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AMERICA’S #1 WATCH MAGAZINE

H U B L OTS P E C I A L

CLASSIC FUSION TOURBILLON CATHEDRAL

MINUTE REPEATER

WINNER OF GENEVA GRAND PRIX D'HORLOGERIE 2014

www.hublot.com • twitter.com/hublot • facebook.com/hublot

Hublot_ChronHbt_CFCatMinRep_210x280.indd 2 05.02.15 14:00

EDITOR’S LETTER

IN THE BEGINNING there was the “Big Bang.”

Jean-Claude Biver caused a huge sensation when he intro-

duced 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 embod-

ied 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 manu-

factured ceramic components in brilliant colors.

FUSION, however, does not only mean the combina-

tion of various materials. Jean-Claude Biver always un-

derstood 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 main-

tains partnerships with individual athletes and sports

teams, with cult brands like Ferrari as well as with musi-

cians and designers. Hublot wants to be wherever its cus-

tomers 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 manufac-ture. Recognition and acceptance of the brand is far-

reaching and its portfolio is just as broad. Hublot’s pres-

ence at global mega events like the 2014 FIFA World Cup

in Brazil further deepens its name recognition among po-

tential 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.

IS SOWHY HUBLOT

SUCCESSFUL

Rüdiger Bucher, Editorial Director

HUBLOT SPECIAL WatchTime | 3

44

3EDITOR’S LETTER

610 YEARS OF BIG BANGThe Big Bang revolution

12DECISIONSWhich Big Bang is right for me?

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

22MILESTONES10 years of Fusion

36FERRARIDream team

44PHILANTHROPYInvolvement for a better world

CONTENTS

36

22

14

6

48

56

78

90

72

48INTERVIEW WITH

RICARDO GUADALUPE“The majority of our

watches will have in-house movements”

56A PERFECT WEEK

My week with Hublot

64MATERIALS

Nothing is impossible

72LADIES’ WATCHES

Luxury with an edge

78INSIDE HUBLOT

The manufacture

88ANTIKYTHERA

High tech under water

90IN-HOUSE

MOVEMENTSExpertise central

98MASTHEAD

THE BIG BANG REVOLUTION

BY JENS KOCH


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A NEW ERA BEGAN AT HUBLOT10 YEARS AGO –WHEN THE BIGBANG STARTED ANEW REVOLUTIONFOR THE BRANDAND THE WORLDOF 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 compli-

cations 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 compo-

nents 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. Mate-

rials 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

Formula 1 racing). They are developing

their own materials as well. For exam-

ple, 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 dia-

monds. 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 ce-

ramic and extremely lightweight and

sturdy carbon for this very reason.

To highlight the surprising combi-

nations of materials, it is also essential

to design the case differently than a con-

ventional three-part case. It must nec-

essarily consist of many parts. The Big

Bang case is made up of over 70 parts,

another source of this new kind of lux-

ury. While other watches in the upper

price ranges justify their value with ex-

cellent quality finishing and fine metals

in a polished case made of very few

parts, the Big Bang features a surpris-

ingly high number of parts and a wide

range of exquisite details.

DETAILS MATTERFor 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 pol-

ished 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 de-

tail are also integral to the new shape of

luxury of the Big Bang.

8 | WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL


NEW SHAPEOF LUXURY:

THE BIG BANGCASE IS MADE

UP OF OVER70 PARTS.

But what about the past, the tradi-

tion? The Big Bang does not break com-

pletely with conventional watchmak-

ing. Quite the opposite – tradition is

part of the concept. Why are the mate-

rial combinations of gold and carbon so

striking? Because gold represents tradi-

tion and carbon stands for innovation.

Hublot also adopted traditional surface

finishing techniques to ensure the rich-

ness 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 FUSIONAll 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 fu-

ture. 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



MALE OR

FEMALE?

DO YOU LIKECOLOR?

DO YOU LIKE SPORTS?

YES.

WHAT’SYOUR

FAVORITE?

FERRARI?

WHICHIS RIGHT FOR ME?

WHEN ITMATCHES

MY JEANS.

BIG BANG

NOT REALLY.

I’M MORE INTO BLACK.

BIG BANG JEANS GOLD

YES! BIG BANG

STEEL PAVÉ44MM

ONLY IN THEMOVEMENT.

BY

JEN

S K

OC

H

MALE.

FEMALE.

I LOVE SPORTS!

I’M WITH WINSTON

CHURCHILL: NO SPORTS!

I LIKE TO DRIVEFAST – DOES

THAT COUNT?

DO YOU LIKE LOTSOF JEWELS?

AND POPART?

NO.

ABSOLUTELY!

DIVING: BIG BANG

KING BLACKMAGIC

POLO:BIG BANGCHUKKER

BANG

POKER:BIG BANG

UNICO WPTKING GOLD

BIG BANG ALL BLACK

SHINY

BIG BANG POP ART

YEP!

