Kobe Bryant-designed and signed Hublot watch to hit auction block

A HUBLOT watch designed and signed by the late basketball great Kobe Bryant is up for auction next week, along with sneakers and digital art, a package the seller values at $10 million (about R143m).

The timepiece is a limited edition 18-carat rose gold King Power “Black Mamba” Tourbillon that Bryant designed as the brand’s ambassador in 2013, according to luxury asset advisory firm GDGC Enterprises, which is hosting the sale.

Only 250 watches were made and only three in rose gold, the firm said. Nicknamed the Black Mamba, Bryant’s signature appears on the back of the watch.

The shoe is a purple Nike Zoom 8 sneaker that was inspired by the basketball player, who died in 2020 at age 41 in a helicopter crash, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

The digital art is a photo of the watch and shoe by New York City artist Moshé Douglas that will be sold as a non-fungible token, or NFT.

The package is valued at a minimum of $10m, according to GDGC Enterprises.

The firm will donate $50 000 of the proceeds to the Greater Los Angeles

Make-a-wish Foundation.

“That’s going to help us probably grant an additional five wishes this year, which is so important looking at the last year and how hard fundraising has been in our current environment with the pandemic,” said Make-a-wish Greater Los Angeles president and chief executive Mike Kallhoff.

Bryant, an 18-time NBA all-star, is credited with granting more than 200 wishes.

The auction will run from September 20 to 24 through the WISE.ART digital marketplace. |