Takashi Murakami Has Gone From Smiling Flowers To Skulls! Meet His New Watch Brand, Time Objects

If you thought Takashi Murakami's watches were all about colourful smiling flowers, think again. The Japanese contemporary artist, whose unmistakable floral creations have become pop-culture icons, is taking his love affair with watchmaking to an entirely new level. This time, he isn't collaborating with an established watch brand. He is launching his own.

Introducing Time Objects, Murakami's new watch brand, which makes its debut with the rather extraordinary Skull Flowers Cylindrical Jumping Hours Tourbillon. And when we say extraordinary, we mean a mechanical timepiece housed inside a sculpted skull, with his signature flowers literally coming to life on the wrist. Subtle? Certainly not. Interesting? Absolutely. Developed in collaboration with Swiss watch designer and engineer Marco Tedeschi, the new venture brings together Murakami's unmistakable artistic language and serious Swiss watchmaking credentials. It is an intriguing move for an artist who has spent decades blurring the boundaries between fine art, popular culture, fashion and luxury.

From Smiling Flowers To Serious Watchmaking

Murakami is hardly a newcomer to the world of watches. His journey began with Hublot in 2021, when the brand introduced the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black. What followed were increasingly colourful and imaginative interpretations of his signature flower motif, including the striking 2023 Classic Fusion Black Ceramic Rainbow, featuring rotating gemstone-set petals. But creating watches under his own name is a very different proposition. With Time Objects, Murakami now has the freedom to build an entire horological universe around his artistic philosophy. The brand's guiding concept, The Chronos Paradox, explores the relationship between life and death, beauty and transience, and the fleeting nature of time against the idea of eternity. It is a rather philosophical foundation for a watch that looks like it belongs in an art gallery as much as it does in a collector's watch box.

A Skull With Flowers For Eyes

The debut Skull Flowers Cylindrical Jumping Hours Tourbillon is certainly not trying to blend into the crowd. Its case is a sculpted Grade 5 titanium skull, assembled from 33 components and measuring approximately 44mm in diameter and 18.4mm in thickness. Interestingly, the final skull design was selected after the team explored more than 600 different shapes.

Murakami's signature smiling flowers take centre stage in the skull's eye sockets. Mounted on a ball-bearing system, the petals rotate with the movement of the wearer's wrist. They aren't there to indicate the time; they are purely an artistic expression, adding a playful, kinetic dimension to an otherwise unconventional mechanical creation. There is also a deeper thought behind this unusual combination. The skull represents mortality, while the flowers symbolise life and renewal. Together, they reflect Murakami's exploration of the beautiful contradiction between life and death.

Time, But Make It Unconventional

The time display is just as unusual as the case. Forget traditional hands sweeping across a dial. The watch features a lateral aperture at six o'clock, where the hours are displayed on a rotating cylinder that jumps instantaneously at the top of every hour. A trailing disc indicates the minutes. Turn the watch around, and there is more mechanical theatre to admire. A tourbillon positioned at 12 o'clock is visible through the sapphire caseback, offering a glimpse into the movement's intricate construction.

Serious Swiss Mechanics Behind The Art

While Murakami provides the artistic vision, the mechanical execution has been entrusted to Marco Tedeschi. With experience at Hublot, Romain Jérôme and Kross Studio, Tedeschi brings considerable technical expertise to the project. Developed exclusively for this creation, the hand-wound calibre KM 7012 TM comprises 409 components and 81 jewels. It operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour and delivers an impressive 125-hour power reserve. The movement's darkened plate is engraved with Murakami's signature skull-and-flower motif, while the tourbillon bridge takes the shape of a flower. Even the mechanical architecture gets the Murakami treatment.

Five Versions For Collectors Who Like To Stand Out

The Skull Flowers Cylindrical Jumping Hours Tourbillon arrives in five variations, ranging from understated black to full-blown gemstone extravagance. The Black Rainbow and All Black editions are each limited to 12 pieces, while three gem-set versions take the spectacle further. 

The Full Pavé Diamonds features 744 diamonds totalling 9.3 carats, while the Full Pavé Black Diamonds offers the same setting in darker stones. For those who prefer a little more colour, the Full Pavé Rainbow brings 744 coloured gemstones into the picture. All five versions are paired with a black rubber strap and a titanium folding clasp shaped like a skull.

Our Take: Art, Attitude And A Lot Of Watchmaking

We have seen artists collaborate with watch brands, lend their signatures to limited editions and reinterpret familiar icons. But launching an independent watch brand is a considerably bigger statement. With Time Objects, Murakami is no longer simply bringing his artwork to the wrist; he is building a mechanical canvas around it.

The Skull Flowers Cylindrical Jumping Hours Tourbillon is unapologetically theatrical, and it certainly won't appeal to the traditionalist looking for a discreet dress watch. But perhaps that is precisely the point. Between the rotating flowers, sculptural titanium skull and unconventional time display, this is a watch that demands attention. What interests us most, however, is the partnership with Marco Tedeschi. Beneath all the colour and visual drama lies a genuinely complex Swiss-made movement with a substantial power reserve and tourbillon. That combination makes this more than an artistic object with a watch movement tucked inside. Is Time Objects the beginning of an exciting new chapter in independent watchmaking? It is too early to tell. But one thing is certain: Murakami has made a rather unforgettable entrance.

Prices:

The Skull Flowers Cylindrical Jumping Hours Tourbillon arrives in five variations, ranging from stealthy black to full-blown gemstone extravagance. The Black Rainbow and All Black editions are each limited to 12 pieces and priced at CHF 85,000 (before taxes). For collectors who prefer a little more sparkle, three gem-set editions take the spectacle further. The Full Pavé Diamonds features 744 diamonds totalling 9.3 carats and is priced at CHF 148,000. The Full Pavé Black Diamonds, featuring the same number and total carat weight in black diamonds, costs CHF 142,000. Completing the line-up is the Full Pavé Rainbow, set with 744 coloured gemstones and priced at CHF 140,000. All five versions are paired with a black rubber strap and a titanium folding clasp shaped like a skull. Water resistance is rated at 30 metres.