The 2023 edition of the Hublot Classic Fusion Black Magic Dubai Watch Week, one of the key watch events on the calendar, is in full swing right now. With over 50 brands participating in the celebration of watchmaking, there’s plenty to be discovered. As with every edition of the fair, brands go to great lengths to create unique and appealing new watches, often in highly creative and highly limited executions. One such edition is a special Hublot Classic Fusion Black Magic , created in partnership with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and featuring artwork by calligraphy artist Wissam Shawkat.
Two sizes are introduced, both with a black ceramic case in the signature Hublot Classic Fusion Black Magic design. One comes in a diameter of 42mm and has a black ceramic bezel, while the 38mm model has a black anodized aluminium bezel with 36 brilliant-cut black diamonds alongside the signature screws. A sapphire crystal on top, and another one around the back, sandwich the dial and movement.
Diamonds on the bezel or not, the centrepiece of the watch is the unique and colourful calligraphy artwork by Wissam Shawkat on the matte black dial. The Arabic calligraphy reads “Al Zaman” and “Al Waqt”, both a translation of “time” in Arabic. The eye-catching design is finished in bright orange, blue, green and red. Time is indicated with a pair of sword-shaped hour and minute hands, and a central seconds hand bearing the Hublot logo as a counterweight.
Inside beats the Calibre HUB1110, which is based on a Sellita SW300-1 automatic. This runs at a rate of 28,800 vibrations/hour and has a power reserve of 42 hours. The black ceramic caseback is engraved with the limitation of these special editions of the Classic Fusion, and fitted with a sapphire crystal to reveal the Hublot-signed openworked winding rotor. The Hublot Classic Fusion Black Magic comes on a black rubber and alligator strap with a blackened steel deployant clasp.
