From Manga to Brutalism: The best art-inspired watches

Manga: Franck Muller Cintrée Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon Limited Edition

The mythical dragon is given a refreshingly quirky take through the eyes of up-and-coming Japanese painter Ryoko Kaneta in this Asia Pacific-exclusive drop of 500 pieces. The divine creature is anthropomorphised as doll-like girls — a Kaneta trademark — interacting with the hour indices.

The anime style of these “kawaii” characters stands in playful contrast with the neoclassical elegance of the 5850 Cintree Curvex’s case, while the vibrant aqua blue and turquoise colours are a nod to the dragon’s ties to water. This steel model features a guilloched and enamelled dial with FM 2536-SC self-winding movement.

Uchronic aesthetics: Hublot Arsham Droplet

Multidisciplinary contemporary artist Daniel Arsham singlehandedly popularised uchronic aesthetics, which describes art based on idealised or semi-fictional history. His works revolve around transforming everyday objects into “future relics”, and this ticking masterpiece — transmutable between a pocket watch, a pendant, and a table clock — is one of them.

Bearing an organic shape with an ergonomic and tactile design, it boasts an open-worked titanium case with sandwich construction, two domed sapphire crystals, 17 rubber O-rings for a perfect seal, and two titanium chains with a patented double “one-click” system. Beating within this 99-piece limited edition is the manufacture’s iconic Meca-10 movement.

Streamline moderne: Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline Steel and Gold

Developed in the US in the 1930s, the Streamline Moderne aesthetic didn’t just arise from the Art Deco movement but simplified the latter’s ornamental elements with sleek aeronautical forms. The large surfaces of this urban watch are imbued with a refinement befitting of jewellery, showcasing rose gold fluting on the bezel and central bracelet links and a new sunlit-brown dial with a date display.

Together with the model’s architectural steel case, they evoke the aluminium fuselages of 1940s cruise planes. A 99-piece limited edition, this 40mm creation is fitted with the BR-CAL.321-1 calibre self-winding movement.

Brutalism: Audemars Piguet [RE]Master02 Selfwinding

This asymmetrical 41 mm watch is a modern tribute to the manufacture’s 1960 Model 5159BA, inspired by the era’s Brutalist style, favouring angular geometric shapes devoid of ornamentation. Within the sand gold case is a striking rectangular “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” dial composed of 12 triangular segments decorated with a linear satin finish, creating a captivating interplay of light and texture.

Its unique shape is further accentuated by the sapphire crystal, which has a 15.8 deg bevel that required two years of R&D. It is a 250-piece limited edition powered by the extra-thin Calibre 7129 movement.

Impressionism: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Monet

Paying homage to the city of love are three Reverso Tribute Enamel timepieces, each featuring a miniature reproduction of Claude Monet’s Venice Series painting. On the caseback of this Grand Canal white gold model, the manufacture’s in-house Metiers Rares Atelier used miniature painting, enamelling, and guillochage to depict a spellbinding afternoon view of Santa Maria della Salute.

Recreating the dreaminess of the original required 14 layers of enamel and almost 70 hours of work. The dial also flaunts a wavy hand-guilloche pattern, evoking reflections on the water's surface. This 10-piece limited run is equipped with the manual-winding Calibre 822 movement.

Comics: Hermes Slim d’Hermes Pocket Mysterious Rider

Crafted in a three-piece numbered limited edition, this pocket watch reinterprets the Mysterious Rider silk scarf motif created by Dutch illustrator Viktor Hachmang, noted for his futuristic graphics and experimental comics. On the watch cover, a gleaming motorcycle, composed of bright hues and geometric patterns, is decorated with the demanding technique of champleve enamel.

Nestled beneath is a timeless white enamel dial designed by Philippe Delhotal in 2015, bearing red hand-painted numerals. Equipped with the in-house H1950 ultra-thin mechanical self-winding movement, this 45mm creation comes with a strap and pouch in matte Rouge H alligator leather.

Mid-century modern: Hautulence Retrovision ‘47

One recurring theme that defines Hautulence’s creations is the television, a motif perfect for its irreverent, kinetic take on watchmaking. However, the inspiration this time is a radio broadcast receiver from the 1940s, when furniture and appliances came in the simple yet iconic mid-century modern style.

Showcasing a hand-painted cuboidal case, this singular piece mimics the marbled look of Bakelite. The small offset brass and gold dial features a flat rectangular sapphire crystal, while its red hands take on the 3D form of a frequency selector. The case back also offers a view of the ED20-SP00 automatic calibre.

Neo Deco: Louis Erard x Horophile La Petite Seconde Metropolis Green

A tribute to Louis Erard’s founding era of the roaring 20s and its home region of the Jura mountains, the birthplace of the Art Deco-influenced fir tree watchmaking style, is this 39mm watch. Boasting the new Neo Deco aesthetic that bridges the famed, century-old art movement with the modernity of this decade, the model’s warm green dial flaunts architectural numerals open-worked like Art Deco facade elements, baton hands inspired by the Empire State Building, and concentric gadrooned grooves that catch the light. Pure in design and devoid of a logo, this timepiece is built with the automatic Sellita SW261-1 calibre.

Bauhaus: H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Tourbillon Wyoming Jade

This 40mm red gold watch celebrates the immaculate beauty of olive-toned jade, sourced from a preserved site in the mountainous western US state and used untreated here. With no logo and just three indices, the dial offers an unobstructed view of the one-minute flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock, truly in keeping with the spirit of Bauhaus, which eschews superfluous decoration and places a “function over form” minimalism at its core.

Limited to 100 pieces, it is fitted with the automatic HMC 804 calibre featuring a double hairspring made by H. Moser & Cie's sister company Precision Engineering AG.