Hublot has built a reputation on working with artists. Its latest partner is Leonard Iheagwam, who goes by Soldier. He is a visual artist, designer and skateboarder, born in Lagos and based in London.
“Hublot is known for collaborating with artists,” Iheagwam says. He points to a list of past partners: “They have done Jeff Koons, Murakami, Daniel Arsham. The best of the best.”
Artist collaborations on luxury objects are a familiar idea, and Damien Hirst’s Butterfly Wing Dom Pérignon Designs shows how a famous artist can reshape a premium product.
The 42mm Hublot Big Bang Soldier All Black is a limited edition watch of 50 models. Its launch adds Iheagwam to the Swiss watchmaker’s group of artistic collaborators.
Iheagwam describes his career as not early on, though he is young and the work is new. “They took that chance with me,” he says of Hublot.
Two years in the making
Soldier and Hublot first worked together in 2024. That year, an exhibition of the artist’s work ran at the watchmaker’s London boutique during Frieze. The partnership led to the Big Bang Soldier All Black, which took two years to develop.
Inside the hublot big bang soldier
The watch keeps the shape and volume of the Big Bang model Hublot first issued in 2005. The case and bezel are made from black ceramic. Some surfaces are polished to a glossy finish, while others are microblasted, which gives the watch a mix of matt and high-shine areas.
Soldier’s motifs are applied by pad printing. This offset gravure technique transfers a two-dimensional image onto textured, three-dimensional surfaces.
The watch is all black and ships with a black fabric strap and two optional rubber straps. The rubber straps are lined in red and green. Soldier links red to the present and green to the past.
Soldier explains his approach to the design. “You don’t want to simply decorate something that already has its own language and history,” he says. “You want to understand it, respect what already exists, and then find a way of introducing another story into it.”
Adding a new layer to an existing product is a theme here too, so Swarovski Crystals Transforming a Nespresso Countertop Machine offers a similar approach in a different setting.
Full details of the watch are listed at hublot.com. For Soldier, the project is less about covering a classic case and more about adding a second voice to a design that already has one.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Leonard Iheagwam, the artist known as Soldier?
Leonard Iheagwam, who goes by Soldier, is a visual artist, designer and skateboarder. He was born in Lagos and is based in London.
How many Hublot Big Bang Soldier All Black watches are being made?
The Hublot Big Bang Soldier All Black is a limited edition of 50 models. It is a 42mm watch.
What material is the Big Bang Soldier All Black case made from?
The case and bezel of the Big Bang Soldier All Black are made from black ceramic. Some surfaces are polished to a glossy finish, while others are microblasted for a mix of matt and high-shine areas.
What straps come with the Hublot Big Bang Soldier All Black?
The watch ships with a black fabric strap and two optional rubber straps. The rubber straps are lined in red and green, which Soldier says link red to the present and green to the past.
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