DJ Snake’s New Hublot Watch Is Meant to Evoke the “Colors and Lasers” of an Electronic Music Show - Hollywood Reporter
DJ Snake — the global music phenom known for such hits as "Turn Down For What," "Lean On," "Let Me Love You," "Taki Taki" and "Loco Contigo" — has collaborated on the creation of a new watch with Swiss maker Hublot. Featuring iridescent colors showcased on a black titanium case, the Big Bang DJ Snake is meant to evoke the feeling of an electronic music concert. "During the shows, we have the craziest colors, the lasers and everything and I wanted a watch that can feel this energy — very aggressive and special, something fresh with sick energy," DJ Snake tells The Hollywood Reporter.
DJ Snake, who's in the middle of a jammed touring schedule that will take him to Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Puerto Rico, Florida and Las Vegas over the next month, also chose a design detail for the watch's dial that speaks to his worldwide reach: a stylized globe. "A lot of people say I make electronic music, but I would say I make world music. That's why we have a globe on the watch, because we always wanted to be global," he says.
He calls collaborating on the design of his first watch "a big challenge for me and a lot of pressure, because that's not what I do. I just wanted to have a very interesting piece. We tried so many designs, different stuff, but I wanted something different, very, very different," he says. The big thing he learned during the process? "To be patient. This is me being outside of my comfort zone. Because you know I can make music all day. We can make 10 songs in one night. But designing a watch was totally different and very interesting as well."
The 45mm satin-finished, partly skeletonized watch is adorned with what Hublot describes as a "Newton's Rings" effect in which the range of hues on the timepiece are precisely oriented to achieve a high level of iridescence that changes with the light and the angle of the viewer. "I didn't want to use regular colors," says DJ Snake. In a limited edition of 100 pieces, the Big Bang DJ Snake, priced at $26,200, will come with two easily interchangeable straps, one in rubber with a black, purple and grey camo pattern, the other in black ribbed rubber. The automatic flyback chronograph watch is powered by the maker's HUB1242 UNICO movement and has a power reserve of 72 hours.
DJ Snake — who first partnered with Hublot in 2018 when he performed during the watch company's closing event at the FIFA World Cup in Russia — says he has worn the brand for at least a decade. "I've always been a huge fan of Hublot, one of the most iconic brands in the world. You can see pictures of myself like years ago, maybe 10 years ago, when I was not that famous and I was already wearing Hublot back then," he says.
He first became aware of the brand when he travelled to Switzerland years ago "when I was younger. I was in the clubs and it's very dark in the club and I could see the [Hublot] Big Bangs on the biggest customers in the VIP area. Hublot, you can see it from far away. It's just different and special. And I was like, 'Wow, all these guys are wearing the craziest watch and I need to find out about it.'" The next day, as he was traveling home, he saw a Big Bang on billboards at the airport. "I was like, 'Oh, wow, this is the brand that all these guys are wearing.' I just fell in love with it." He also told himself, "'One day I will get one. I'm going to work hard and one day I will have this on my wrist.' You feel confident when you have a watch like this. You feel like power."
He sees a statement timepiece as an important accessory in adding a final touch to an outfit. "Sometimes, I can have a very simple outfit when I go out or when I'm on stage — a white t-shirt or black t-shirt with a pair of jeans — and the watch is going to make a difference. If you have the right watch, you can look like a king. So a watch is very important," he says.
Asked about his favorite moments in his career so far, DJ Snake points not to how many records he's sold or his list of famous music collaborators (who range from Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez to Lady Gaga, Tyga and J Balvin), but to the never-ending pride and surprise he experiences when he hears his songs being played during his travels around the world. "[It's] simple things like when you are driving and you see someone next to you blasting your song and they don't even know that it's you next to them, and when you work around any cities in the world and you hear your music in the shops or in the mall and you are like, 'Wow, everything started from my room, my vision.' This is the best moment. This is the best feeling and this never gets old. This is the biggest achievement. An hour ago, I was in a café in Paris and my song came on and I was proud like a kid."
His latest song, "Run It", with Rick Ross and Rich Brian, appears on the soundtrack for the new Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. "Right now, I'm touring like crazy," says DJ Snake, "because in some parts of the world things are going back to normal. So we're able to do shows, to meet fans, to shoot music videos and everything. It feels good to also give some positive energy to the people … after almost two years of dealing with this pandemic. I think this is what artists do. We give people fun for two hours. We give them a way to escape what they are going through in life. You forget if you have a broken heart or anything and just live for the moment."
"I just hope, I'm praying to be able to keep going and to keep playing shows all around the world and to keep giving good energy to the people because that is what they need right now."
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