In its Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon, Hublot takes on a Chinese trinity – a symbol of an eastern dragon known as the ‘loong’; two ancient art forms of paper cutting and marquetry; as well as an artist, Chen Fen Wan – in an artistic limited edition
Drawing inspiration from the traditional Chinese art of paper cutting, the Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon layers its hands, wheels, and H-shaped screws to form a 3D silhouette of an eastern dragon, presented on a rubber strap with a marquetry design for the first time. Created in collaboration with the Chinese artist Chen Fen Wan, this limited edition of 88 pieces is the perfect fusion of tradition and modernity, combining metaphors and symbols.
In the Chinese calendar, 2024 marks the year of the Wood Dragon. A symbol of luck, strength and wisdom, the dragon is also an imperial icon that embodies life and immortality. Loong is a symbol, an icon, and the universal auspicious meaning is the foundation of Loong culture. Through Fen Wan’s paper-cutting expertise, Hublot pays homage to wood through the natural fibres that form the soul and spirit of paper.
The components of its pieces: hands, cogs, or screws, are positioned in multidimensional layers to form a dragon’s silhouette created in paper cut-outs by Fen Wan. The dragon’s head is made up of five layers that alternate between hands, wheels, and H-shaped screws, with a body and scales that extend onto the strap. The colours reflect those of the paper cut-out sculpture created by Fen Wan.
The Loong itself is a metaphor for the ‘Art of Fusion’, as it takes on the features of nine different animals – the eyes of a prawn, the horns of a deer, the mouth of a bull, the nose of a dog, the whiskers of a catfish, the mane of a lion, the long tail of a snake, the scales of a fish, and the claws of an eagle.
In a 42-mm titanium case, Hublot transposes the layered effects of paper cutting into a multi-level dial construction overlaying a base panel with several levels of appliqués. The dragon’s silhouette extends onto the rubber strap, which features a rubber marquetry motif – a first for Hublot. Each of the dragon’s scales is coloured and nano-vulcanised to be integrated into the strap. This delicate decorative operation is carried out entirely by hand. The timepiece features an HUB1710 automatic movement, a power reserve of 50 hours, and comes with a second, titanium-grey Velcro fabric strap.
