If you follow our blog, you probably met the nice Cartier All-Black replica watch in one of our recent posts. Today I will talk about another All-Black hero. It seems that black watches have invaded the market lately.
Today we are talking about the unusual, the bold, and certainly not to everyone’s taste Hublot Takashi Murakami replica watch. It is part of the brand’s All-Black series and was born as a result of the brand’s collaboration with Takashi Murakami.
The watch certainly creates impressions, either good or bad. It has a very specific dial, rich in stones resembling a flower. On the other hand, the monochrome theme that Hublot opted for imbues the watch with a sort of solid air. The concept of this model is truly amazing.
In this article, I will make a comparison between what the authentic model proposes vs what the manufacturers propose to us through the replica model. If you are curious, stay with me here to discover the similarities and differences together.
Brief retrospectives
You know I don’t do any watch reviews without first doing a brief retrospective of the genuine watch. Looking at a watch in retrospect gives you a better understanding of its concept and purpose.
For those who don’t know much about the Hublot All Black collection, it appeared in 2006. As the name suggests, all the models in the collection are monochromatic, highlighting the empowering spirit of black. Of course, no model went uncriticized, because the black dials and black hour markers formed a not-quite-readable duet. However, Hublot remained true to its ambitious vision and continued to create.
As a result…
It presented spectacular launches of the LaFerrari All Black models as well as the King Power Alinghi to the public. The public gave up rebellion, understanding that Hublot has no intention of giving in to its ambition to complete its All Black line.
More than that, the brand has found artistic allies to support it in its All Black madness. One of them is Takashi Murakami himself, a Japanese artist with specific views on art, who left his creative mark on the design of the watch with the same name.
Among other things, the watch showed a totally different dimension from the All Black collection. If previously the black Hublot watches were full of masculinity and intricate architecture, this time the watch had come with…. black stones on the dial in the shape of a flower.
At the same time, the technical description of the watch amazed even the fiercest critics. The performant movement inside, silicon escape lever, and 72-hour power reserve are just a few of these. Add a voluminous 45 mm case and here you’ve got a really extremal Hublot watch.
What is that “flower” on the dial?
The flower you see on the dial of the Hublot watch carries an entire philosophy behind it. This is one of the most iconic works of the Murakami artist and it is very often found in Japanese culture. Different art critics have brought different explanations regarding the meaning of Murakami’s smiling flower. But the artist demystified them all, explaining his vision in 2005.
According to him, the smiling flower is an illustration of the inhibited emotions and the Japanese national trauma generated by the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings in 1945. Murakami wanted to immortalize the catastrophe through art, suggesting that Japanese society recovered (through the flower’s smile) but never forgot.
It is unlikely that Hublot took over the flower motif specifically to commemorate these tragic events. Rather, the brand proposed to pay tribute to a brilliant artist, whose work is recognized worldwide. Either way, the Murakami watch illustrates the motif of the smiling flower with 12 petals.
In the same context…
The watch “painting” is monochromatic, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. To compensate for the monotony of black, the brand enlivened the dial with 563 diamonds of stunning brilliance. Each movement of the wrist generates an explosion of light due to the spectacle of these stones. The whole painting looks three-dimensional and is more like a work of art than a watch.
In conclusion, I can only add that the Murakami watch fits perfectly into Hublot’s “Art of Fusion” concept. The brand promised to experiment with materials, combine what seems to be impossible to combine, and create designs that are hard to imagine. Looking from this angle, you realize that the brand has fulfilled its mission through the Murakami watch.
Quick facts about the Murakami All black Genuine Watch
I could talk endlessly about the philosophy of this watch, but I know that’s not what interests you the most. You are probably more curious about the replica watch. I will talk about it immediately, but not before summarizing the characteristics of the original model. Thus, it will be easier to compare it with the replica watch.
- As I mentioned before, the authentic watch case measures 45mm and is all of ceramic;
- The brand opted for a lacquered dial with a rotating mechanism that has 12 petals all in 456 diamonds. The entire dial is black, including the petals;
- The authentic watch runs on an automatic MHUB1214;
- The brand launched 2 strap options: bracelet and rubber strap;
- The watch comes with a set of functions that include minutes, hours, and power reserve;
- This watch is available at a price of around 26,000 USD.
Now that we know everything about the genuine model, it’s time to compare it with the Murakami replica watch.
Hublot Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All-Black Ceramic Replica Watch
I will start by describing the sensation I feel, holding this knockoff in my hand. First of all, I feel a very smooth texture of the case on the entire surface, as well as on the back of the case. I can say with certainty that the manufacturers did a good job with the satin finish of the replica watch case. I notice the same satin finish on the bezel of the case.
At the same time, the surface of the bezel has a combined finish between satin and polished areas. Both the case and the bezel should be made of black ceramic. I’m not a great specialist in watch materials, but the ceramic looks quite authentic.
