Haute Events: Spring 2015

Mr. Brainwash Turns Hublot Into Art
Luxury Swiss watch brand Hublot honored Paris-born street artist Mr. Brainwash on Friday by unveiling an exclusive installation at the brand’s Bal Harbour Boutique. In celebration of Art Basel Miami, Hublot partnered with Mr. Brainwash to wrap the entire façade of the boutique as a bespoke piece of art, and in the same breath, unveiled a collaboration watch to the benefit of the Eva Longoria Foundation. Following the Bal Harbour event, Hublot continued the celebration by partnering with Haute Living magazine (parent to Haute Time) to host an intimate dinner on a private yacht followed by a party in Miami Beach.

A. Lange & Söhne Celebrates 200th Anniversary With Limited Edition 1815 Watch
Haute Time had the privilege of attending the surprise launch of the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 “200th Anniversary F. A. Lange”. It was a surprise to be invited to Dresden only a few weeks after SIHH week, usually considered the most important date of the year for any Richemont brand. Yet the new 1815 “200th Anniversary F. A. Lange” is undoubtedly the most important watch this year for the German brand. Created by A. Lange & Söhne to commemorate the anniversary of its founding father, this limited 200-watch edition of the 1815 in platinum stands out because of its pure lines and simple design. While a majority of watch brands mark important anniversaries with highly complicated timepieces for only a handful of collectors, it is a welcome change – albeit not surprising from A. Lange & Söhne – to see a brand create a piece in line with the core values set by its founder. Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s objective, which he stated in the letter sent the Saxon government in 1843 to start his company, were to imbue his watches “with the great and important flawlessness and simplicity that originate from my considerations and diligence”. Two centuries later, the 200th Anniversary F. A. Lange certainly remains true to his character. Ferdinand Adolph Lange may not be able to sign off on this spectacular watch, but his great-grandson, Walter Lange, 90, was understandably very proud to see his name on this historic timepiece.

Roger Dubuis Hosts Exclusive Art Basel Miami Bash With Dom Pérignon and Haute Living
Haute horology specialists Roger Dubuis welcomed Art Basel Miami’s A-list for an exclusive private bash. If guests including brand CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué and supermodel Stephanie Seymour were any indication, it was more than a star-studded affair.  After being named the newest face of Estée Lauder earlier this year, the 46-year-old mother of four was recently tapped by Geneva watchmaker Roger Dubuis to star in a five-part photo shoot exclusively for Haute Living, wearing the latest extension of Dubuis’ revered Velvet Ladies collection. “They are all incredibly beautiful, but I think my favorite has to be the blush toned corset watch,” Seymour told Haute Living. “I love the strength of the piece, but it is somehow still very feminine and stylish.”

Glashütte Original Walks The Red Carpet In Berlin
Glashütte Original celebrated the fifth year of its partnership with the Berlin International Film Festival by awarding the “Made in Germany – Perspektive Fellowship” to Oskar Sulowski, a young film director from Berlin.  The German watch brand, based in Glashütte, also paid homage to Wim Wenders, winner of this year’s Honorary Golden Bear, by hosting a themed exhibition in cooperation with the Museum for Film and Television. Keen to try its own hand at the seventh art, the Saxon watch manufacturer also presented five individual short films made by friends of the brand and collectors. Glashütte Original premiered the films to the public in the presence of the protagonists for the very first time during the 65th Berlinale.

Haute Time Reunites NBA Stars One Year After Basketball Issue
Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul hosted a Gentleman’s Dinner at Catch in Manhattan on Valentine’s Day in conjunction with Haute Time to celebrate the NBA All-Star game. The event was invitation-only and, as expected, some VIPs were in attendance including NBA superstar Russell Westbrook and NBA Hall-of-Famer Scottie Pippen. Meanwhile, Wade, Anthony and Paul invited their wives, Gabrielle Union, LaLa Anthony and Jada Crawley to celebrate on this romantic occasion. Those in attendance were treated to delicious seafood prepared by Top Chef-winner Hung Huynh. Though players in attendance came from both the Eastern and Western Conferences, they were all able to put aside their rivalries and enjoy some amazing food and have a wonderful time.

Audemars Piguet Unwinds At Art Basel Miami With Strandbeests
A global associate partner of Art Basel in 2012 and 2013, Audemars Piguet solidified its commitment to artistic expression by supporting Theo Jansen at this year’s fair in Miami. The Dutch artist is the father of Strandbeests, kinetic sculptures made out of PVC tubes that come to life and start walking on sand thanks to the power of wind coming over the shore. The size of Jansen’s creatures ranges from the tank-like to the miniature, which measure only a few inches more than Audemars Piguet’s own beast: the Royal Oak Selfwinding 15400. Built to last, like our horological friends, they have in fact turned out to be quite beautiful. Contrary to the watchmakers from Le Brassus, the beautification of his creations was not Jansen’s intention. “I know I can do it, but I do not know how I do it,” said Jansen. While South Beach proved to be the ideal backdrop for the Strandbeets and Audemars Piguet, the new partners hinted at the idea of seeing them crawl on day in Switzerland.