The Rise of Phygital NFTs: Hublot x Takashi Murakami are setting-up new standards.

In recent years, the world of art and collectibles has undergone a radical transformation with the advent of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

These unique digital assets are changing the way we think about ownership and collectibility, and their impact is only going to grow.

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the latest development in the NFT world – the rise of phygital NFTs, especially in the watchmaking industry.

Phygital refers to the merging of physical and digital experiences, and NFTs are at the forefront of this trend.

Hublot and Takashi Murakami have set a new standard for the phygital NFT market with their latest project.

On February 2nd, 2023, the Swiss watchmaker and the Japanese artist announced their fourth collaboration: the launch of thirteen new NFTs and thirteen unique timepieces.

The thirteen NFTs are linked to a limited edition of 13 new Classic Fusion watches, which will be unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2023 in Geneva.

In March 2023, twelve watches will be available for purchase exclusively on hublot.com at a price of CHF 50,000 (excl. taxes) are only accessible to owners of at least one of the 324 All Black or Sapphire Rainbow NFTs issued in April 2022.

These 324 NFTs were originally offered to owners of the two previous Hublot x Takashi Murakami watch models (Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black & Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Sapphire Rainbow), and later allowed to be exchanged on the decentralized NFT trading platform, OpenSea.

Each buyer of one of the 12 new unique watches will receive a corresponding exclusive NFT.

The 13th watch of the collection, the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Black Ceramic Rainbow, is a true masterpiece, reinterpreting Takashi Murakami’s iconic smiling flower. The 12 petals of the flower form a gradient of rubies, sapphires, amethysts, tsavorites and topaz, and the kinetic effect of the spinning petals creates a dazzling display of color. The twelve other references represent one of the petals of the master flower, and each of them has a corresponding NFT.

After March 2023, collectors will then have a period of one year during which they can trade the twelve new unique NFTs on the OpenSea platform. In April 2024, at the end of this period, only the collector who has managed to collect all 12 of the new unique NFTs will be eligible to purchase the thirteenth and most sought-after watch: the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Black Ceramic Rainbow. If no single person has gathered all twelve NFTs, the watch will be auctioned by Hublot to raise funds for charity.

To purchase one of the 12 unique pieces, potential buyers must meet the following criteria:

• Be in possession of one of the 324 Hublot Classic Fusion Murakami NFTs (All Black or Sapphire Rainbow versions) at the time of the sale of the 12 unique watch pieces (early April 2023)
• Be a resident of a country where the 12 unique pieces will be shipped (list available on Hublot’s website)
• Subject to compliance with applicable Terms and Conditions of sale.

This project by Hublot and Takashi Murakami is a groundbreaking Web3.0 project, and it is sure to be a highly sought-after collection by watch collectors, art collectors, and NFT enthusiasts alike.

It brings together the best of both worlds: the traditional art of fine watchmaking and the cutting-edge technology of NFTs.

It is an exciting time for the world of luxury, and we can’t wait to see what other innovative projects will emerge from this collaboration in the future.