Under its “Hublot Loves Art” banner, the Swiss manufacture continues to blur the line between watchmaking and contemporary art. The Hublot MP-17 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire is the second collaboration with American artist Daniel Arsham, a sculptural expression of time that fuses Hublot’s horological prowess with Arsham’s vision of impermanence.
Arsham, known for his “Future Relic” series and his fascination with the archaeology of tomorrow, imagines objects caught between past and future, eroded yet enduring. That sense of temporal ambiguity, things that appear both ancient and futuristic, lies at the heart of this new MP-17. Following last year’s MP-10 Arsham Droplet pocket watch, the Splash continues the artist’s exploration of fluid forms and transparency, now distilled into a wearable 42mm wrist sculpture.
Daniel Arsham wears the new Hublot MP-17 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire shown on the right, in its presentation box designed by the artist.
Crafted from titanium, rubber and sapphire crystal, the watch embodies Hublot’s Art of Fusion philosophy. The frosted sapphire box-bezel and organically curved case elicits the motion of water, while the dial features a dynamic splash-shaped aperture, an evolution of the droplet motif. Inside beats Hublot’s downsized MECA-10 manual-wind movement (10-day power reserve), its accomplished mechanics visible through both dial and caseback.
Although it departs from Hublot’s typical angular silhouettes, the MP-17 retains key brand signatures, the six H-screws, sculpted lugs at three and nine o’clock, and the titanium H-shaped clasp. Arsham’s aesthetic runs through every detail, most notably in his signature Arsham green, accenting the hands, numerals, seconds subdial and power-reserve indicator.
Dial and caseback of the Hublot MP-17 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire showing the detail of its MECA-10 movement.
Arsham’s philosophy of “collapsing time” finds an ideal representation here. “You’re never quite sure if it’s an object from the past or the future,” he remarks. A thought made tangible in this design. The Hublot MP-17 Arsham Splash transforms time into something almost liquid: suspended, precise, and at the same time, in constant motion. It’s both a mechanical instrument and an artwork. Hublot CEO Julien Tornare added that the watch “invited us to see time in a new light, through Arsham’s unique and fluid vision”.
Limited to just 99 pieces (£57,000), the Hublot MP-17 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire is proof positive that watchmaking and concept art can fuse and hold equal weight.
Author: Andrew Hildreth
You may like to read our review of the Hublot Arsham Droplet (2024) and of other 2025 Hublot pieces we find outstanding, such as the Hublot Classic Fusion Essential Taupe,the Hublot Square Bang Tourbillon and the 20th anniversary Hublot Big Bang collection.
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