Founded by Carlo Crocco, scion of an old Lombardi family of watchmakers, the first-ever Hublot (meaning ‘porthole’ in French) was totally modern.
The art of fusion
It had a sturdy three-part yellow gold case and clean black dial and, in a first for a luxury watch, a black rubber strap scented with vanilla. Hublot has a high-tech manufacture in Nyon on the banks of Lake Geneva and is at the forefront of new advances in technology and fundamental research into new materials. Fusion is the name of the game at Hublot. Not just in fusing traditional watchmaking with an iconoclastic flair but also with its materials. It has created Magic Gold, which is an 18ct gold alloy that doesn’t scratch, and King Gold, which is a proprietary shade of rose gold. The brand managed to produce vivid coloured ceramics, found a way to colour sapphire crystal for its see-through cases, and even experimented with putting concrete in a case. It makes for an audacious, bold, brand whose new launches you can never quite predict. Its most iconic timepiece remains the multiple award-winning Big Bang, launched in 2005, the perfect illustration of the Fusion concept so dear to Hublot. The Big Bang, now the brand’s signature collection and a watchmaking icon, celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2020 and in recent times we have seen a plethora of different colours, concepts, and variations of this design.
We have enjoyed over 30 years of collaboration with Hublot, and 2020 was the most exciting year to date. We expanded Hublot’s presence in both the UK and US allowing our clients to immerse themselves in the Hublot experience with our highly trained experts, helped by the unique ‘Art of Fusion’ inspired Hublot décor that greets clients when they enter the new branded areas. In 2020, we took our partnership even further with the launch of our second collaborative piece with the brand. The Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph ‘Watches of Switzerland Group’ Special Edition 45mm is our own exclusive and featured on the front cover of our in-house print title Calibre, as well as being promoted via our traditional and digital channels; something we naturally do for all Hublot launches.
Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph ‘Watches of Switzerland Group’ Special Edition
The Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph watch is a piece that combines tradition and innovation, something that has been at the heart of Hublot watchmaking for decades. The Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph ‘Watches of Switzerland Group’ Special Edition 45mm blends a striking black ceramic case with a black skeleton dial featuring red details, which are also seen on the alligator and rubber strap. The timepiece carries a HUB1155 self-winding chronograph movement and has a 42-hour power reserve.
The Classic Fusion created in collaboration with the Watches of Switzerland Group adds to previous special editions created jointly by Hublot and the Watches of Switzerland Group since 2018. This is an ideal piece for those wanting something unique within their watch collection. As the piece is exclusive to us and only available in our showrooms in the UK and the US, it means that the watch would be a fine purchase for any collector who likes to stand out from the crowd.
