Takashi Murakami has spent years putting his flowers on other brands’ watches. With Time Objects, he now puts his own name on the watch. The debut Skull Flowers Cylindrical Jumping Hours Tourbillon, a takashi murakami skull watch, uses a sculpted titanium skull as its case, with two of his flowers spinning in the eye sockets.
The takashi murakami skull watch collection has five versions, priced from CHF 85,000 to CHF 148,000 before taxes. Its hour display sits at six o’clock, and its tourbillon is visible through the caseback.
Murakami’s titanium skull is part of a wider rethink of watch materials. Norman Foster’s Sleek Titanium Watches for Lebond offers another look at metal-led watch design.
A brand built on the Hublot years
Murakami first entered watchmaking through Hublot. The 2021 Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black marked the start of the partnership, according to Monochrome Watches and The Hour Markers.
The collaboration grew more colourful over time. The 2023 Classic Fusion Black Ceramic Rainbow had rotating gemstone-set petals. Watches by SJX also points to the MP-15, a purpose-built watch with a central tourbillon.
Murakami founded the Hiropon Factory in Tokyo in 1996. The company later became Kaikai Kiki, which produces and markets his artworks, according to Monochrome Watches. Time Objects is a separate watch brand that carries his name.
Watches by SJX reads the move as a shrewd one. It notes that Hublot and Audemars Piguet already draw contemporary art collectors into boutiques. Hublot’s Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons is said to have attracted many of those buyers. Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Concept KAWS “Companion” aims at a higher price point.
The case: a skull with flowers for eyes
The Skull Flowers collection contains five watches, each with a skull-shaped case. Yanko Design describes the cases as grade 5 titanium with a microblasted finish. The black versions also carry a black DLC coating.
The skull measures about 44 mm across and 18.4 mm at its thickest point. It is built from 33 components, according to Monochrome Watches and The Hour Markers. Monochrome Watches reports that the team explored more than 600 skull shapes before choosing the final form.
Murakami’s flowers fill the eye sockets. Their petals sit on ball bearings and turn as the wearer moves the wrist. Monochrome Watches says the petals have no role in showing the time.
The pairing reflects a theme that runs through Murakami’s work. The flowers stand for life. The skull stands for mortality. Monochrome Watches describes the brand’s guiding idea as The Chronos Paradox, which explores life and death, beauty and transience, and an instant set against eternity.
A cylindrical hour display
The time is read through a lateral window at six o’clock. Hours appear on a rotating cylinder that jumps at the start of each hour. A trailing disc shows the minutes.
Watches by SJX notes that the hours follow a 24-hour scale, which separates morning from afternoon. The brand calls it the first cylindrical digital jumping-hours display, a claim The Hour Markers repeats. A cylinder that wraps around the calibre has room for all 24 hours. It also carries more mass into each jump, which Watches by SJX links to the technical demands of the movement.
Telling time as sculpture reaches well beyond watches. Mauricio Romano’s Sculptural Paper Clock Redefines Time-Telling makes a similar case through folded paper and artful form.
Movement and manufacture
Marco Tedeschi leads Kross Manufacture, according to Watches by SJX.
The hand-wound calibre KM 7012 TM was developed for this watch. It beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour and runs for 125 hours on a full wind. Watches by SJX says the movement appears to come from Kross Manufacture, the specialist behind Kross Studio. It adds that Chanel bought a minority stake in that manufacturing business earlier this year.
Winding happens through a ring built into the caseback of this takashi murakami skull watch. A discreet pusher on the left side of the case sets the time. The skull’s silhouette stays free of a conventional crown.
The tourbillon is visible through the sapphire caseback. Its cage takes the shape of a flower. The barrel bridge is engraved with a repeating pattern of skulls and flowers, according to Watches by SJX.
Five versions and prices of the takashi murakami skull watch
Black Rainbow and All Black are each limited to 12 pieces. Both are priced at CHF 85,000 before taxes, according to Monochrome Watches. Both are worn on a black rubber strap with a titanium folding clasp.
Three gem-set versions sit above them. The Full Pavé Diamonds costs CHF 148,000. The Full Pavé Black Diamonds costs CHF 142,000. The Full Pavé Rainbow costs CHF 140,000.
The sources disagree on how many of the gem-set watches will exist. Monochrome Watches calls them a very small series. Yanko Design describes all five models as limited edition, without giving a separate count.
The takashi murakami skull watch is a rare object among luxury watches that puts an artist‘s sculpture first and a movement second. Buyers who followed Murakami’s flowers from the Hublot years will judge whether the mechanics justify the price.
H/T yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Takashi Murakami Skull Flowers watch cost?
The Skull Flowers collection has five versions priced from CHF 85,000 to CHF 148,000 before taxes. The Black Rainbow and All Black versions are each limited to 12 pieces and cost CHF 85,000, while the Full Pavé Diamonds version costs CHF 148,000.
What movement powers the Takashi Murakami skull watch?
The watch uses a hand-wound calibre called KM 7012 TM, which was developed for this watch. It beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour and runs for 125 hours on a full wind.
How does the Skull Flowers watch display the time?
Hours appear on a rotating cylinder that jumps at the start of each hour and is read through a lateral window at six o’clock. A trailing disc shows the minutes, and the hours follow a 24-hour scale.
What is the Skull Flowers watch case made from?
The skull case is made from grade 5 titanium with a microblasted finish, according to Yanko Design. The black versions also carry a black DLC coating.
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