Ch hublot englisch by Hublot

A M E R I C A’ S # 1 WAT C H M A G A Z I N E

HUBLOT www.watchtime.com

WINNER OF GENEVA GRAND PRIX D'HORLOGERIE 2014

CLASSIC FUSION TOURBILLON CATHEDRAL MINUTE REPEATER www.hublot.com •

twitter.com/hublot •

facebook.com/hublot

EDITOR’S LETTER

WHY HUBLOT IS SO

SUCCESSFUL

IN THE BEGINNING there was the “Big Bang.” Jean-Claude Biver caused a huge sensation when he introduced the watch bearing this name 10 years ago. The watch was large, masculine, and bore the message of “Fusion.” Biver never tired of explaining the philosophy behind this idea but explanations alone don’t sell watches. The most essential aspect of the watch was how it embodied something so extraordinary. The Big Bang case has an ingenious design consisting of over 70 parts and made of the most diverse kinds of materials. From the very beginning the combination of different materials was a fundamental feature behind the idea of Fusion. Hublot was the first brand to combine gold with rubber – and with Biver, this was followed by carbon fiber and ceramic, Kevlar and titanium. Again and again Hublot brought new materials into the world of watches, such as the platinum metal osmium and textiles like denim, linen and lace – even tobacco leaves on the dial and grass from a soccer stadium encased in the hour markers. This was accompanied by the development of new alloys like scratch-resistant “Magic Gold” and manufactured ceramic components in brilliant colors.

FUSION, however, does not only mean the combination of various materials. Jean-Claude Biver always understood Fusion as a combination of the past and the future; of elements from traditional watchmaking and contemporary modernity. And if the combination of diverse materials represents “modernity”, the past is found within the watches with their classical mechanics. Over the years Biver and

Ricardo Guadalupe, the company’s current CEO, have created a manufacture with an impressive range and depth. Hublot has developed and put into production the Unico, its own in-house chronograph movement, and is now also building special mechanisms such as tourbillons and minute repeaters. And when such extraordinary complications are placed in a carbon-fiber case, this is simply another expression of the creative combination of the traditional and modern – that is, Fusion.

THE MANY FACETS of Hublot find expression not least of all in its marketing strategy. The brand maintains partnerships with individual athletes and sports teams, with cult brands like Ferrari as well as with musicians and designers. Hublot wants to be wherever its customers are. Whether it’s soccer, a concert or wine tasting, Hublot has watches that can bring customers even closer to their favorite topics. Hublot is perfectly equipped for the future. A new building is slated to open in mid 2015 that will provide additional space needed for the rapidly growing manufacture. Recognition and acceptance of the brand is farreaching and its portfolio is just as broad. Hublot’s presence at global mega events like the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil further deepens its name recognition among potential customers of the future. And while more and more people worldwide discover the brand for themselves, it also gives those who already own a Hublot watch that many more good reasons to purchase another Hublot.

Rüdiger Bucher, Editorial Director HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

CONTENTS

6 3 EDITOR’S LETTER 6 10 YEARS OF BIG BANG The Big Bang revolution

12 DECISIONS Which Big Bang is right for me?

22 36

14 INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-CLAUDE BIVER “Hublot has been the most important job in my life”

22 MILESTONES 10 years of Fusion

36 FERRARI Dream team

44 PHILANTHROPY Involvement for a better world

48 48 INTERVIEW WITH RICARDO GUADALUPE “The majority of our watches will have in-house movements”

56 A PERFECT WEEK

My week with Hublot

64 MATERIALS Nothing is impossible

72 LADIES’ WATCHES

Luxury with an edge

78 INSIDE HUBLOT

The manufacture

88 ANTIKYTHERA High tech under water

90 IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS Expertise central

98 MASTHEAD

THE BIG BANG REVOLUTION

Photo: Fotolia.com/Santa Papa

BY JENS KOCH

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

A NEW ERA BEGAN AT HUBLOT 10 YEARS AGO – WHEN THE BIG BANG STARTED A NEW REVOLUTION FOR THE BRAND AND THE WORLD OF HOROLOGY. THE EVENT KNOWN AS THE BIG BANG was the origin of everything. It was the beginning of our world as we know it. Hublot wasn’t exactly modest in selecting the name for its watch – but in retrospect the name was a perfect match and thoroughly justified. The Big Bang enabled the successful revitalization of Hublot while changing the entire watchmaking world. But what made the Big Bang have such an explosive effect? Keep in mind that the world of horology is based on traditions rooted in the past. It is characterized by brands that boast long histories and continue to promote their own traditionally designed collections and movements. Traditional horology defines value along certain lines. How finely executed are the decorations? Which complications and classical functions does the watch offer? The Big Bang embodies a new shape of luxury. No longer only looking back to the past, but ambitiously looking towards the future. Luxury as defined by the Big Bang comes not from traditionally decorated components but primarily from its complex, innovative design, the use of high-tech materials and unusual material combinations. It’s apparent from the first glance – you feel it. That’s why the Big Bang has been and continues to be so successful. The Big Bang banks on the element of surprise. Materials are combined that normally would never come together: carbon and gold, ceramic and steel – even jeans and diamonds. Hublot dares to go a step further, using not only modern materials like carbon and ceramic (already found in pioneering sectors of aeronautic and

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

Formula 1 racing). They are developing their own materials as well. For example, in 2011, Hublot introduced a Big Bang made from Magic Gold: 24-karat gold mixed with ceramic that gives new and desirable properties to the sensitive metal, making it the hardest in the world – it can only be scratched by diamonds. This is the new definition of luxury. Value comes about not simply because something is rare but because it performs its function perfectly. Hublot also uses virtually unscratchable ceramic and extremely lightweight and sturdy carbon for this very reason. To highlight the surprising combinations of materials, it is also essential to design the case differently than a conventional three-part case. It must necessarily consist of many parts. The Big Bang case is made up of over 70 parts, another source of this new kind of luxury. While other watches in the upper price ranges justify their value with excellent quality finishing and fine metals in a polished case made of very few parts, the Big Bang features a surprisingly high number of parts and a wide range of exquisite details.

DETAILS MATTER For example, Hublot dedicates a great deal of attention to the case screws. The unique screw heads with their stylized “H” outline are three-dimensional with a polished ring standing above the matte surface. These alternating surface finishes on such a small area continue on the case. Polished edges and the polished side of the bezel contrast with the brushed finishes and the matte black composite of the case mid-section. One senses instinctively how complicated and costly it must be to manufacture. This complexity and wide ranging detail are also integral to the new shape of luxury of the Big Bang.

THE BIG BANG REVOLUTION

NEW SHAPE OF LUXURY: THE BIG BANG CASE IS MADE UP OF OVER 70 PARTS.

THE BIG BANG REVOLUTION

But what about the past, the tradition? The Big Bang does not break completely with conventional watchmaking. Quite the opposite – tradition is part of the concept. Why are the material combinations of gold and carbon so striking? Because gold represents tradition and carbon stands for innovation. Hublot also adopted traditional surface finishing techniques to ensure the richness of detail provided by polished and brushed surfaces. The in-house Unico movement is mechanical, even though it provides a modern structure and uses some modern materials like silicon.

THE ART OF FUSION All of this is naturally much more than a coincidence. It is based firmly on the idea behind the art of Fusion – linking objects and materials that normally would never be seen together. Rubber and gold, for example. One comes from a tree while the other comes from the earth. Even though they never meet under normal circumstances, the Big Bang brings these contrasting elements together. It’s like joining the past and future. This is what makes it so surprising and so successful – the new shape of luxury created by the Big Bang. The name Big Bang could not have been more fitting. It recalls a time when everything was one, when everything was linked together. All the elements, and probably even the past and future – time, as we know it.

LINKING PAST AND FUTURE: BIG BANG UNICO TITANIUM CERAMIC

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 11

BY JENS KOCH

BIG BANG

WHICH IS RIGHT FOR ME? MALE.

DO YOU LIKE SPORTS?

I LOVE SPORTS!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE?

I LIKE TO DRIVE FAST – DOES THAT COUNT?

MALE OR FEMALE?

I’M WITH WINSTON CHURCHILL: NO SPORTS!

DO YOU LIKE LOTS OF JEWELS?

BIG BANG STEEL PAVÉ 44MM

ONLY IN THE MOVEMENT.

NOT REALLY.

YES!

AND POP ART?

YES.

FEMALE.

FERRARI?

DO YOU LIKE COLOR?

WHEN IT MATCHES MY JEANS.

BIG BANG JEANS GOLD

I’M MORE INTO BLACK.

DECISIONS

DIVING: BIG BANG KING BLACK MAGIC SOCCER: BIG BANG UNICO BI-RETROGRADE CHRONO KING GOLD CARBON

POLO: BIG BANG CHUKKER BANG

POKER: BIG BANG UNICO WPT KING GOLD LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION LIKE FORMULA 1: BIG BANG UNICO CARBON THEN CHOOSE THE WATCH THAT MATCHES THE COLOR OF YOUR CAR: BIG BANG FERRARI BLUE, WHITE, YELLOW, RED

YEP!

COMPLICATIONS?

BIG BANG TUTTI FRUTTI YES.

ABSOLUTELY!

BIG BANG POP ART

MY LIFE IS COMPLICATED ENOUGH!

BIG BANG MINUTE REPEATER TOURBILLON

OK, EASY: BIG BANG STEEL BIG BANG ALL BLACK SHINY

Photos: Fotolia.com/tournee/eyeQ/Anna Rassadnikova/Maria Bell/You can more (2)/Richard Carey/olly/Polat Alp/Smileus/grandeduc/pico

NO.

TEXT: GISBERT BRUNNER

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-CL AUDE BIVER

Jean-Claude Biver, head of the luxury watch department at LVMH, led Hublot to unexpected heights beginning in 2004. In our interview he explains how the BIG BANG became an icon in the watch industry within only a few years. QUESTIONS BY GISBERT L. BRUNNER AND RÜDIGER BUCHER

Mr. Biver, it has been 10 years since you introduced the Big Bang with Hublot. What is your assessment of the past decade? I am 65 years old now, and would have never believed that I would be looking back at such an enormous success story at this age. When we delivered the first Big Bangs in June 2005, of course I was quite certain that they would make a huge impression on the market. My positive outlook had a touch of disappointment, however, because even though we had originally designed the Big Bang with the intention of cooperating with Ferrari, Ferrari declined our offer. So we decided to introduce our watch in a regular way and that turned out to be greatly beneficial to us. But in fact, this experience mirrored my personal motto, which is: there’s always a bit of success in every failure, and vice versa. At that time, I assumed that we would eventually be able to get Hublot up to an annual revenue of 100 million CHF. When I arrived in 2004, it was 26 million CHF. I would have been extremely happy with a four-fold increase but current sales are now almost 20 times that much. In 2014, we made over 490 million and in 2015, we expect to exceed the 500-million mark. How were you able to achieve this extraordinary level of success? Thanks to the enormous help I’ve gotten. Help from the media, from jewelers, but above all from my colleagues. Ricardo Guadalupe, now CEO at Hublot, and Valérie Servageon both began at Hublot in 2005 when we had a total of 36 employees, so the three of us represented almost 10 percent of the company. That of course makes it possible to make a much greater impact than when a company has 3,000 employees. There’s a new, revolutionary idea behind the Big Bang. The Big Bang offers luxury, but not in the conventional sense. One might call it “street luxury.” We have gone where luxury has never been before – in the world of soccer, basketball and rock music. This new idea of luxury contrasts with our fathers’ idea of luxury, which was more at home with polo, golf and sailing. HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 15

INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-CL AUDE BIVER

And then there is your concept of Fusion. Can you explain that in greater detail? Our interpretation of Fusion means first and foremost that traditions aren’t simply repeated. One has to take the strong elements of that tradition and reinterpret them with a view to the future. That’s how the electric guitar came to be developed from the acoustic guitar. Gibson implemented the idea that originally came from the guitarist Les Paul. In fact, Gibson still offers a model called the “Les Paul.” The result was that the first electric guitar still looked like a guitar, with six strings, but it had a completely different sound. It combined the past and the future. And so the new instrument led to the creation of a new kind of music. The music we hear now would be impossible without the electric guitar. This story about Les Paul fascinated me. I wanted to do something like that in the watch industry and that was part of the reason I began at Hublot in 2004. The owner of Hublot at that time, Carlo Crocco, had done something similar early on – combining a gold case with a rubber strap. But Crocco didn’t have a finished concept in mind. This is what he said to me: we have a rubber and gold product, the end. I told him no, we have more than that, we have a religion. The new religion in the art of horology is called “Fusion.” It was already there in the world of architecture and gastronomy. Just look at the Louvre or the Japanese master chef Nobu. But in 2005, this message of Fusion was still novel to watchmaking. All of a sudden people wanted to know “What’s that? And what’s next?” That helped us too. I have always said that if you want to create something irrational – a dream – it must be based on something rational and then you can build everything else on that. Today we are using materials like linen and Magic Gold. It’s possible because of the message of Fusion. Many other brands can’t do this because their messages are so different.

