches are utilised to mark the year and month.

A Year of the Rabbit-themed artwork is reproduced as a joyful scene on the dial with playful bunnies at each double-hour thanks to Hublot's impeccable workmanship. The dial is painted with a variety of brushes, with certain elements rendered in hair-thin strokes. Each hand-painted dial is the result of a labor-intensive 40-hour procedure. Each of the twelve dials is distinct from the others, making them all unique works of art. In addition, the hour markers have adopted an artistic expression based on the traditional twelve Earthly Branches, as a respect to rich Chinese culture.

Inspired by Hublot's Art of Fusion brand idea, Wen Na artistically reimagined the twelve Earthly Branches, a sign from the ancient Chinese calendar, to represent the 12 double-hours. Each double-hour is marked by a group of adorable rabbits doing a lion dance, holding firecrackers, or engaging in other delightful pastimes. This clock shows the relationship between Eastern and Western civilizations via a distinctive creative language by fusing the essence of Chinese culture with modern watchmaking techniques.

Due to the brand's outstanding workmanship, a Year of the Rabbit-themed painting is realistically represented as a festive scene on the dial, with frolicking bunnies at distinct double-hours. The dial is painted by Hublot artists using a range of brushes, with certain elements rendered in hair-thin strokes. Each hand-painted dial is the result of a labor-intensive 40-hour procedure. It of the twelve dials is distinct from the others, making each a unique work of art that exemplifies the excellent watchmaking skill of the brand. In addition, for the first time, the dials include the twelve Earthly Branches as hour markers, an homage to rich Chinese culture and Hublot's attempts to elevate its pioneering fusion concept.

This timepiece adopts the tonneau-shaped case, a signature design code of the Spirit of Big Bang collection, and incorporates all the classic design elements of Big Bang watches, including the six H-shaped screws on the bezel, the lugs on either side of the case, the over-moulded rubber screw-down crown adorned with the iconic H, and the sandwich-type construction. In addition, the dial of the Spirit of Big Bang Black Ceramic Rabbit is adorned with a beautiful picture of rabbits enjoying the Lunar New Year, which contrasts well with the black ceramic case.

The HUB1710 self-winding movement with a 50-hour power reserve is contained into the 42mm-diameter casing.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with a young artist like Wen Na who is a master of traditional Chinese culture to craft a new Lunar New Year painting and present the Spirit of Big Bang Black Ceramic Rabbit. Everyone who saw Wen Na's mural work was shocked as she has fused her strong imagination with rich colors and lines. More interestingly, these images are not replicas of existing traditional symbols, but a combination of her use of the place where the murals are located, history, and her strong imagination. Her unique artistic style perfectly embodies the bold creative vision that we have at Hublot. Meanwhile, Hublot loves Art has been demonstrating through various forms of expression and creations how the brand loves to fuse different artistic inspirations and styles. Hublot Loves Art!”

Ricardo Guadalupe
Hublot CEO

“The partnership with Hublot is a very pleasant surprise. It is also an interesting combination to integrate the ancient representation of time in traditional Chinese culture, the sexagenary cycle, with Hublot and its pioneering watch. More importantly, Hublot's presentation of the animation also amazed me, and the whole creative process made me feel very smooth and happy as well”

Wen Na
Contemporary Artist