Simon Wittenberg takes a look at HONOR’s latest collaboration with upcoming names from the world of art and fashion.

HONOR, the global smartphone brand, has unveiled a series of striking new limited edition designs for their MagicWatch 2 timepiece.

They combine elements of illustration, photography, sculpture and calligraphy, thanks to collaborations with a number of rising stars from the spheres of art and graphic design, which include Jacky Tsai, George Greaves, Wang DongLing and Giovanni Ozzola.

The HONOR Global Watch Face Design contest attracted more than 1,400 entries. This resulted in 85 watch face designs, which were made available to download from the Huawei Health App for iPhone and Android devices.

Jacky Tsai
The Chinese artist Jacky Tsai, one of the world’s leading contemporary pop artists, created two eye-catching limited edition designs named “Floral Horse” and “Shanghai Tang Café”.

Her creations fuse elements of pop art with iconic Eastern influences, using splashes of colour across the watch faces and straps.

George Greaves
Known for his bold graphic prints and with an eye for the unusual, Bristol-based illustrator George Greaves’ unisex palm tree design mixes geometric elements with a muted colour palette, evoking a sense of majestic landscapes and far-flung adventures.

Wang DongLing
Wang Dongling is widely recognised as China’s greatest living calligrapher and is known for his large abstract works that he calls “calligraphic paintings.”

For his limited edition, Wang incorporated elements of his signature experimental calligraphic style, with powerful brush-and-ink strokes using deep olive green tones.

Giovanni Ozzola
A Florence native, Giovanni is a multidisciplinary artist working primarily in photography, as well as video and sculptural installation.

His artworks have been shown across the globe in numerous public and private institutions, such as the Fosun Foundation in Shanghai, 313 Art Project in Seoul, District 6 Museum in Cape Town and the Tate Modern in London.

Giovanni’s three designs conjure up a sense of discovery. They are namely, “One Day”, which blends graffiti with a sunrise scene to express both the frantic and the quiet, natural moments in life.

The second, “Old Walls”, reflects on mankind’s compulsion to tell stories by using an artistic technique called detachment to preserve sections of old wall paintings.

The third creation, “Ficus”, is an exploration of space and light. Here, the artist has captured leaves in different lighting conditions, adding depth and dimension to the final design.

George Zhao, President of HONOR, said: “As a leading global smartphone brand, we are committed to creating cutting-edge, fashion-forward technology that looks as good on the outside as the tech on the inside.

“We’re thrilled to have partnered with some really exciting names in the worlds of art and design for our latest design series for the MagicWatch 2; the collection truly embodies our bold, adventurous spirit, with a range of stunning designs to suit every style and taste.”

HONOR MagicWatch 2 – Where and How?

The HONOR MagicWatch 2 46mm Charcoal Black is available to purchase from £159.99 in the UK on Amazon, eBay and John Lewis.

The 42mm Agate Black variant of the watch will be available from £149.99 on Amazon and John Lewis starting from 12th February 2020.

For more information, please visit HONOR online at www.hihonor.com.