Red-gold case, ceramic bezel, rubber strap: the first Big Bang from 2005

The composition of the Big Bang case and its many separate parts forms the basis for combining such widely different materials. It was a remarkably ingenious idea to build a case that made Fusion possible. Which came first: the case or Fusion? The idea of Fusion came first. Nothing can be born if you don’t have the right idea. Still, the concept of Fusion is not always immediately apparent from a finished watch. How did you get this idea to the customer? Ideas and concepts are not always immediately easy to comprehend. But one thing is always understandable with a Hublot. The watch has a very different look – it’s surprising. It has colors and material combinations you won’t see anywhere else. There’s a lot to discover. Curiosity awakens desire. And, purchases are not made where there is no curiosity.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-CL AUDE BIVER

How did the development of the Big Bang case come about, exactly? Our designer Mijat and Ricardo Guadalupe and I were holding discussions with two case manufacturers: Werthanor from the Swiss Jura region and GTF Fontana from Italy. The five of us sat over there in the old Hublot building and thought about what a case needed to look like to represent our idea of Fusion. In a standard three-piece watch case one can bring together a maximum of three colors, and one of these, the case back, wouldn’t even be visible from above. Rolex invented the “Bicolor” watch that combined a steel case and a gold bezel. But we wanted to have five different elements. That’s how the idea of building a container came about – something like a hamburger. We wanted a sandwich design for our case and that had never been seen in a watch before. Watchmaking proceeds along very traditional lines. Which of these two manufacturers ended up building the first case? We asked them both to deliver a technical design and produce 1,000 pieces. But in 10 years, when the first watches come back for service, I didn’t want anyone to be able to see which case came from which company. They needed to be the same – and so HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 17

we took the best features from both of them. The current design is a combination of the two proposals. How many pieces make up the Big Bang case today? Including the screws, it’s around 70. It takes a huge effort to manufacture and assemble the case but there are advantages too, like inventory. We can order a thousand bezels at one time because they can be used for different models. This provides us with enormous flexibility. It’s also how we can create special collections so quickly. How did the name Big Bang originate? That was my idea. When were rubber and gold together at the same time, before we put them together in this watch? In the Big Bang. Everything was unified at the beginning of time. You won’t find these materials in the same place anywhere in nature now. Rubber comes from a tree and gold comes out of the ground. In principle would Hublot use any material? Yes, as long as it is appropriate for watch manufacture. One thing we don’t want is coated materials because the coating can be damaged or scratched. Our materials have to provide utility to the wearer. Ceramic is scratch-resistant and anti-allergenic. It is also 30 percent lighter than steel. Different colors are possible. Plus, no rust. How did you come to the ideas of scratch-resistant gold and linen? Mathias Buttet and Senad Hasanović did a great deal of research, and today we also have a cooperative relationship with professors at the technical university EPFL in Lausanne. From time to time Ricardo and I submit ideas ourselves. WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-CL AUDE BIVER The Five Million Dollar Watch is the most expensive watch in the world today.

You mentioned linen as a future case material. What will that entail? Linen is even lighter than carbon. Plus, the raw material is very easy to get – you just need fields that grow flax. Case production proceeds exactly as with carbon fibers. Individual linen fibers are woven together to form bundles and then bonded with resin. How many years of planning does a new material require? Five to seven years. Three years on average, but unusual materials take longer. Magic Gold took five years. How did you come to the idea of creating a “One Million Dollar Watch”? It matched our basic philosophy: to “be first, be unique and be different.” It turned out to be phenomenal publicity for us. The actual idea came from a gemstone setter, not from me. He was the one who suggested it. I was initially quite skeptical but he assured me that this would be something very special – invisible diamond settings. When I pointed out that there were already other manufacturers that offered something similar, he responded that he would go much further and decorate more extensive areas of the watch with these invisible diamond settings. So then I asked about the risk: how much money would we lose if it didn’t work? And when he said “about 120,000 CHF,” that’s when I decided that we would do it. And it worked. And to whom did you sell this watch? To a jeweler from Monaco. She only needed 15 minutes to agree to it. Was that a unique piece? Yes. But all in all we produced nine different models as individual pieces: a chronograph, a tourbillon,

and so on. There was also a One Million All Black with black diamonds. After that we followed up with the Two Million, Three Million and Five Million Dollar Watch, which is the most expensive watch in the world today. Technically speaking, how do you get from a One Million to a Five Million Dollar Watch? By increasing the size of the gemstones. The price of diamonds increases exponentially. A 10-carat stone doesn’t cost 10 times more than a single-carat diamond – it’s maybe a hundred times more. But back to the One Million – that was a real coup, one that gave the brand additional credibility. How many different variants were there of the Five Million? Three. Would a Ten Million Dollar Watch be in the cards one day? Yes, and we’re already working on it. Theoretically you could imagine a dial or a crystal that is made of a single, very large diamond. The diamond must naturally be cut in a very specific way to make it a crystal. This is possible but it would be very, very expensive. Just the crystal alone would put the cost at around five million. And visually it wouldn’t be so very spectacular since this type of cut wouldn’t reflect light very well. That surprising effect that typical brilliant-cut diamonds provide just wouldn’t be sufficient, in my opinion. And women want to be surprised. Regarding women: what is the percentage of women among your purchasers? Our ladies’ watches are currently at 29 percent, but we don’t know how many women are buying men’s watches. I assume that the percentage of female customers is about one-third. HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 19

INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-CL AUDE BIVER

Do you see greater potential? Yes. Over the last two years, our Jeans watch collection has been tremendously successful among women. And as I said before, models in linen will follow this year. It really lets us play wonderfully with the colors. We are also working on smaller cases. And now, the world-famous model Bar Refaeli has been named as our first female ambassador. Here’s a basic question. Would a watch be considered to be a luxury timepiece today without a mechanical movement? It seems to me that the mechanical feature is no longer the most important reason behind a purchase. Brand image, status and design appear to be of greater value, even though practically every luxury watch is equipped with a mechanical movement. Let me answer your question this way: in 2025, people will no longer be buying quartz watches. The electronic sector will soon be filled with “Connected Watches,” or smartwatches. The quartz watch is falling out of favor because it can do comparatively little. Why should anyone pay 800 CHF for a good quartz watch when you can get a smartwatch for the same price that does so much more? On the other hand, mechanical watches will be viewed even more as a work of art – a piece of eternity. Is the “Connected Watch” of interest for Hublot? I don’t know yet. For Hublot’s affiliated brand TAG Heuer, it’s a necessity. The situation is different at Hublot. But who knows? Maybe it will be possible one day to insert something like a tiny SIM card into a mechanical watch and turn it into a Connected Watch, and when you take the SIM card out in the evening, the watch reverts back to a normal mechanical watch. So I could have both: a high-end minute repeater along with a dial that showed me whenever FC Bayern made a goal. When something like that comes around – and I am sure that it will – Hublot needs to be there. But not right now. We need to wait and see how the technology progresses. When did it become apparent to you that Hublot would have to develop its own mechanical movements in-house, instead of simply purchasing them? From the very beginning. No one knew better than I that the Swatch Group chairman Nicolas G. Hayek would restrict or perhaps even stop supplying outside brands with movements. I had worked with him long enough at Omega. In 2019, when the Swatch Group is no longer required to supply movements to other companies, we should be in the position to produce all of the chronograph movements we need in-house. We aren’t yet at that point number-wise – right now we produce about 12,000 Unico movements per year.

But you will have the necessary means once your new facilities are open this year? Yes, we will exceed the 20,000 mark and move quickly upwards to 30,000 pieces. Won’t this result in a pricing problem? Won’t these in-house movements be markedly more expensive? No. Our manufacturing costs are not significantly higher now, and our Unico chronographs are selling very well. If the price of a chronograph increases from around 14,000 CHF to about 17,000 CHF, it’s less of a problem than increasing the price of a watch from 2,900 to 5,900 CHF. We can bear these higher costs. Would it be possible for Hublot to also develop its own base caliber for a three-hand watch? Of course, but we don’t need it at the moment. We don’t produce many watches with three-hand movements. A customer who buys a three-hand watch is less concerned about an in-house movement than, for example, someone who buys a chronograph. To what extent do you intend to implement additional vertical integration measures? Could Hublot eventually manufacture all of its own components? We already manufacture a substantial amount in-house, but it doesn’t make sense to produce everything since it is simpler and more economical to purchase standard gears and simple screws. If the design should require us to have some special screws, it would be conceivable to produce them ourselves. It cannot become too expensive because we intend to maintain our entry-level price range, which currently is around 3,900 euros. There will be no changes there. The Big Bang has become a real icon in the watch world after only 10 years. Is it strong enough to remain unchanged, or will it have to change with the times? It will always have to adjust to the trend, continuously and almost invisibly. It’s like a tree that grows new leaves each year but not one of them is the same as the year before. A thing will die without change. You not only made a decisive mark on Hublot; you also revitalized Blancpain and were active at Omega for a long time. Which brand appeals to you the most? Hublot is my personal vision of a watch. That is why I only wear Hublot watches. Not because I work for this company – I feel confident enough to wear other watches too. Occasionally, I will wear a watch from my Patek Philippe collection, but mostly Hublot. Hublot has been the most important event of my life.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

10 YEARS BY GISBERT L. BRUNNER

MILESTONES

In only 10 years, Hublot has introduced an impressive number of different Big Bang models covering a wide range of styles. Many innovations in mechanics, design and materials have enhanced the products offered by Hublot and set SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES in the history of the watch industry.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

FUSION

MILESTONES

THE FIRST BIG BANG

The opulence of the Big Bang drew immediate attention to Hublot at Baselworld in 2005. This watch also served as a new starting point and a new direction for the brand. Its 44-mm case is made of more than 70 components, making it an excellent representative of JeanClaude Biver’s philosophy of “Fusion” – the idea of smoothly combining several often incongruous materials. The first Big Bang was produced with an 18karat red-gold or stainless-steel case in combination with a scratch-resistant black or white ceramic bezel. Additional case materials included titanium, extremely durable Kevlar and a carbon dial. The structure of the case guarantees a water resistance to 10 bar. Powering the watch is the 252-component chronograph movement HUB 44, including a winding mechanism with a tungsten rotor. The immediate success of the watch showed Hublot was right in its prediction. Sales recorded at the end of the fair were 5.5 times higher than the previous year.

BIG BANG ALL BL ACK

Photo: Fotolia.com/Chefkoch

Trend-setter or trend-follower? The watch manufacturer Hublot clearly belongs to the first group. This became most apparent at the 2006 introduction of the highly-discussed Big Bang All Black. Jean-Claude Biver once stated provocatively that it’s not “normal” to pay 5,000 euros or more for a wristwatch just to tell the time – simply showing the time isn’t the most important purpose of a luxury watch. A logical result was Hublot’s presentation of an entirely black watch. The total rejection of any compromise extends to every visible part including the HUB 44 caliber, in which a black heavy-metal rotor winds the mainspring. To top it off, black hands travel around a black carbon dial. Nowhere in the world had an all-black watch been seen before – though other manufacturers borrowed the idea after the introduction of the Big Bang All Black.

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 25

MILESTONES

Photo: Fotolia.com/Jezper

BIG BANG ONE MILLION

Admittedly, there had already been wristwatches on the market with a published price of $1 million or more. The Big Bang One Million was the very first timepiece of this sort for Hublot. And the sale of this unique timepiece didn’t take long because of the real value of the watch compared with its seemingly incredible price. The 18-karat white-gold case boasts an amazing 322 baguette-cut diamonds, totaling 24.65 carats. Special grooves in the stones allow for invisible settings – even for the 12 baguette diamonds on the crown. Hublot didn’t leave out the bi-level stainless-steel dial either: it alone has no fewer than 129 baguette diamonds. The stones that encircle the delicate minute tourbillon of the in-house caliber HUB Solo T are set in a traditional fashion. This hand-wind movement has a power reserve of 120 hours and contains 148 components.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

MAG BANG

With assistance from specialists, Hublot approached the idea of lightweight construction. Specialized machinery produced mainplates and bridges for the caliber HUB 44 from a material called “Ag5,” an alloy of aluminum, magnesium and manganese that can catch fire during cutting and drilling and tolerates no corrective work. Its tendency to rust also required a galvanic treatment of the surfaces known as “Titanex.” The Mag Bang chronograph with case parts made from the same material (called “Hublonium”) weighed only 78 grams. Hublot used the experience gained from the material for other products like the Ice Bang and the Big Bang Bullet Cermet.

