Pitch Perfect

Among all the collaborations that exist between musicians and watch brands, none makes as much sense nor is as intuitively perfect as the one between superstar pianist Lang Lang and Hublot.

It only takes a moment to consider the facts, and quickly realize that in their own ways, both are flamboyant, attuned to popular culture, keen to mix genres, (classical, jazz and rock music for Lang Lang, and non-traditional materials in watchmaking or the “Art of Fusion” as Hublot calls it), and are also masters of their respective crafts.

If you already know who Lang Lang is and haven’t pondered the connection, it will make sense momentarily if you think about it. If you don’t know who he is, however, it’s worth checking out a few clips online of his past performances, and you will see, in his musicianship and showmanship, how this classically trained pianist is breaking boundaries, elevating his performances beyond the stuffy confines of the past, and bringing an entirely new audience to his brand of classical music.

Lang Lang joined the Hublot family only last year in January 2015, and so far, there hasn’t been a watch that has been done in his name that has been worthy of an artist of his stature.

That, however, changes today with the launch of two new limited edition watches that make so much sense in their concept, looks and features to almost be profoundly pitch perfect in their execution.

As befits the world they are inspired from, both are from the Classic Fusion family, and portray an elegant look and feel, ideal for wearing into a concert hall for a performance.

The first, the Classic Fusion Tourbillon Cathedral Minute Repeater Carbon LANG LANG, is a watch that one can very easily imagine the maestro wearing himself.

Indeed, the Classic Fusion Cathedral Tourbillon Minute Repeater, which won the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, Striking Watch Prize in 2014, is now executed in carbon, a request from Lang Lang himself for a lighter watch to wear while playing the piano.

That it is a minute repeater; the apex complication in the world of horology befits an artist of his talent and accomplishment. That it is further a musical complication, as well, is icing on the cake. It is interesting that in the choice of carbon for the case, in this instance, aside from being light, is also a good resonating material, promising to make the power double cathedral chime and exceptional clarity of tone even better.

Aesthetically, there are several touches that set this watch apart. The minute repeater hammers, visible from the caseback, are engraved with his name, with the word “Lang” appearing on each hammer. The indexes on the dial at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock are respectively replaced by a bass clef, a treble clef and a stylized sixteenth note that recalls Lang Lang’s initials. Produced in a series of eight, it combines two major complications, the striking-mechanism and the tourbillon, in a 427-component package that offers an 85-hour power reserve. Only eight pieces of the limited edition timepiece will be produced.

The second piece, the Classic Fusion Ceramic Ultra-Thin LANG LANG, is a watch that one might be able to imagine wearing to attend a Lang Lang concert. This watch comes in a black polished ceramic case evoking the right mood for a night out or even the smooth ebony surfaces of a grand piano. Yellow gold accents on the dial appliqués, crown, bezel screws and hands amplify the watch with a touch of luxury, and the Lang Lang signature on the dial, and on the sapphire caseback are there to identify this timepiece as his limited-edition model.

This piece is limited to 88 pieces, a number chosen to represent the number of keys on a piano.

It’s always interesting to see how a watch brand makes use of its relationship with a celebrity to launch new watches. In many instances their mileage will vary depending on how well this is done. Some collaborations after-all might leave you scratching your head, as they either do not seem to not make sense, nor does the watch properly embody the celebrity in question.

Hublot, however, have shown that they know what it takes to do these kinds of partnerships well, and the best example is their MP-05 La Ferrari that is perfect in everyway in embodying the Ferrari brand in a watch. With these two new limited edition watches for Lang Lang, they’ve certainly shown their knack for pitch perfect collaborations.

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