Holding the replica watch in my hand and analyzing it from different angles, I feel it vigorous and strong. It’s not exactly light in weight, but it doesn’t cause me discomfort either. The proportions of the replica watch match the proportions of the authentic model. This means that the imitation is 45mm in diameter and almost 14mm in height.
The constitution of the replica watch is, without a doubt, corpulent and slightly bulky. It is definitely not the watch that will hide under the sleeve. On the contrary, it is a knockoff that draws attention to itself both by its proportions and its design.
Hublot replica watch dial
Now let’s move on to the most curious part: the dial. From the first moment when I learned about the release of the authentic Murakami model, I was curiously waiting to see how the manufacturers will reproduce the replica model. I suppose that the more than 500 diamonds are not easy to integrate into the dial because it must be a meticulous job.
On the other hand, I remember how successfully the manufacturers imitated the Daytona Rainbow watch, which also has dozens or even hundreds of stones in it.
Either way…
The manufacturers suggested to me that they fixed the same amount of diamonds in the replica watch as in the authentic model. That is 563 stones. I can’t confirm because I didn’t count them. But what I can say is that I carefully evaluated every millimeter of the dial and I am surprised at how identical the position of the stones is. Of course, there are some tiny errors, but I hardly found them because they are not visible to an untrained eye.
The diamonds of the replica watch are also fake, of course. Otherwise, the knockoff would not be so cheap in comparison to authentic Murakami. The so-called diamonds have a specific faceted cut to capture and reflect the incoming light as extensively as possible.
As a result…
The dial of the replica watch is a real play of lights. The stones seem to be of decent quality because they don’t look like stones that seem to be made of plastic. In the same context, the manufacturers assured me that they used a special technique to “stick” the stones to the dial, to minimize to zero the probability of any stone falling over time.
The 12 petals of the flower on the dial have a slightly convex silhouette at the outer edges. This shape gives the dial a 3D appearance. I notice the lacquered dial plate behind the flower, as well as the inscription “Swiss made” on the outer lower edge of the dial. The inscription seems to me to have a darker tone than it should, according to the original model. I think that here is the first obvious error between the authentic watch and the knockoff. The difference is not critical, maybe a tone or 2 darker.
Crystal
As expected, the beauty of the dial of this watch must be revealed to the maximum. Accordingly, the manufacturers covered the dial with sapphire crystal, which best renders the beauty of the replica watch face. To improve the transparency of the crystal, the manufacturers processed it with anti-reflective material. Thus, regardless of the angle of light on the dial, the glow of the so-called diamonds remains clear and is not lost in the reflection of the crystal.
Hublot replica watch case
Let’s move on from the beauty of the dial to the case, which I hope is executed as well. The case has a combined surface between satin and polished finishes. Both types of finishing seem to have a clean execution. The texture of the case is very smooth, without abrasive areas. The bezel of the replica watch is perfectly round and has 6 screws so specific to the Hublot brand. The narrow lugs in relation to the case make the 45mm seem visually smaller. At the same time, the adjacent segments above and below the case also have 2 screws each, like the original model.
On the whole, the relief of the case that seems to have different steps has an accurate and attentive details execution. I do not notice that the transitions between levels are abrupt or suggest poor-quality manufacturing.
Further on…
The architecture of the crown on the right side of the case enjoys the same relief as authentic Murakami. I tried rotating the crown back and forth to see how it works. The rotation produces a pleasant sound and shows no signs of any defects. At the same time, I tried to revamp the watch hands with the help of the crown. The connection between them is flawless, the hands being very easily adjusted with the help of the crown.
Technical details of the Hublot Murakami replica watch
As far as it seems, the aesthetic aspect of the replica watch generates only positive impressions. I have not identified any critical error and I can state with all certainty that this imitation is extremely close to the authentic Murakami watch. Only its technical profile remains to be analyzed in order to make a general conclusion.
According to the manufacturers, the imitation runs on a Genuine Swiss HUB1214 Movement. I assume that it is rather a 1:1 copy. This imitation has a fairly daring price, around $600. A more cost-effective alternative is the knockoff that runs on an AAA-grade Japanese Self-Winding Movement, whose price does not exceed $300. So you can choose depending on how deep your pocket is.
The default water resistance profile is 5 meters. But if this is not enough for you, the manufacturers have suggested that they can add more efficient water-resistance systems. This means that the replica watch becomes resistant up to 50 meters. This service is paid additionally, so it is enough just to specify this detail in the purchase request of this knockoff.
Final thoughts
Everything about the Murakami All-Black watch impresses me. Both the philosophy behind it, as well as the design of the authentic watch, as well as the execution of the replica watch. It is one of the best-quality knockoffs from the Hublot collection. The timepiece seems a bit strange at first. But when you delve into the history behind it, you start to see it through the prism of art. And it doesn’t matter at all that the dial is completely black, which might compromise its legibility.
After all, not all watches have to be perfectly legible. Some of them are meant to show the watch as an art form, and not as a time-telling accessory only. I think that Hublot Murakami is a good example in this sense.