MILESTONES

BIG BANG MINUTE REPEATER CARBON

Sound is key for a minute repeater. It depends in great part on the materials used for the complex movement and the protective case. Hublot was prepared for the challenge. Its waterproof carbon-fiber case with titanium and rubber parts is very well-suited for the transmission of sound. The Big Bang Minute Repeater Tourbillon Carbon uses carbon-fiber components in its movement that are extremely sturdy, though difficult to process. The repeater chiming mechanism with its remarkably long cathedral gongs marks the hours, quarterhours, and minutes acoustically. This manufacture hand-wind caliber HUB 8100 also boasts a columnwheel chronograph and a flying tourbillon. A total of 404 separate components are needed for each one of the 30mm x 9.47mm pieces, with a power reserve of 120 hours. Activating the chiming mechanism requires engaging the understated bezel lug.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

D L O G C I G A M I R A R R E F G N BIG BA

ts Hublot the objec t u B . rch rs a rial resea sports c the mate gold and e d li id d s o n s g a n g s linkin pertie ctly alo nnection sting pro l fit perfe ,000 logical co ty, anti-ru ious meta u o c a n l of 750/1 re e e ’s p b v s g le re it e in ty e in ri it Th h u p s s p e create e e D th to th . e cars s from Hublot ’ heel – fabricate for its rac t pushed l Achilles ri a a sisa h e re rr T -r . e e h F n rs o y tc e db gold has 180 Vick arat, scra , -k re rs ue 8 conducte e 1 lo m o n c a a u f t d this niq ness o ifferen ulted in ublot use h H alloys in d has a hard nsive research res c . s a rs e E s e . a k o c g ic h te atc 00 V Ferrari lo e v ti c used for w .” Three years of in h a hardness of 1,0 e n ti th e dis tains old bearing th ri Magic Gold con ramic wit “Magic G ld and ce a twatches o s rr ograph g ri e n f F w o ro s g n h it n c f io a l e first o tant fus n-whee the Big B th f m r o lu fo o ls o used 2 c e 1 ls d a 0 a o in 2 Hublot ition m o,” with d l, ic e n ze d material U e e “ b it t 1 m n 4 esista UB 12 -piece li vement H ion to the scratch-r of the 500 matic mo it to d u d a a e In s . u in-ho reserve ur power e case. and 72-ho ber for th fi n o rb a c d n a Kevlar

MILESTONES

BIG BANG CARBON BEZEL BAGUETTE RUBIES

Photo: Fotolia.com/ematheev

Is it possible to increase the value of a carbon-fiber bezel by decorating it with fiery-red rubies? Thanks to creative minds, Hublot can do it. Because the material properties of carbon fiber do not permit the direct setting of gemstones, however, this requires a small, patented trick. Hublot first created a crystal ring made of brass so that skilled artisans could place 48 baguette-cut rubies in a traditional setting. Subsequent rhodium-plating protects the metal from oxidation. Hublot then uses a high-precision manufactured carbon-fiber structure with six segmented recesses to envelop the gem-encrusted metal body. It is attached to the case body with six iconic Hublot screws.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

Photo: Fotolia.com/Angel Simon

BIG BANG JEANS CARAT

The extraordinary Big Bang Jeans watch showed how Hublot can even make denim respectable in the luxury watch sector. This Swiss manufacturer uses a special kind of jeans material â&#x20AC;&#x201C; extraordinary, exceptionally trendy Dsquared denim from Italy. Even though this material was relatively easy to sew for the watch straps, the dial presented a bigger problem. Cotton tends to produce lint, an unfortunate occurrence for mechanical movements like the automatic chronograph caliber HUB 4300. Even tiny particles can cause a ticking microcosm to stop, so the technicians at Hublot vacuumsealed the material with epoxy resin. 48 blue baguette-cut sapphires enhance the visual attraction and value of the Big Bang Jeans Carat watch.

BIG BANG UNICO

After several years of development work, the in-house caliber HUB 1240 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unicoâ&#x20AC;? debuted in 2010 in a striking case with a scratchresistant ceramic bezel. The most significant feature of this watch is that every timing action of the chronograph can be viewed through the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Its mechanics include a classic column wheel which, together with a complex lever system, is responsible for the various operations. A horizontal double clutch connects it to the movement. Thanks to a flyback function, the chronograph can be restarted without a reset. And fully in line with the now famous Hublot look, the mainplate and bridges are microblasted and black anodized. Visible beneath the caseback viewing window are the skeletonized ball-bearing rotor and the oscillating balance (four Hertz) with a variable moment of inertia. The pallet and pallet fork of the easily exchangeable escapement consist of lightweight anti-magnetic silicon.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

Photo: VI Images via Getty Images

MILESTONES

Official watch of the FIFA World Cup 2014

BIG BANG UNICO 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP

When designing the in-house caliber HUB 1240 “Unico,” Hublot took into account its reliability and precision, and its multifaceted utility. The version created for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the HUB 1260, gave ample proof of its success. A truly remarkable feature lies in a 1.75-mm module that is placed directly beneath the dial. After starting, the chronograph provides a fascinating show. The two counter hands for seconds and minutes travel over a segmented track from left to right and, once they reach the end, jump immediately back to their original positions. This allows the actual playing time of a soccer game to be recorded, including any overtime. There is also a half-time indication at 12 o’clock that shows “Start,” “1,” “1/2,” “2” and “End” in the display.

MILESTONES

BIG BANG TOURBILLON POWER RESERVE 5 DAYS

Watch movements with an extensive power reserve always come with the risk of forgetting to wind the mainspring, as the hand-wind caliber HUB 6016 shows with its reserve of 115 hours. A car’s fuel gauge clearly shows when it’s time to find a gas station. Now, the brand-new Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days has a similar convenience: a display of the remaining power reserve, located at the 9 o’clock position. To make this possible, the Hublot designers expanded the movement to include a complicated differential mechanism. It meshes in the outer gear of the barrel and transfers the information on the remaining power stored within the barrel to the round display on the dial. The skeletonized hand-wind caliber HUB 6016 is made of 175 components – its three-Hertz mechanism ticks within a titanium or King Gold case.

To mark the 10-year anniversary of the Big Bang, Hublot is presenting a spectacular edition of 10 different Big Bang models in 2015 – each one an extremely valuable and masterfully executed model with diamonds placed in the same invisible setting Hublot used for its One Million Dollar Watch. Each watch is a distinctively unique piece with variations in the use of white or black diamonds and dial designs – with rubies, for example, or lustrous blue sapphires. Each and every model will contain the in-house chronograph caliber HUB 1240 “Unico.”

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

Photo: Fotolia.com/everythingpossible

BIG BANG UNICO “10 YEARS HIGH JEWELLERY”

| 35

FERRARI

DREAM BY ALEXANDER KRUPP

TEAM Attractive wristwatches, worldwide events and now a special sports car: the cooperation between HUBLOT AND FERRARI provides thrills to watch and automobile fans alike.

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 37

FERRARI

2011 First Ferrari watch from Hublot: the special edition model Big Bang Chrono Tourbillon Ferrari was developed in 2011 for the Chinese market.

2012: FIRST SERIAL PRODUCTION

THE COLLABORATION between Hublot and Ferrari was first announced on November 5, 2011 and has developed into one of the most multifaceted and productive partnerships in the entire watch sector. Hublot is present at events for the automobile brand and the Ferrari team, and also participates in many Ferrari Club events. The watch manufacturer functions as the official timekeeper and official watch partner, develops wristwatches for Ferrari drivers and fans, and shows its watch models everywhere the race car legend appears. New activities are always being added to the program, a strategy that is fully in line with a successful activation plan. Hublot and Ferrari have brought excitement to their fans and followers over the years, as this condensed timeline shows.

2011: 20 YEARS OF FERRARI IN CHINA On November 21, 2011 – only 16 days after announcing their partnership – Hublot and Ferrari presented their first collaborative watch at the international automobile exhibition in Guangzhou, China. The watch commemorated the 20th anniversary of the first Ferrari purchased in China, a number that determined the limits of the edition: only 20 pieces of the Big Bang Chrono Tourbillon Ferrari were produced. Powering the watch is the handwind caliber HUB 6300. In proven use since 2006, it has a flying tourbillon, column wheel, decentralized stopwatch second hand and five-day power-reserve display. This complex mechanism was packed in a 44-mm lightweight carbon case that coordinates with the theme of lightweight race car construction. The top crystal is tinted red and the chronograph hands, strap stitching and engraving on the case back feature the color of this iconic race car. In December of that same year, Hublot signed a contract with the French Ferrari Owners’ Club, which serves to bring together Ferrari owners within the entire country. Since that time, Hublot has accompanied the club at its activities and events, like the benefit auto show “Sport & Collection – 500 Ferraris Against Cancer” to raise money for cancer research.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

The extremely limited special edition watch issued for China was followed by the first series of Ferrari models for Baselworld in early March 2012. This was the Big Bang Ferrari Magic Gold made from the world’s first scratch-resistant gold (see “Materials” article in this issue) and the Big Bang Ferrari Titanium. To present the watch in Japan, Jean-Claude Biver took advantage of the mid-March “Ferrari Racing Days” in Suzuka – one of the largest Ferrari Events in the world where Ferrari owners, professional drivers, fans, and hundreds of current and vintage Ferraris meet every year.

2012 50 years of Ferrari 250 GTO: to commemorate the birthday of this iconic sports car, Hublot developed this tourbillon watch with a modified Classic Fusion case.

Another important stop in the agenda of these two cooperative partners was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari 250 GTO. On July 3–7, Ferrari brought together 24 owners of the extremely limited (36 original) iconic sports car in the Abbey d’Hautvillers in northern France. Hublot produced an exclusive tourbillon watch developed specifically for this small circle. Its rounded adaption of the Classic Fusion case corresponds to the lines of this special automobile. The Ferrari prancing horse is prominently placed on the skeletonized movement, and the owner can even have the chassis number of his car engraved on the back of the movement. The barrel, located at 12 o’clock, reflects the 250 GTO wheel rims and the Barenia leather strap recalls the leather interior of this highly desirable collector’s automobile. The year 2012 concluded with the Finals of the Ferrari Challenge held in Valencia, Spain in December. Once again Hublot acted as the official timekeeper at this event and showcased its watches in this exclusive racing environment.

2012 Serial production: Hublot began its first product concept with the Big Bang Ferrari Titanium that was presented during Baselworld 2012. Above: Ferrari Racing Days in Suzuka, Japan

2012 Concluding the first year of cooperation: in December 2012, Hublot attended the Ferrari Challenge finals in Valencia. HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 39

FERRARI

2013: DOUBLE MILESTONE After co-hosting more than 130 events in 2012, the partners swung into the new year at the same breathtaking pace. In addition to a number of collaborative events, Hublot extended the cooperation, and became official timekeeper and official watch of the Scuderia Ferrari with its branding on the Formula 1 cars. The second milestone of this important year was the horological highlight introduced that spring at Baselworld – the MP-05 LaFerrari – created as a counterpart to the new LaFerrari super sports car. Not at all a watch in a conventional sense! Cylindrical displays, 11 sequentially arranged barrels to provide a 50day power reserve, a horizontally mounted tourbillon and a power screwdriver as a winding aid raise the MP-05 LaFerrari far and above typical wristwatches. It’s also limited in its availability: only 50 pieces of the black titanium introductory models were built. Subsequent editions in

2013 New watch collection: 2013 saw the launch of (from left) the Big Bang Ferrari Carbon Red Magic, the Big Bang Ferrari Ceramic, and the Big Bang Ferrari King Gold Carbon.

2013 Technical sensation: the MP-05 LaFerrari with an astonishing array of cylindrical displays, 11 serial barrels for a 50-day power reserve and a horizontally mounted tourbillon

uncoated titanium and yellow gold were also extremely limited. Earlier that same year, several new watches had found their way into the public eye. In January, Hublot had presented a new Ferrari watch collection consisting of three models that exuded the spirit of the race car maker in both look and materials: the 1,000piece, limited edition Big Bang Ferrari Carbon Red Magic boasted a carbonfiber case and – with another nod to Ferrari – a red tinted top crystal. The same number of Big Bang Ferrari Ceramics were made available with a lightweight, scratch-resistant ceramic case highlighted with alternating polished and brushed surfaces. The 500-piece Big Bang Ferrari King Gold

2014

Lightweight case plus yellow accents and displays: the Big Bang Ferrari Ceramic Carbon directly references its automotive partner.

