Hublot and Daniel Arsham unveil the new MP-17 Arsham Splash, capturing the fluidity of water
The new MP-17 Arsham Splash, conceived and designed by Daniel Arsham, once again breaks the conventions of traditional watchmaking design. Drawing inspiration from the natural fluidity and transparency of water, the piece seamlessly merges Arsham’s distinctive concept of “Fictional Archaeology”, creating the illusion of a timepiece that transcends eras — an ancient artefact from the future. The result is a wearable work of sculptural art that blurs the boundaries between time, nature, and imagination.
This is Daniel Arsham’s first wristwatch creation. The MP-17 Arsham Splash integrates Hublot’s in-house Meca-10 manual-winding skeletonised movement into a 42 mm case shaped like a dispersing splash of water. This wave-like, fluid silhouette evolves from the droplet-inspired design of the previous MP-16 Arsham Droplet tourbillon, elevating the idea to new artistic heights. Through the sapphire crystal on both the front and back, wearers can admire the intricate craftsmanship and architectural precision of the movement within.
Apart from the matte-finished sapphire bezel and green luminous scale that fully express Daniel Arsham’s essence, you’ll find numerous Hublot signatures: six H-shaped screws on the bezel and caseback, lugs at 3 and 9 o’clock, and an H-shaped titanium folding clasp.
However, Daniel Arsham’s boundary-pushing design philosophy was something he had already articulated in his 2016 TED Talk: “My work is about collapsing time. You’re not quite sure if it’s an object from the past or the future.”
Just as how MP-16 Arsham Droplet tourbillon brought that vision vividly to life, the new MP-17 Arsham Splash in titanium and sapphire now turns its focus to the traces left by time, a perfect embodiment of Hublot and Daniel Arsham’s shared pursuit of both technical mastery and artistic expression.
Images Courtesy of Hublot
