Art Basel in Miami Beach

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The term “Art Basel” has become so divorced from its origins that in 2013, the sire of Art Basel Miami and Art Basel Hong Kong had to officially rename itself “Art Basel in Basel,” bringing the sleepy yet sophisticated Swiss city back into the picture of what is now essentially a brand name. The first outpost of this global art fair, Miami has a surprising amount in common with Basel and Hong Kong: these are places where world cultures come to rub shoulders, cross-pollinating and finding fertile soil to send out new shoots.

Miami is thrumming—and teeming—during this year's show, which runs December 7-10. Over 250 galleries from around the world are represented, showing an overwhelming array of art from the most talented, most imaginative—and most expensive—contemporary artists in the world. Inspired by this embarrassment of riches, over 20 satellite art fairs have sprung up in the Magic City, leading to an entire Miami Art Week.

Wherever a heightened focus on creativity meets a wave of concentrated wealth, luxury brands will follow, seeking an audience that is primed to spend into the five, six or seven figures for a bold statement of artistry. Hublot, as always, is in the thick of things, with an entire Hublot Loves Art in Miami slate of events that celebrates the brand’s renowned “Art of Fusion” concept, including an invitation to the 2016 and 2017 winners of the Hublot Design Prize to join the brand in Miami. Designing timepieces to fit the occasion, Hublot partnered with street artists Hush and Tristan Eaton for a pair of watches dubbed “Fame vs. Fortune,” contrasting the markers of outsized success of the West Coast (“Fame”) and East (“Fortune”).

Los Angeles artist Hush designed the Spirit of Big Bang West Coast Ceramic Black and White watch, envisioned as a black and white, mixed media, collaged portrait of a woman on the caseback. New York artist Tristan Eaton focused on the money machine of downtown Manhattan, using brushed bronze as a specific allusion to Wall Street’s iconic Bull, and a collage featuring elements such as a dollar sign, bull, and Wall Street sign. Each watch is available in a limited and numbered edition of 50 pieces each.

Also in Miami, Audemars Piguet has partnered with Art Basel since 2013, curating collectors’ lounges that convey the spirit of the watch brand’s native Jura mountains, as well as commissioning work from up-and-coming artists. This year, Audemars Piguet has selected artist Lars Jan, whose thought-provoking oceanfront installation “Slow Motion Luminaries” raises serious question about the sustainability of Miami itself.