Ferrari Day at Hublot: in March of 2014, CEO Ricardo Guadalupe greets (from left) race car driver Gianmaria Bruni, Ferrari’s Sporting Activity Department Director Antonello Coletta, and AF Corse owner Amato Ferrari. Right: Peter Mann, president of the French Ferrari Owners’ Club, with Jean-Claude Biver

Carbon introduced an elegant touch into the new collection, combining a carbon-fiber bezel with a red-gold case made of Hublot’s own “King Gold” alloy. Common to all these watches was the in-house HUB 1241 Unico chronograph caliber and rubber straps with Ferrari’s distinctive Schedoni leather inserts along the top. Over the course of the year, these models were followed by special editions for various countries such as Dubai, the U.S. and Indonesia. The Big Bang Ferrari Hong Kong was a real revolution in materials. It was one of the first watches where Hublot added its own bright red ceramic (see “Materials” article). Ceramic in the watch sector had previously been seen only in limited and muted colors.

2014: 360° ACTIVATION In March 2014, Hublot invited Ferrari representatives to Ferrari Day in Nyon. Guests included race car driver Gianmaria Bruni and Ferrari Sporting Activity Director Antonello Coletta as well as Amato Ferrari, owner of the

GT-racing team AF Corse, and Peter Mann, president of the French Ferrari Owners’ Club. To mark the event, the Formula 1 car and the safety car for the 2014 season were parked in front of the manufacture, as well as the Ferrari 458 GT2 that had been driven by Gianmaria Bruni when he won the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2013. Shortly thereafter, Hublot presented the new Ferrari watch collection at the international watch fair Baselworld with sporty highlights represented by the Big Bang Ferrari Ceramic Carbon in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces. Lightweight case materials and Ferrari-yellow displays and stitching made obvious reference to its automotive partner. HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 41

FERRARI

2014 Five-year anniversary of the Hublot Boutique in Singapore: Scuderia-Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen congratulates.

2014 Hublot challenge: since October 2014, visitors to the Hublot Boutiques in Dubai and Abu Dhabi can race against one another on a Formula 1 simulator and win an actual racetrack experience.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

Asked about the collaboration with Hublot, Ferrari’s head of design Flavio Manzoni states: “I regularly meet with the Ferrari and the Hublot design teams, we talk, we draw, we imagine, we exchange ideas in terms of design of course, but also in terms of what the final customer might desire from us, what he might dream of. We study and reinterpret the Ferrari style and meticulous details and transfer some of them on the watch, like the iconic colors of the Ferrari cars and some of the materials, such as carbon fiber. Ferrari and Hublot share the same values: exclusivity, innovation, iconic and unique design, passion for detail, materials and fabrics and, above all, the courage to experiment.” In September 2014, at the five-year celebration of the Hublot boutique in Singapore, Scuderia Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen offered his prominent support. But there was more to follow his congratulations and an autograph session for fans: as a watch enthusiast and friend of the Hublot brand, Räikkönen finished the event by assembling the in-house Unico caliber – assisted by a watchmaker, and closely watched by his audience. The collaboration of the two brands shows their innovative colors by creating the Hublot Challenge based on a Scuderia Ferrari simulator competition. Hublot customers get a chance to drive the official Scuderia Ferrari simulator with electronics borrowed from Formula 1 cars. This competition was initiated at the opening of the first Hublot Boutique in Dubai in October 2014. The grand finale took place at the Ferrari International finals in Abu Dhabi in December. First prize was a real track experience on the local Formula 1 circuit.

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

2015 Close collaboration once again in 2015: the Ferrari 458 Speciale and the Big Bang Ferrari Ceramic have coordinated designs.

2015: FERRARI 458 SPECIALE The partners have attained a new level of collaboration this year with the Ferrari 458 Speciale and the corresponding Hublot watch. Ferrari’s part was the creation of an iconic sports car, technically refined to the highest standards of technology and design, with echoes of the 1950s and ’60s. Vintage-style features include bold rally stripes running down the center of the car. Additional details like the honeycomb grille and sweeping body contours focus on outstanding features of earlier designs. In 2015, Hublot will produce a Big Bang Ferrari Ceramic, limited to 250 pieces, that will take on the color scheme of the new sports car as well as the honeycomb

pattern and will utilize these elements for an extremely sporty version of the Big Bang. Hublot’s cooperation with Ferrari is never at a standstill and is expanding into other areas as well. In every way, a far-reaching vision is the most important concept behind the cooperative strategy: this vision creates opportunities for synergies – a clear sense held throughout the Hublot company.

2015 Latest Ferrari model: the new Big Bang Ferrari King Gold sports a bezel made of a very innovative alloy.

PHIL ANTHROPY

CLEAN WATER CANNOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED

INVOLVEMENT FOR A BETTER

WORLD Success shouldn’t be enjoyed only by those who have it. Success also makes it possible to help others. Hublot supports charitable ORGANIZATIONS known for their involvement in promoting basic human rights. BY MARIA-BETTINA EICH

HUMAN LIFE depends on water. But in many countries of the world, water – especially clean water – isn’t always a given. In many places people need to travel long distances to reach even limited amounts of this basic and essential human need. And then, possibly only to carry impure water back home that sometimes, in the worst case, causes illness. The aid organization charity : water seeks to improve the supply of clean water in developing countries using different measures specially tailored to the local needs of each area. Hublot is a supporter of charity : water and cooperates in some spectacular philanthropic events benefiting the organization alongside electro-pop band Depeche Mode. The world-famous rock stars have collaborated with Hublot on other projects and are involved in promoting the non-profit organization. Hublot and Depeche Mode have joined forces to work more effectively for charity : water. For their part, Hublot created an exclusive set of limitededition Depeche Mode watches to be auctioned at special events.

SPECIAL EDITIONS CREATED TO HELP Of particular note was the charity auction that took place in Moscow on March 6, 2014 upon the conclusion of the

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WATER IS A VALUABLE RESOURCE

PHIL ANTHROPY

Scott Harrison, founder of charity : water

Depeche Mode’s Andy Fletcher, Martin Gore and Dave Gahan rejoice over the check for charity : water

Singular: the Depeche Mode Tourbillon, auctioned to benefit charity : water

Depeche Mode Delta Machine Tour. More than $1.4 million was raised on this evening for charity : water – thanks in part to exclusive items that included the Depeche Mode Tourbillon by Hublot, created especially for this event and submitted for auction along with a platinum CD from the band. The skeletonized tonneau watch with complications, made of black titanium, is a unique and therefore extremely attractive prize for collectors and fans alike. The outcome of these kinds of functions will certainly aid the developing countries that will benefit from the funds raised by charity : water. Depeche Mode band leader Martin Gore was clearly thrilled about the success of the event. “I’m particularly pleased that, as a band and with the support of our loyal partner Hublot, we can organize this exceptional auction to raise money for our friends at charity : water and contribute to making a real difference in countries struggling to survive without access to drinking water. The money raised should help to make a real difference.” Hublot also developed two limited edition Depeche Mode watch collections for charity : water – one in steel and one in black ceramic. An exceptional boxed set containing a signed guitar and a unique Big Bang Depeche Mode Steel watch with a red central chronograph hand, engraved with the word “Moscow,” was sold for $75,000, 100% of the purchase price going into charity : water. Water is a basic necessity for our bodies to survive, but education is just as crucial for leading a life with perspective and dignity, and for providing the opportunity to support oneself. This is true not just for the male half of

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

Exclusive lot in Moscow: watch with Depeche Mode guitar

COOL: THE BIG BANG DEPECHE MODE the population. Women and girls in western countries have access to education just like a clean water supply – and even though we take it for granted, it’s a fact that these same rights must still be won in many regions of the world. Involvement on behalf of women around the globe has become the mission for the Womanity Foundation, another humanitarian organization supported by Hublot. As Hublot chairman Jean-Claude Biver says, “Women are not only the future of mankind, they are also the superior sex, as they are giving birth!”

IMAGINATIVE EVENTS Womanity is engaged in a variety of different projects, extending from promoting girls’ education to supporting small businesswomen in developing countries, even establishing a women’s radio station in the Middle East to give women a voice. Hublot also took advantage of the appeal of exclusive luxury watches to awaken the desire and readiness to invest in this project. Special editions were unveiled with the aim of raising money to benefit the Womanity Foundation: the Classic Fusion Womanity for women and the Classic Fusion Chrono Aero for men. Both were created in a limited edition, have a touch of violet (the Womanity signature color) and were engraved with the number 001. They were auctioned at the Womanity Gala in Geneva on January 30, 2014, and proceeds amounting to 60,000 Swiss francs were donated to the organization. Hublot plans its brand events to be imaginative and effective, and the company also integrates its charity inWWW.WATCHTIME.COM

Hublot chairman Jean-Claude Biver and former Miss France Mareva Galanter with singer Mokobé (far left) at the Womanity Foundation’s 5th Biennial Gala, January 2014 in Geneva

terests into these events. The best example comes from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Hublot, who was the Official Timekeeper of the FIFA World Cup, held a big party in Rio on the evening before the Final that featured a special concert with Wyclef Jean. Other artists to share the stage with the musician included Panmela Castro, the most famous graffiti artist in her native Brazil, who uses her art to fight for women’s rights. In front of the audience and with the sounds of Brazilian music in the background, she created art during the party – an event benefiting the Womanity Foundation to raise funds for the organization and awareness about its mission. Hublot is in a situation that allows it to share its financial successes with others. Thanks to its cult-like status, the brand is also in a position to encourage others to engage in humanitarian endeavors.

Ladies’ version of the Classic Fusion Womanity

A DUTY TO SHARE As part of its presence at the World Cup, Hublot also worked closely with one of the greatest stars in international soccer to send a positive and lasting signal in Rio. With support from Pelé, a friend of the brand, Hublot opened a soccer pitch for children in the Jacarezinho favela. The project was called “Tamo Junto Jacarezinho” – “Jacarezinho Together” – and was designed as a safe place for children in Rio’s third-largest favela to practice their dream sport. Hublot was the driving force behind the construction of the soccer pitch. Residents of the community, especially the children, were actively involved in completing the long-lasting project. Hublot’s CEO Ricardo Guadalupe defines the company’s philanthropic philosophy this way: “If you don’t share, you miss out. Hublot is in a fortunate position and has a duty to share some of its success with those who need it.”

The graffiti designer Panmela Castro at the Hublot closing party in Rio, June 2014

Pelé and Ricardo Guadalupe at the opening of a soccer pitch in a Rio favela

Men’s version of the Classic Fusion Womanity

IN THE JACAREZINHO FAVELA: A NEW SOCCER PITCH PROVIDES A PLACE FOR HOPES AND DREAMS

Todd Morgan, Rosanna Arquette and Yann Borgstedt at the Womanity Gala, 2012

“THE MAJORITY OF OUR WATCHES WILL HAVE IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS” CEO RICARDO GUADALUPE discusses his first decade at Hublot and his future goals for the company. QUESTIONS BY GISBERT L. BRUNNER AND RÜDIGER BUCHER

Mr. Guadalupe, the year 2014 was an important one for Hublot, not least of all because of the company’s involvement in the World Cup in Brazil. What’s your take on 2014? The World Cup in Brazil was the greatest event we’ve participated in yet. In contrast to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, this was a huge step forward for us. Referee substitution boards were created with the Hublot logo four years earlier, but for Brazil in 2014 we changed the shape of the sign to look like the Big Bang watch. This made very clear reference to our product, and that in turn reinforced our presence as a watch brand for a huge, worldwide viewing audience. We had more than 20 minutes of TV time over the entire month of the World Cup. A fantastic return on our financial investment. This event gave Hublot a noticeably higher level of recognition and brought in many more visitors to our licensed Hublot jewelers and Boutiques.

What effect did the World Cup have on the sales of Hublot watches overall? At the end of October we were up 13 percent over the previous year – compared with two to three percent generally. So it had a very positive effect. For the World Cup in Brazil, Hublot introduced a chronograph with special functions for soccer fans. How did it do? That limited edition of 300 pieces has been sold out for quite some time. The presentation case was designed by Romero Britto, the famous Brazilian pop-art artist, which he made in the shape of the World Cup ball. We created the module ourselves based on our Unico caliber, for recording and displaying the time of play and the two halves. And we will continue to use that one – there’s now a regular version with a titanium and King-Gold case. This watch is very important for Hublot because we love soccer. Soccer is our most important sport.

