Hublot is celebrating the legacy of South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader Nelson Mandela with a special-edition watch.

In collaboration with the House of Mandela foundation, the Swiss watch brand has unveiled the Classic Fusion House of Mandela watch.

The timepiece is crafted with 18k king gold, a red-gold alloy, and finished with a semi-matte black alligator strap. The 45mm case bears subtle tributes to Mandela throughout.

His signature appears on the bezel between 12 and 1 o’clock, and the dial features the Mandela family sigil, a bee with its wings outstretched into tree branches, representing the Mandela family tree.

The bee is also a nod to Mandela’s Xhosa name, Rolihlahla, which means “he who is brave enough to fetch honey from the honeycomb”, a metaphor for challenging the status quo.

The outline of South Africa appears as a window to the watch’s inner mechanics on the caseback, atop which is Mandela’s handprint.

Part of the watch’s $30,900 price tag will be donated to the House of Mandela, an organisation dedicated to continuing Mandela’s human rights initiatives as well as supporting the education of underpriviliged South African children, though it might set some eyebrows furrowing from the disparity between flashy extravagence and a noble cause.

Via mens-folio.com – the watch can be purchased here.