INTERVIEW WITH RICARDO GUADALUPE

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 49

INTERVIEW WITH RICARDO GUADALUPE

Ricardo Guadalupe and Pelé present referee substitution boards with a new watch shape for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Let’s stay with soccer. You maintain partnerships with current and former players, managers and clubs, World and European Championships too. All that’s missing now is the Champions League. We were the first watch brand to become involved in this sport to such a great extent. Of course, now other brands are following our lead. That’s why it’s important for us to work with the best – that’s FIFA, UEFA and, you’re right, the Champions League. We also expect to appear as the official timekeeper at this event in the coming season. Then we’ll be part of the three most important tournaments in soccer. What will be the extent of the contract? Our contracts are always long-term. This time it will probably extend over five years. We consider even longer time frames for the World Cup: we’ve already signed up for Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. Hublot has been very successful over the past decade. As CEO, how will you be able to achieve similar successes in the next 10 years? It is a huge challenge to remain at this high level or to continue to grow at that rate. Hublot is closely linked to the work and accomplishments of JeanClaude Biver, but the greatest challenge lies in the task of ensuring that the brand is solid and secure for the time after him. That’s why we are in the process of building up a strong in-house manufacture. Only with our technical and horological expertise here in Nyon will we be able to conduct good marketing strategies and organize important events. Our workshop, our in-house caliber Unico, the manufacture complications and our extraordinary case materials represent an important foundation for future success. The integration of innovation, know-how and creative people in an in-house manufacturing facility are all hugely important for our future success. Do you intend to increase the number of in-house movements? Yes. The goal is to have 70 to 75 percent of the watch movements we use come from our own manufacture. We will need full integration of our research and development. Do you also plan to have your own three-hand watch in the future? Yes, we strive to have a manufacture caliber in most of our watches. A three-hand movement isn’t in the pipeline yet because there’s still so much going on with the Unico caliber. We are producing about 12,000 movements per year. Once the new building is finished it will be 20,000.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

In the world of soccer, Hublot lends its support to top teams such as Paris SaintGermain.

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

Who supplies your escapement and oscillator components? Hairsprings in particular? We’re working with suppliers like Atokalpa and Concepto, to name just two. We are currently checking out various opportunities and partners, because in order to guarantee real independence it’s important to have two solid suppliers who offer the same quality at about the same price. Hublot is one of the most innovative watch manufacturers ever. Doesn’t that mean a huge challenge for the future? Absolutely. That’s why we always need creative people who can let their imaginations run free. This philosophy applies to every employee of this company. Our success is based on innovation. Innovation can affect very different areas: the movement, a complication, the material or the aesthetics. I see even the idea of denim in a watch as an innovation. You have integrated the production of carbon-fiber cases and created the scratch-resistant material Magic Gold. Do you intend to increase this kind of vertical integration, like producing more cases under your own roof? It’s the only rational solution when using high-tech materials like carbon fiber, Magic Gold or colored ceramic. The added value for these kinds of watch cases is very high. We don’t need to produce traditional gold or steel cases ourselves – there are specialists for that.

“WE WERE THE FIRST WATCH BRAND TO BECOME INVOLVED IN SOCCER.” Magic Gold will be followed one day by Magic Aluminium. How far have you come with that project? We are working on it, but it will be some time until it is ready to be introduced to the market. Problems like oxidation have to be taken care of first. On this and other projects too, we are working together with the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). The next Hublot material is said to be linen. When will the new case be available? It is planned for the fall of 2015. It’s quite a complicated matter to create a new material. It’s another story completely for watch case materials, for water resistance, for example. We solved that HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 51

“THE BIG BANG SHOCKED THE WATCH SCENE AND FOCUSED A GREAT DEAL OF ATTENTION ON OUR BRAND.” problem for linen. Now we have to think about its serial production. Then and only then will we be able to make and supply watches made 100 percent of Swiss materials. These watches will be marketed primarily to our female customers. The smallest Hublot case currently measures 33 millimeters. Will you be offering smaller watches too in the future? Not in the next two years. In my opinion the 38and 41-millimeter watches are the right size for women too. How do you envision the development of the Big Bang after these past 10 years? The Big Bang is our icon. But Hublot rests on two pedestals, the second one being the Classic Fusion. The Big Bang accounts for 55 percent of our sales and the Classic Fusion for 40 percent. The Big Bang is linked with the Hublot name like no other watch. It shocked the watch scene and focused a great deal of attention on our brand. At the moment the trend is going back to more classic watches. The current Classic Fusion is our interpretation of the original Hublot – it’s a modern watch with a strong identity. So it will, with a skeletonized movement or a small complication perhaps, have an enormously wonderful future. Who is a Classic Fusion customer? While we will certainly be winning over new clientele with this line, we’ve noticed that it also appeals very much to our established Hublot customers. It’s right for anyone looking for a thinner, more elegant look. What will you offer to women in 2015? We have begun a new partnership with the top model Bar Refaeli. But to gain new female customers we need extremely creative watches, most of all. Simply reducing the diameter of a watch isn’t enough. The extremely successful Jeans models pointed us in the right direction, so we’ll be introducing watches with traditional Swiss embroidery on the dial produced by the world-renowned company Bischoff

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

Stated goal: within just a few years, at least 70 percent of Hublot watches will be powered by inhouse movements.

INTERVIEW WITH RICARDO GUADALUPE

in St. Gallen. Again, a 100 percent Swiss product. That model will debut in Basel. You saw great success in 2014 with the Pop Art watch. Do you regret having an edition with such limited quantities? No. The Pop Art watches were sold out quickly and right now we simply have to think of something new. I am considering 50 to 60 models that will come and go. If we were to put everything in our regular catalog we would have over 500 different listings and that would just be too much. Which global market is the most important for you today? We are very strong in Latin America. And China is showing continuous and significant sales, not to mention the U.S., the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe. But we really need to grow in the Chinese region. That’s where we are making about six percent of our sales, compared with around 30 percent on average for the rest of the Swiss watch industry. There’s great potential there, especially since Hublot is such a young brand. We’ll be in a great position to appeal to the younger generation in China with our particular concept. Chinese people don’t own many watches yet and look for a model that works for any occasion. Wouldn’t the Classic Fusion be the right product? Of course if I had the right formula I’d use it right away. First of all we’ll find better results among the Chinese who travel to Paris, New York or Rome. Hong Kong plays a major role within China itself. Many Chinese are mad about products like the Ferrari watches, Big Bang or King Power. Others prefer the Classic Fusion. There’s no identifiable tendency yet. We need to work more on the brand in China and turn it into a dream for more and more Chinese. Where are the differences within the European markets? Europe is our most important market with 40 percent of our sales, but it is greatly influenced by the tourist trade. In Paris, for example, 80 to 90 percent of our sales

Hublot has mastered the production of brightly colored ceramic case and carbon fiber components. The newest material to join the ranks is linen.

are to tourists. Germany is shaped much more by local factors. Hublot has a price range between 4,000 euros and over one million euros. Isn’t that too broad? The majority fall in the segment between 15,000 and 35,000 euros. That’s where we have a very large segment of the market. I wish that would be the case for the 50,000 to 100,000 euro range, but we still have a lot to do there. At the moment we generate revenue in this range primarily from tourbillons, but in 2015 we’ll introduce complications such as a chronograph with perpetual calendar, an alarm and a GMT, and this will strengthen our position. With in-house movements? We use our own movements as the basis but we collaborate with suppliers like La Joux-Perret or Dubois Dépraz for solutions they manufacture exclusively for Hublot. So broadly speaking we can talk about manufacture products. You plan to move into the new building in the summer of 2015. What will the new building hold? Everything associated with the machine-based production of movement and case parts. Plus, the continuously expanding customer-service area. Assembly and R&D will remain in this building. R&D will also take care of individual pieces for special orders, like Ferrari watches made from special case materials. The demand for this is slow but steady. Will there be a new series of LaFerrari watches? The LaFerrari was an incredible success story. We’re already working with Ferrari on a new edition, but we’re talking about a time frame of three to four years. Who enjoys greater profit from the partnership: Hublot or Ferrari? Both brands profit equally. It is a fortunate situation that also sees success in Formula 1 and Scuderia Ferrari. Ferrari takes us very seriously. So far we have already hosted about 200 events together, both locally and globally. HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 53

INTERVIEW WITH RICARDO GUADALUPE

Second mainstay alongside the Big Bang: the Classic Fusion collection

But Hublot can’t create a special watch for each Ferrari event, right? What are you thinking? We only make special edition watches for large events like “30 years in Hong Kong” or the 60-year anniversary of Ferrari on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. We unveil no more than two or three Ferrari watches related to a special event per year. Since 2015, Hublot has also been involved in the world of cricket and poker. Why is that? Cricket is a religion, particularly in India. And India is a future market for us. Even though we already have a presence there, the potential for growth is high. And because cricket is also huge in South Africa, Australia and Pakistan, we’ll be able to win over other important customer groups and widen the knowledge of the brand. In Las Vegas, where the finals of the World Poker Tour took place in December 2014, Hublot is operating the most important and high-volume independent Boutique. Glamor leads us to people we may be able to win over for Hublot. Poker and other games of chance are part of our world just like art, music and fashion. Hublot needs to be anywhere we find potential customers. Will there be a new watch for each partnership? Yes, we’re talking about 360° activities: partnership, event, watch. So at some point there will have to be a golf watch. We’re already working on it. A watch for golfers must have specific features which we’ll create in our typical fashion, not like other brands. We’re talking about a module with a calculator for strokes, maybe even for several players. Hublot is operating more and more independent Boutiques. Are they better than traditional licensed jewelers? At the current time there are 77 Hublot Boutiques worldwide and 21 of these we operate ourselves. Boutiques have the flexibility to pursue different goals. On the Paris Place Vendôme, for example, the primary goal is promoting our presence. Exorbitantly high rent there makes it difficult to achieve any reasonable kind of profit. But our location in Las Vegas is primarily about doing business. Our partner there does great work, and we’ve also made remarkable strides with our Boutique in Dallas. Every location has its own unique characteristics. But at any location every Hublot Boutique must consistently meet our high quality standards with respect to visual impression, service, and the watches it offers. That’s one reason we guarantee staff education and training. You mention service. Hublot produces about 40,000 mechanical watches each year. Each one will require maintenance or repair eventually. After-sales customer

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

Boutiques form an important component of the brand’s strategy (pictured here: Place Vendôme, Paris). WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

service presents a very particular kind of challenge. We are setting up a large service department in our new building because it is a key part of our brand image. We are working on specific online programs that will link specific on-site activities within the Boutiques to the main facility. Repair and maintenance has been growing 20 to 30 percent annually and continues to grow, so I envision an important area of economic activity here for Hublot in the near future. How long does a customer need to wait for a watch to be serviced? Normal repairs and service should not require longer than six weeks. Warranty cases should not take more than two weeks. Hublot has developed a system where a purchased watch will need to be “activated” over the Internet. What are the advantages you see here? At the moment we are able to track 70 to 75 percent of the watches sold. The remainder have connectivity problems or some other difficulties. Activation acts as proof of the watch’s authenticity – there are so many forgeries these days. This helps us fight the gray market. Only official pointsof-sale can activate a watch, and once you bring a watch to another dealer, the watch will be designated as used, pre-owned. Our warranty period begins as soon as the watch is activated. That way, we can also see what sells

“THE BIG BANG IS OUR ICON. BUT HUBLOT RESTS ON TWO PEDESTALS, THE SECOND ONE BEING THE CLASSIC FUSION.” well or not, and that helps with logistics and planning – there’s still an 18-month lead-in period. In 2015, Hublot will be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Big Bang. Have you planned a multi/megakarat anniversary model for this special occasion? We considered it, but ended up throwing out every idea. Instead we’re holding a Big Bang tour where we’ll show developments over the last 10 years. The exhibit will travel to several different cities. Our only “anniversary model” will be a case holding 10 watches – each set with precious stones, each one listed at a million – so all together, it’s a really special tenth anniversary. HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 55

A PERFECT WEEK

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

SUNDAY

Formula 1 with Ferrari

Photo: Fotolia.com/sergign

STARTING THE WEEK full of

adrenaline at the Formula 1 Grand Prix with Hublot’s fastest partner, Ferrari. The team has added even more excitement since Ferrari signed Sebastian Vettel alongside Kimi Räikkönen. A love of innovative technologies, fine craftsmanship and exclusivity link Hublot and Ferrari, who forged a partnership in 2011. But only one thing is top priority now: speed. Things are looking good – quick pit stops and red’s ahead. The unmistakable sound of tires on the race track. And again and again, a quick glance at the watch. Today it’s got to be the Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Titanium, one of the newest Ferrari watch models from Hublot. As technically sophisticated as the race cars, its bezel is made of a very innovative alloy. Black and skeletonized to reveal the inner workings, with Ferrari-red accents. Final round: once again Vettel passes the Hublot banner on the race track – for the win!

The new Big Bang Ferrari Titanium

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 57

MONDAY

A PERFECT WEEK

With the Dallas Cowboys AMERICAN FOOTBALL in Arlington,

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

Photo: Tom T m Pennington/Getty Images To

Photo: Fotolia.com/sergign

Texas. An NFL match-up in the gigantic AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. An enormous dome up above that opens and closes. Hightech equipment that’s simply amazing. Stadium clocks from Hublot. I’m seated among the home team fans and emotions are high. On the field: constant action and total physical exertion. Everything around me is blue and white, five-pointed stars everywhere: the colors and logo of the world-famous team from Dallas. The most exclusive accessory – the limited edition Hublot watch for the Dallas Cowboys with blue details, the Cowboys logo on the back and a fivepointed star at 5 o’clock (because the team has won the Super Bowl five times already). Down on the field the team is doing everything to ensure another victory. Soon to be seen in an upcoming Super Bowl!

Classic Fusion Dallas Cowboys

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

Photo: Fotolia.com/JC Drapier

TUESDAY

Skiing in Courchevel A PERFECT DAY to strap on some skis.

Where? Courchevel in the French Alps. Crisp air, blue skies, bright sunshine. Awesome panoramas all around. So easy to leave the pressures of daily life on the other side of the mountains. Whenever you need to know the time, just take a glance at the six-foot-high Hublot clock at the base of the chair lift. Or, you might just pass by one of the 50 Hublot clocks that are placed all around Courchevel. Hublot has been partnering with Courchevel’s French School of Skiing for years. After an amazing day on the slopes, it’s off to a quick trip to the Hublot Boutique on the elegant Rue du Rocher. Hublot resides here in a chalet-like building that’s true to the local style – befitting the location and also a clear sign that the people from Hublot, with all their international flair, are Swiss.

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 59

A PERFECT WEEK

Top-Class Soccer Game

Photo: Fotolia.com/sergign

A SUMMIT MEETING of sorts in the

Allianz Arena. Bayern Munich is playing in the Champions League against the Chelsea Football Club led by the famous manager José Mourinho. As a Hublot fan, we’re on the right side, regardless. For Bayern, Hublot has created the King Power Bayern Munich – with striking red and Bavarian white-and-blue accents. If you’re cheering for the Brits, you’ll probably be wearing the watch Hublot designed for their eccentric manager: the King Power Special One. “The Special One” is Mourinho’s nickname, and the chronograph is special too with a bezel made of blue carbon fiber. Blue is said to be Mourinho’s favorite color and also happens to be the color of Chelsea. A fantastic match on green grass with two world-class teams who always give it their all. A super atmosphere. Exciting until the last second!

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

Images Hangst/Getty Photo: Matthias

WEDNESDAY

King Power Special One

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

THURSDAY

Wine tasting in Canton de Vaud A DAY FOR INDULGENCE. First a

wine tasting with the exclusive Office des Vins Vaudois. Vineyards in the direct vicinity of the Hublot facilities. The event was initiated by the Office des Vins Vaudois, a close partner with Hublot – both devoted to the wineproducing area they call home.

A cigar with the Fuente family IN THE EVENING, a cigar tasting ses-

Classic Fusion Arturo Fuente ForbiddenX

sion with the Fuente family, which has produced cigars for over 100 years. Pretty cool: there’s also a Hublot watch to pair with the premium cigar “Arturo Fuente ForbiddenX” with a dial made of real tobacco leaves. The Fuente family plantations in the Dominican Republic harvest their tobacco for these exclusive cigars. A Dominican Puro to smoke; a Dominican-Swiss collaboration to tell the time.

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 61

F R I D AY

A PERFECT WEEK

Style update with Lapo Elkann

Big Bang Alutex Blue

TIME NOW TO SHOP for sun-

glasses with Lapo Elkann, brother of Fiat president John Elkann. Lapo is the co-founder and president of the sunglass brand Italia Independent. Their trademark is sophisticated design, Italian style. An exciting and glamorous partnership has been forged recently between Italia Independent and Hublot, and the first product of this partnership: a special watch made with the hightech material Alutex.

Piano concert with Lang Lang

Photo: Fotolia.com/sergign

FINALLY SEEING LANG LANG

live in concert! When the young Chinese pianist steps onto the stage, he looks like the star of an Asian boy band, but the mood changes immediately once he sits down at the keyboard. First the quiet tones and melancholy of Chopin, followed by the passion and elegance of Rachmaninoff. Lang Langâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own sparkling sophistication and extravagant, unconventional presence may very well be what links him and Hublot. Lang Lang is a friend and supporter of the brand â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a wonderful match.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Dwyane Wad

SATURDAY

Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers FINISHING off this fantastic week with

Classic Fusion Dwyane Wade

King Power Black Mamba

Kobe Bryant

an unrivaled sports highlight: basketball. The Los Angeles Lakers going against the Miami Heat with an amazing line-up of NBA stars. Dazzling performances on the court. To be as talented as these guys! Dream on ... still, many of them wear the same watches I do. Hublot enjoys a close relationship with professional basketball and they’ve designed some terrific special editions for the NBA. One watch for the Lakers team and one for their superstar Kobe Bryant, known as the “Black Mamba.” And that’s the name of his Hublot: King Power Black Mamba. Another special Hublot was dedicated to Dwyane Wade who is playing on the opposing team, the Miami Heat. His is the Classic Fusion Dwyane Wade. The man is not only a basketball champion, he’s a fashion icon as well. But right now his mind’s on other things – it’s a battlefield out there.

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 63

NOTHING IS BY GISBERT L. BRUNNER

MATERIALS

IMPOSSIBLE

MATERIALS

A SPORTY LOOK: RUBBER STRAPS – LIKE ON THIS BIG BANG UNICO – ARE AN ESSENTIAL DESIGN FEATURE AT HUBLOT.

Hublot attributes a great deal of its success to the USE AND COMBINATION of innovative materials. If something isn’t possible yet, Hublot will make it so. AT THE BEGINNING OF 2004, there were few people in the watch industry who would have bet on a successful future for Hublot. The brand, founded in 1980 by the Italian Carlo Crocco, made a staid impression and stood at the brink of financial ruin. But then Jean-Claude Biver arrived on the scene. He believed in a successful recovery for Hublot and prescribed a clearly formulated concept called Fusion. In his words, “Today we need Fusion. We tried to repeat traditional watchmaking during the past 25 years (quite successfully, by the way), but there’s a new market niche now. A need for an alternative. It means fusing tradition with new visions. Our entire epoch is ripe and ready for Fusion – in other fields too, like architecture, music and gastronomy. Fusion is a part of the 21st century.” This foundation was laid long ago. The very first Hublot watch from the year 1980 sported an unusual pairing of a gold case with a rubber strap. Today, rubber is an essential part of the Hublot collection. Natural rubber is obtained from latex – a milky substance tapped from the rubber tree. To make it useful for wristwatches, raw rubber is mixed with various additives to give it the desired properties and colors. Hublot has made a name for itself as a real pioneer who has made rubber straps a respectable option for wristwatches. A phenomenon that began with rubber continued and expanded in 2005 with the sophisticated “Big Bang” and “King Power” cases. Around a dozen of the more than 70 components making up these cases are well-suited for illustrating the art of Fusion. These include the bezel, gasket, front and back cover plates, the case body, separate flanks on

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

the left and right, the edge of the case back crystal, the crown and pushers as well as the strap and the two lug covers. The 14 screws holding the ensemble together offer even more opportunities for Fusion.

TITANIUM Titanium plays an essential part in the art of Fusion. This material, first discovered about 200 years ago, combines all the positive properties of steel and aluminum as well as being anti-magnetic and anti-allergenic. It’s a component in almost every single Hublot watch case. Dyeable synthetic resin enjoys equal importance to link or divide the different layers of these remarkable cases. Of course, traditional classic materials like gold, platinum and stainless steel have not lost favor at Hublot, even while Jean-Claude Biver and his team were looking towards the future. The variety of materials used by Hublot was and continues to be an expensive endeavor. Each year the manufacture invests more than 20 million Swiss francs in research and development. The financial support and cooperation with universities and research institutes in various countries has borne fruit in many different areas.

MAGIC GOLD Jean-Claude Biver was not content with scratches on most watch materials. In 2008, he approached Andreas Mortensen, the director of the Institute for Material Science and director of the Institute for Mechanical Metallurgy at the Technical University of Lausanne, Switzerland (EPFL). He has a deep understanding of the creation of new alloys that are revolutionizing the properties of well-known materials. Another later development turned out to be a real stroke of luck for Hublot: Senad Hasanović, a doctoral student of Professor Mortensen and graduate in materials science, was enormously interested in the topic. He chose to leave academics and turn to the watch industry – that is, to Hublot. The first truly revolutionary result proved to be the spectacular fusion of ceramic and 24-karat gold. The watch industry has used high-performance ceramic for scratchresistant cases since 1986. Mixing it with pure gold to create a hard material that meets the strict standards of the Swiss Precious Metals Control Office presented an extremely dif-

THE ART OF FUSION: LIKE THE CASE OF THE SPIRIT OF BIG BANG, ALMOST ALL HUBLOT CASES ARE MADE COMPLETELY OR PARTIALLY OF TITANIUM.

MATERIALS

ficult challenge. The result in 2011, called Magic Gold, has a hardness of 1,000 Vickers, which exceeds conventional 18karat gold many times over. Diamonds are virtually the only substance that can scratch this precious metal.

CERAMIC The history of zirconium began in the late 18th century and has advanced to become an indispensable basic material at Hublot. These days the use of black or white ceramic has become almost common, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something else altogether when the ceramic is bright Ferrari red, Ferrari yellow or blue. Hublot took on this immense challenge in past years and executed it with masterful success. How they did it remains a well-guarded secret, and for good reason. In order to achieve the desired level of luminosity and color consistency, Hublot had to make extensive financial investments to develop sufficient expertise in processing technologies. There are different parameters to meet in producing ceramic, such as the type of raw material, the grain size of the resulting powder, the pressure exerted and the subsequent temperature. These wide-ranging variables were examined and tested in numerous, minutely detailed trials. After three years, reproducible patented results now free Hublot from virtually any and all limitations. Now almost every color can appear in ceramic form. A prime example is a watch introduced in 2013 with a Ferrari-red ceramic bezel.

CARBON Fiber-reinforced synthetics are an essential part of innovative lightweight construction. Modern aircraft, race cars, and eco-friendly automobiles now demand the use of lightweight, highly durable and chemically stable carbon fiber. For Hublot, reason enough to use this material for watches too. In 2011, the acquisition of the company Profusion SA (founded in 2006) gave Hublot the expertise it needed. Since producing the pioneering model Senna F1, Profusion

MAGIC GOLD: THE COMBINATION OF GOLD AND CERAMIC ENSURES THAT THE BIG BANG FERRARI RARELY SHOWS SCRATCHES. 68

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

THE BIG BANG FERRARI HONG KONG WAS ONE OF THE FIRST LIMITED EDITIONS WITH BRIGHT RED CERAMIC COMPONENTS.

LIGHTWEIGHT: CARBON FIBER MAKES WEARING THIS BIG BANG UNICO HARDLY NOTICEABLE.

CARBON FIBER BECOMES BRIGHT BLUE OR GRAY BY PUTTING A GLASS-FIBER LAYER ON IT: THAT’S WHAT HUBLOT CALLS ALUTEX.

MATERIALS

founder Jean-Pierre Kohler and his colleagues have mastered the production of components made of carbon-fiber sheets measuring around two millimeters in thickness.

ALUTEX One real shortcoming of carbon as a material lies in its limitation to the color black or, at most, dark blue. This has led in recent times to the development of the material Alutex. Carbon fibers form the basis for the finished case components. During the manufacturing stage, Hublot replaces the top of the multi-layer sheets with a 0.2 mm layer that is chemically dyed, completely fade-resistant and mechanically similar to heavy-duty fiberglass. This material can be handled and processed on the same machines and with the same tools as carbon components. Obtaining the desired colors often created problems for the technical team at Hublot, however. Carbon and glass fibers are fused with epoxy resin in a mould. The original color changes during this process, often quite dramatically. For example, to obtain a bright blue color of the brandnew limited edition (100-piece) Big Bang Unico Alutex Blue, more than a hundred carefully documented experiments were required. This was the only way the – naturally top secret – process for serial production could be reproduced exactly. The same process is used for the new Big Bang Unico Alutex Grey. Additional colors will follow over the course of the next few years and secure Hublot’s leadership role in the area of innovative case materials.

LINEN The same is true for the newest material on the scene that embodies several of Hublot’s primary interests – nature, the environment, durability and Swissness. Organic flax from Switzerland’s Emmental region also adheres to its own unique conventions for processing. Dry stalks are broken and cleaned of residual fibers, then bundles of fine threads undergo further processing. After conventional spinning on traditional spinning wheels, reeling and artistic weaving produces natural linen textiles that can be dyed in any color. The resulting thin, sturdy sheets are saturated with transparent composite. Like its carbon counterpart, Hublot can make case components that are both lightweight and sturdy.

NATURE AND SYNTHETICS TOGETHER IN HARMONY: THE NEWEST HUBLOT CASES ARE MADE OF LINEN RESIN COMPOSITE. 70

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

EXTREMELY RARE PRECIOUS METAL: THE DIAL OF THE CLASSIC FUSION TOURBILLON FIRMAMENT IS MADE OF CRYSTALLIZED OSMIUM.

The positive characteristics of this material are widely known. Automobile parts made from natural fiberreinforced plastic have been used in that industry for years. Unfortunately, the direct transfer of knowledge and process is limited in this case, so once again, Hublot has had to assume the role of the experimenter. As so often in the past, the knowledge won through experimentation with an absolutely new and modern case material pays off in the end. One reward for these efforts is exceptional individuality. Every piece of linen has its own unique structure, and it is 30 percent lighter than carbon with virtually the same strength. No wonder that the aviation and space industries are working more and more with linen; high-performance racing bikes have been made of this material in Belgium for years.

OSMIUM The dial contributes to the overall look of a watch more than any other component. This has once again taken Hublot into new territory. The Classic Fusion Tourbillon Firmament has a dial of pure, costly crystal osmium. Osmium is the rarest metal on Earth. Only about 30 grams can be obtained from around 10,000 tons of rocks. Geologists have estimated the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s osmium supply to be about 200 tons, compared to about 13,000 tons of platinum. Resulting from the lengthy history of its origin at a depth of more than 2,900 kilometers, osmium is not only extremely rare but extremely hard as well. At 22.6 grams per cubic centimeter, it is the material with the highest density. Its specific gravity is higher than that of platinum, iridium or rhenium. Crystalline osmium is also fascinating because it does not oxidize and keeps its magical blue shine forever. Researchers in Switzerland developed the high-tech crystallization process. Its structure is altered by heating the osmium to its extremely high melting temperature of 3,033 degrees Celsius. The unique structure is the result of the differing crystal sizes, measuring between a few tenths of a millimeter to a couple of millimeters. Hublot has proven its trailblazing role in the materials sector with innovative and extremely rare materials. It is this rich spirit of discovery that forms an important cornerstone for the exceptional success of this young manufacture. HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 71

L ADIES’ WATCHES

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

Luxury WIT H AN EDGE BAR REFAELI’S FIRST OFFICIAL PHOTO SHOOT FOR HUBLOT

L ADIES’ WATCHES

Jeans and gemstones, graffiti style and traditional watchmaking. Hublot ladies’ watches are known for mixing it up in unorthodox COMBINATIONS. Newest additions: a world premiere watch with delicate embroidery and a worldfamous ambassador for the brand. BY MARIA-BETTINA EICH

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

EVEN SUPERMODELS need to know what time it is. Bar Refaeli preferred to read the time from one of her Hublots even before she was officially named as an ambassador of the brand on February 12, 2015. This worldfamous model had already been a Hublot customer for some time and now she’s the face of youthful glamor at Hublot. Bar Refaeli is unique in the world of fashion. Hardly any other model can say she was in front of the camera at eight months, only to take a three-year sabbatical at the age of 12 (when she needed braces!). Today, Bar Refaeli exudes a sunny, relaxed elegance and natural sex appeal. Her captivating smile, freckles, blond hair and tan make her a carefree vision of summer – perfect for modeling beachwear, for which she is wellknown. And now, as we see, for watches too. In her first Hublot photo shoot Bar Refaeli appeared before the camera in a lacy black catsuit – the skin-tight outfit harmonizes perfectly with the watch that’s making its world premiere. The Big Bang Broderie is the first watch in which the strap, dial and bezel are decorated with embroidery. The watch was specially designed to celebrate the beginning of the collaboration between Hublot and Bar Refaeli, but the creation of the Big Bang Broderie presented a few special challenges. Embroidery on a watch – how is that supposed to work, when the lacy structure needs to be both delicate and

WORLD PREMIERE: BIG BANG BRODERIE, HIGHLIGHTING SWISS HANDICRAFTS

L ADIES’ WATCHES

VIBRANT: BIG BANG POP ART

durable? Hublot found a partner within Swiss borders to bring this project to life. St. Gallen embroidery is worldrenowned as a traditional Swiss handicraft – so Hublot naturally joined forces with the noted St. Gallen embroidery company Bischoff, which supplies lace and textiles for haute couture and luxury lingerie. The artisans at Bischoff fashioned tulle embroidery for the new Hublot watch, creating a skull motif, which is visible only upon closer inspection, out of delicate floral arabesques – an edgy design that is both baroque and trendy. The embroidery then had to be attached to the watch. To do this, the embroidery patterns were fixed and then molded into the carbon fibers to give them strength. Months of research were needed to develop this new technology and the result is a new chapter in the history of Hublot with its “Fusion” philosophy. The innovative combination of materials is one of the most important creative principles of the brand. Fusing delicate lace embroidery and hard carbon fiber is a remarkable expression of the company’s vision. The combination of traditional watchmaking (a mechanical automatic watch movement) with cutting-edge fashion is something one has almost come to expect from Hublot.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

Street style and jeweled art: the new Pop Art version

EVEN COOLER: BIG BANG JEANS, NOW WITH STYLISHLY FRAYED INSETS

Killer design: Big Bang Snow Leopard

Wild life: Big Bang in zebra print

In her first Hublot photo shoot Bar Refaeli linked the lacy seduction of embroidery with the coolness of the black watch and its skull design. Emanating elegance and power, Bar stands before a cityscape: feline, blond, confident. During the shoot she said she easily identified with the vibrant spirit of the watch and felt like Catwoman – with a little secret to hide. Bar Refaeli left the shoot dressed in her own clothing and was further proof of the direct parallels to the Hublot style. Part of Hublot’s history of Fusion is embodied in the Big Bang Jeans ladies’ watch collection. Now there’s a new member of this collection with a denim strap inset with stylish frayed strips – just like the trendy, frayed jeans jacket Bar Refaeli tossed on after the shoot. Pairing a rebellious jacket with a classic, blond hair knot is Bar Refaeli’s way of living her own form of Fusion: a perfect ambassador for the brand.

CONTEMPORARY TRENDS The Broderie and Jeans watches are not the sole representatives of multifaceted Big Bangs inside the world of fashion. Snakeskin, patterned leopard and zebra print have inspired other Hublot watch designs that are always fashionable, surprising and a bit subversive. With a taste for luxury that stands apart from classical traditions, these designs are distinct expressions of contemporary trends. The introduction of the Big Bang Pop Art set off an unusually powerful “bang” even for Hublot. Flashy color contrasts and a graffiti-like dial design suggest the work of Andy Warhol and street artists. New Big Bang Pop Art models come in “Smoothie Pink” and “Shocking Pink” with turquoise, a wonderfully wild combination. The spectacular Pop Art design has advanced into the spheres of haute joaillerie. The newest Pop Art watches sparkle at every turn with precious gems in the brightest colors. This spirited, bejeweled watch design has a direct link to the Hublot collection Big Bang Tutti Frutti – watches with baguette-cut gemstones in their bezels in hot pink, orange, bright blue or a more discreet cognac tone, each with straps that perfectly match the color of the gemstones. Vibrantly fashionable colors and materials, precious gems set in gold or stainless steel and always with a striking watch shape: This aesthetic has made Hublot a trendsetter – reinterpreting the definition of luxury in the ladies’ watch scene. HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 77

INSIDE HUBLOT

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

THE MANUFACTURE An imposing modern black building stands in Nyon, Switzerland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the HUBLOT MANUFACTURE for milling parts, machining screws, assembling movements, manufacturing cases, developing complications and creating watches of the future and even their unique materials. BY JENS KOCH PHOTOS BY FRED MERZ

Challenging: in the complications workshop, a single watchmaker is responsible for assembling a movement from A to Z. Here is where minute repeaters, tourbillons and astronomical displays are created, each made up of hundreds of parts.

INSIDE HUBLOT

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

HAND GAME: WHEN

SETTING THE HANDS CAREFUL NOTE MUST BE TAKEN OF THE PRECISE MOMENT THE DATE ADVANCES. HANDLING THE SENSITIVE, LIGHTWEIGHT COMPONENTS REQUIRES IMMENSE DEXTERITY TO AVOID SCRATCHES.

INSIDE HUBLOT

ALCHEMIST’S LABORATORY:

HUBLOT DEVELOPED MAGIC GOLD, THE WORLD’S MOST SCRATCHRESISTANT 18-KARAT GOLD ALLOY. ONLY DIAMONDS CAN AFFECT ITS SURFACE. PRODUCING THE CASE COMPONENTS REQUIRES SEVERAL HEAT TREATMENT UNITS TO MELT AND SINTER THIS COMBINATION OF CERAMIC AND GOLD.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 83

INSIDE HUBLOT

PRECISION WORK:

AT HUBLOT, A HIGH-TECH MACHINE SETS THE JEWEL BEARINGS IN THE MAINPLATE, AUTONOMOUSLY SELECTING AND PRESSING THE CORRECT JEWELS INTO THE VARIOUS POSITIONS. 84

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

INSIDE HUBLOT

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

HAPPY LANDING: IN

THE LABORATORY, HUBLOT WATCHES MUST SUSTAIN AN IMPACT BY A HAMMER AND ACCELERATION OF 5,000 GS. A CATCH BASKET AND THE SYNTHETIC STRIKING SURFACE OF THE HAMMER PREVENT EXTERNAL DAMAGE.

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 87

TEXT: GISBERT BRUNNER

IN OCTOBER of last year a research

Heavy-duty in every way: the so-called Exosuit weighs 240 kilograms and cost $1.3 million.

HIGH-TECH

UNDER WATER In the fall of 2014 Hublot provided support to the underwater expedition “RETURN TO ANTIKYTHERA”. Technical equipment for this effort included a high-tech dry diving suit and the Hublot diving watch Oceanographic 4000. BY ALEXANDER KRUPP

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

team returned to the site of a legendary discovery – with support from Hublot. Here’s the background: in 1901 the remains of perhaps the world’s oldest mechanical calculator was recovered in an ancient sunken shipwreck near the Greek island of Antikythera (located between the Peloponnese peninsula and Crete). Assumed to have been built in the second century B.C.E., the shoeboxsize bronze geared mechanism once powered a number of different astronomical displays which include the Egyptian calendar, a schedule of the Panhellenic Games in all its host cities, the position of the sun in relation to the zodiac, moon phases, the sidereal year, and five different astronomical cycles on the back ranging in duration between 18 and 76 years. In 2008 Mathias Buttet took the Antikythera mechanism as a model and, within four years, miniaturized it to wristwatch size. But, in contrast to the original device, the Antikythera presented by Hublot in 2012 also features the time of day and a tourbillon. The commercial model is a slimmed-down version called the MP-08 Antikythera SunMoon featuring a simplified and miniaturised version of the original mechanism. The result is a movement containing 295 components and 7 complications, all of which are placed on the dial side (compared to 495 components and 14 functions on both sides of the original calibre exhibited at the Museum of Athens). This titanium hand-wound watch has a power reserve of 85 hours and is offered in a limited edition of only 20 pieces.

THE RETURN Hublot played a crucial role in the “Return to Antikythera” expedition by providing the research team – commissioned by the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports and led by the maritime ar-

DIVING EXPEDITION

dive bezel. Its generous dimensions and modern look are a good fit for the Exosuit, with its “King Power” case measuring an impressive 48 millimeter across. Even if you’re not an undersea diver you can call the Oceanographic 4000 your own: At the occasion of the new Antikythera expedition, Hublot has created a special version made of carbon fiber called “Exo4000” (see photo). The watch is provided with a white Nomex strap as well as an additional black nylon/rubber strap. Until now, no additional pieces of the Antikythera mechanism were found during the research mission, but the scientists did recover fragments of artworks and everyday objects that had remained out of reach to the 1901 expedition. So the aim of the mission has already been achieved – a successful collaborative endeavor in which the Antikythera team, the Greek government and Hublot play a part.

Antikythera then and now: the remains of this ancient mechanism inspired Hublot to create two wristwatches so far.

Professional diver: the Exo4000 with inner dive-time bezel is waterproof to 4000 meters.

Photo: Fotolia.com/Sergey Peterman

chaeologist Brendan Foley – with financial support. This included a recently developed dry diving suit plus additional equipment valued at $1.3 million. Thanks to its special aluminum alloy and 18 rotating joints, the 240 kg atmospheric “Exosuit” is flexible and extremely sturdy. Its water-resistance of up to 300 meters creates the same pressure conditions for the diver as on the surface, and complex gas mixtures are no longer necessary. Instead, the diver breathes normal oxygen that is recycled inside a closed circuit. Dives of up to 50 hours are theoretically possible before the suit and its wearer need to return to the surface. Hublot also supplied powerful professional diving watches to the team that are fully in line with the formidable look and technology of this new high-tech dive suit. The researchers wore the Oceanographic 4000 watch – titanium, water-proof up to 4,000 meters and equipped with an inner unidirectional

IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS

EXPERTISE CENTRAL Hublot is regularly developing new watch movements and thereby expanding its KNOW-HOW in complications and base calibers. BY ALEXANDER KRUPP SPECIAL HUBLOTHUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime WatchTime

| 91

IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS

COMPLICATIONS: chronograph with column-wheel and ﬂyback function, date OVERALL DIAMETER: 30.4 mm HEIGHT: 8.05 mm POWER RESERVE: ca. 72 hours (Single barrel) BALANCE FREQUENCY: 28,800 vph NUMBER OF COMPONENTS: 293 NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL JEWELS: 38

WATCH BRANDS like to claim the title manufacture, but mere lip service and hard reality often stand miles apart. According to the unwritten rules of the Swiss watch industry, a company may call itself a manufacture only when it produces at least one caliber within its own facilities. This has been the case at Hublot since 2010, the year when the chronograph caliber HUB 1240 “Unico” was first unveiled. Since that time the spectrum of exclusive movements has grown steadily, as well as the company’s horological expertise and the complexity of its own calibers. Tourbillons, minute-repeater mechanisms and unique complications, accompanied by great personal and financial investment, are vivid proof of the successful rise of the manufacture into the top ranks of the watchmaking world.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

HUB 1240 “UNICO” Hublot gave itself plenty of time for the creation of its first in-house chronograph caliber. Accordingly, the HUB 1240 “Unico” unveiled in 2010 is striking because of its superior technical features, reliability and accuracy. Although the Unico is not a movement with integrated functions, all of its operations play out clearly before the eyes of the observer. Namely, Hublot assembled the entire chronograph mechanism on the dial side. The column wheel is also placed there for controlling the chronograph functions, and two classic clutch mechanisms linking the chronograph with the watch movement: one for the chronograph itself and the second for the hour counter. An immensely helpful aspect is the flyback function, which is used to reset and restart a running chronograph without a hack mechanism. The balance wheel operates at four Hertz, which permits stopping actions accurate to an eighth of a second. A powerful mainspring guarantees a 72-hour power reserve, so the HUB 1240 will continue to run steadily even after spending a quiet weekend on the shelf. The exchangeable escapement can be considered as an expression of unusual creativity, which can be replaced if necessary with just a few simple steps. The expression of the timeless art of watchmaking is lastly the use of the anti-magnetic and oil-free material silicon for the escapement.

SKELETON TOURBILLON HUB 6010 Hublot developed this tourbillon with an impressive five-day power reserve for the visually-oriented watch fan. Both the front and back of the watch showcase the beauty of watchmaking skills at their finest. The watchmakers have skeletonized the 34.4 by four millimeter in-house hand-wind movement to its outer limits. Even the opulent barrel was opened up as much as possible to permit unobstructed views of the lengthy power reserve. The generous size of the tourbillon at 6 o’clock is eyecatching. Every minute, the delicate cage – designed to compensate for negative gravitational effects – completes an entire revolution. Cradled within the cage, the Glucydur balance completes 21,600 vph along with the auto-compensating hairspring. The winding action of the long mainspring is remarkably smooth.

COMPLICATIONS: minute tourbillon OVERALL DIAMETER: 34.4 mm HEIGHT: 4 mm POWER RESERVE: 115 hours (Single barrel) CAGE DIAMETER: 12.9 mm BALANCE FREQUENCY: 21,600 vph NUMBER OF COMPONENTS: 155 NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL JEWELS: 19

CATHEDRAL MINUTE REPEATER TOURBILLON HUB 8001 The pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking has always been embodied by the minute repeater. Two tiny hammers strike gongs to announce the time to the precise minute. One small action winds a spring and sets the chiming mechanism immediately in motion. A low tone indicates the hour. Low-high double chimes announce the number of quarter-hours. Lastly, another high tone sounds for every additional minute. To ensure the greatest possible acoustic quality, Hublot uses special cathedral gongs in its in-house caliber HUB 8001, which are about one-and-onehalf times longer than standard gongs and require specialized know-how to ensure they do not hit against each other and cloud the sound. Immense technical investment is needed for a wristwatch with a minute repeater. Around 100 parts must interact perfectly to mark the time audibly. Added to this are also the components for the hand-wind movement and minute tourbillon – no wonder it took 24 months to design. Only a single watchmaker is responsible for the assembly from A to Z. The reward for these efforts? The watch won the Grand Prix de Genève 2014 in the Striking Watch category.

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

COMPLICATIONS: minute repeater, minute tourbillon OVERALL DIAMETER: 33.5 mm HEIGHT: 6.35 mm POWER RESERVE: 80 hours (Single barrel) CAGE DIAMETER: 12.9 mm BALANCE FREQUENCY: 21,600 vph NUMBER OF COMPONENTS: 322 NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL JEWELS: 30

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS

KEY OF TIME HUB 9002

COMPLICATIONS: minute tourbillon, variable display speed DIMENSIONS: ca. 40.2 x 40.1 mm HEIGHT: 9.5 mm POWER RESERVE: 96 hours (Single barrel) CAGE DIAMETER: 12.9 mm BALANCE FREQUENCY: 21,600 vph NUMBER OF COMPONENTS: 512 NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL JEWELS: 74

“Linger awhile, thou art so fair!” These famous words from Goethe’s Faust indicate the human desire to halt and extend an irretrievable moment in time. It would be worth a fortune to some people to be able to stop time in this way – conveniently enough, Hublot offers its “Key of Time.” In addition to its conventional three-Hertz movement, this model has a small, sophisticated transmission that can slow the passage of time whenever life is especially precious – at the very least, it makes the appearance of running at one-fourth the normal tempo. And whenever one is impatiently waiting for an event to happen, it’s possible to bestow time with “wings” to fly at four times normal speed. Fully winding the hand-wind mechanism will power the vertical tourbillon for the MP-02 Key of Time for 96 hours. The fleeting seconds are shown through a small opening in the case. The rotational speed of the hour and minute hands can be influenced externally. A kind of split-seconds mechanism, common to chronographs, ensures that the correct time can be restored immediately (whenever reality calls for it!). The Key of Time is clearly the most complicated watch produced in Hublot’s workshop.

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime

| 95

IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS

COMPLICATIONS: minute tourbillon, seven astronomical displays DIMENSIONS: 35.2 x 37 mm HEIGHT: 12.43 mm POWER RESERVE: 85 hours (Single barrel) CAGE DIAMETER: 12.9 mm BALANCE FREQUENCY: 21,600 vph NUMBER OF COMPONENTS: 295 NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL JEWELS: 37

ANTIKYTHERA SUNMOON HUB 9008 Only 20 fortunate people in the world have the privilege of owning the MP-08 Antikythera SunMoon wristwatch with its light gray titanium case. The complicated handwind caliber HUB 9008 with a 85-hour power reserve stands out with seven extraordinary functions. A minute tourbillon is in place for the precise measurement of time. In addition to a display for hours and minutes, there are a wide variety of astronomical displays on the front. The wearer can see which constellation is currently behind the Sun and how long it will take the Sun to pass over a constellation. Also, a date â&#x20AC;&#x153;sun handâ&#x20AC;? rotates once a year around the dial. Its tip points to the month and the date. This hand provides additional information on the sidereal position of the Sun in relation to the observer on Earth. The moon hand is just as precise in its indication. Careful observation shows the viewer the moon phase, its form in the sky, the name of the constellation behind the Moon, and how much time the Moon requires to pass a constellation. In this watch movement the time span

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

between two new moons equals 29.36 days, while the rotational relationship between the Moon and Earth corresponds to 27.322 days. Plus, the speed of the Moon varies in this complicated mechanism analogous to the astronomical circumstances. Because of the rigorous demands, the finishing, assembly, adjustment and quality control of this 295-component movement remain in the hands of a single watchmaker.

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

COMPLICATIONS: minute tourbillon, power-reserve display DIMENSIONS: 45.8 x 39.5 mm HEIGHT: 15.3 mm POWER RESERVE: 50 days (11 barrels) CAGE DIAMETER: 14.5 mm BALANCE FREQUENCY: 21,600 vph NUMBER OF COMPONENTS: 637 NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL JEWELS: 108

LAFERRARI The extraordinary MP-05 LaFerrari is truly, without reservation, a world-premier timepiece. The internal and external treatments match the style of the sporty race car LaFerrari. In the world of mechanical watchmaking, a power reserve of 50 days is nothing less than astounding and requires power provided by 11 serial barrels in an arrangement that recalls an engine block and its control mechanisms. The power stores do not deplete consecutively, but release their energy in unison. Just as impressive are the indications for seconds, minutes, and the remaining power reserve. A horizontally mounted minute tourbillon with a 14.5-mm aluminum cylinder reveals the smallest time unit. Two black anodized, luminous-coated barrel cylinders turn on the right side of the “engine compartment” to show the hours (top) and minutes (bottom). The cylinders on the left are controlled by a differential gear train and serve as the “fuel gauge.” The technical experts at Hublot even thought of a comfortable way to provide power to the watch – the mainsprings are wound using a small power screwdriver, delivered alongside the watch in a Schedoni-leather and carbon-fiber case.

IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS

COMPLICATIONS: minute tourbillon DIMENSIONS: 33.5 x 35.3 mm HEIGHT: 4 mm HEIGHT WITH TOURBILLON BRIDGE: 5.7 mm POWER RESERVE: 115 hours (Single barrel) CAGE DIAMETER: 12.9 mm BALANCE FREQUENCY: 21,600 vph NUMBER OF COMPONENTS: 155 NUMBER OF FUNCTIONAL JEWELS: 19

TOURBILLON TONNEAU HUB 9006 Power and stamina – that’s the tonneau hand-wind caliber HUB 9006 with a power reserve of 115 hours. The artfully skeletonized mechanism is available in different versions, depending on the equipment of the watch. The Hublot technicians positioned the large barrel at the 12o’clock position and an equally large tourbillon is placed at 6 o’clock, with a cage that turns once a minute. The balance wheel within vibrates at 21,600 vph. For each in-house movement, the watchmakers require 155 parts to complete its finishing, assembly and adjustment.

A M E R I C A’ S # 1 WAT C H M A G A Z I N E

HUBLOT SPECIAL

Ebner Publishing International, Inc.

Editorial Director and Project Editor: Rüdiger Bucher

274 Madison Avenue, Suite 804

Contributors: Gisbert L. Brunner, Rüdiger Bucher, Jens Koch, Alexander Krupp, Maria-Bettina Eich

Tel 646-742-0740

Assistant to the Project Editor: Bettina Rost

Fax 646-742-0749

Translations: Joanne Weinzierl

Email: info@watchtime.com

Graphic Design: trurnit Publishers GmbH, Munich

Production Director: Michael Kessler Chief Executive Directors: Gerrit Klein, Martin Metzger (deputy), Florian Ebner U.S. Publishing Director: Dominik Grau European Publishing Director: Jens Gerlach Thanks to: Philippe Tardivel, Sheena Mohs and Anaïs Treand from Hublot

www.watchtime.com

Production: Dr. Cantz’sche Druckerei Medien GmbH, Ostfildern-Kemnat

New York, NY 10016

WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

Big Bang Unico All Black. Totally black, totally matt: perfectly complementing the UNICO movement, with a 72-hour power reserve. Manufactured in-house by Hublot. Limited edition of 1000 pieces. www.hublot.com â&#x20AC;˘

twitter.com/hublot â&#x20AC;˘

facebook.com/hublot

Big Bang Broderie. 18K gold case set with 209 diamonds totaling 1.3 carats. Unique process of encasing historic St-Gallen lace to a carbon fiber bezel and dial. 100% silk embroidered strap stitched to black rubber. Limited edition of 200 pieces. www.hublot.com â&#x20AC;˘

twitter.com/hublot â&#x20AC;˘

facebook.com/hublot