THEN CHOOSE THE WATCH THAT

MATCHES THE COLOR OF YOUR

CAR: BIG BANG FERRARI

BLUE, WHITE, YELLOW, RED

COMPLICATIONS?

YES.

BIG BANG MINUTE

REPEATERTOURBILLON

MY LIFE IS COMPLICATED

ENOUGH!

DECISIONS

OK, EASY: BIG BANG

STEEL

BIG BANGTUTTI FRUTTI

LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTIONLIKE FORMULA 1:

BIG BANG UNICO CARBON

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SOCCER: BIG BANG UNICO BI-RETROGRADE

CHRONO KING GOLDCARBON


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QUESTIONS BY GISBERT L. BRUNNER AND RÜDIGER BUCHER

INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-CLAUDE 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.

Mr. Biver, it has been 10 years since you introduced the Big Bangwith Hublot. What is your assessment of the past decade? I am 65

years old now, and would have never believed that I would be look-

ing 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 cer-

tain 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 in-

tention 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 mir-

rored 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 mil-

lion 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 be-

gan 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.

16 | WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

And then there is your concept of Fusion. Can you explain that ingreater detail? Our interpretation of Fusion means first and fore-

most 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 instru-

ment 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 re-

ligion 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 al-

ways 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.

The composition of the Big Bang case and its many separate partsforms the basis for combining such widely different materials. Itwas 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 apparentfrom a finished watch. How did you get this idea to the customer?Ideas and concepts are not always immediately easy to compre-

hend. 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.


Red-gold case,

ceramic bezel,

rubber strap:

the first Big Bang

from 2005



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 maxi-

mum 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 firstcase? We asked them both to deliver a technical design and pro-

duce 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

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

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 uni-

fied 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 andlinen? 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.


You mentioned linen as a future case material. What will that en-tail? 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 DollarWatch”? 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 dif-

ferent 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 expen-

sive watch in the world today.

Technically speaking, how do you get from a One Million to a FiveMillion 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 yourpurchasers? 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.

The Five Million

Dollar Watch is the

most expensive

watch in the world

today.




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 lux-ury timepiece today without a mechanical movement? It seems tome that the mechanical feature is no longer the most importantreason behind a purchase. Brand image, status and design ap-pear to be of greater value, even though practically every luxurywatch 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 situa-

tion is different at Hublot. But who knows? Maybe it will be possi-

ble one day to insert something like a tiny SIM card into a mechan-

ical 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 re-

peater 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 todevelop its own mechanical movements in-house, instead of sim-ply purchasing them? From the very beginning. No one knew bet-

ter 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 facilitiesare 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-housemovements be markedly more expensive? No. Our manufactur-

ing costs are not significantly higher now, and our Unico chrono-

graphs 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 prob-

lem 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 cal-iber 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 move-

ments. 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 verticalintegration measures? Could Hublot eventually manufacture allof 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 only10 years. Is it strong enough to remain unchanged, or will it haveto 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 revital-ized Blancpain and were active at Omega for a long time. Whichbrand 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 impor-

tant event of my life.

10 Y E A R SMILESTONES

In only 10

years, Hublot

has introduced

an impressive

number of dif-

ferent 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.


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F U S I O NO F

T H E F I R S T B I G B A N GThe opulence of the Big Bangdrew immediate attention to Hublot at Baselworld in 2005.This watch also served as a newstarting point and a new di-rection for the brand. Its 44-mmcase is made of more than 70components, making it an excellent representative of Jean-Claude Biver’s philosophy of “Fusion” – the idea of smoothlycombining several often incon-gruous materials. The first BigBang was produced with an 18-karat red-gold or stainless-steelcase in combination with ascratch-resistant black or whiteceramic bezel. Additional casematerials included titanium, extremely durable Kevlar and acarbon dial. The structure of thecase guarantees a water resis-tance to 10 bar. Powering thewatch is the 252-componentchronograph movement HUB 44,including a winding mechanismwith a tungsten rotor. The imme-diate success of the watchshowed Hublot was right in itsprediction. Sales recorded at theend of the fair were 5.5 times higher than the previous year.

MILESTONES

B I G B A N G A L L B L A C KTrend-setter or trend-follower?The watch manufacturer Hublotclearly belongs to the first group.This became most apparent atthe 2006 introduction of thehighly-discussed Big Bang AllBlack. Jean-Claude Biver oncestated provocatively that it’s not“normal” to pay 5,000 euros ormore for a wristwatch just to tellthe time – simply showing thetime isn’t the most important pur-pose of a luxury watch. A logicalresult was Hublot’s presentationof an entirely black watch. Thetotal rejection of any compro-mise extends to every visible partincluding the HUB 44 caliber, inwhich a black heavy-metal rotorwinds the mainspring. To top itoff, black hands travel around ablack carbon dial. Nowhere inthe world had an all-black watchbeen seen before – though othermanufacturers borrowed theidea after the introduction of theBig Bang All Black.


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B I G B A N G O N E M I L L I O NAdmittedly, 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 seeming-

ly incredible price. The 18-karat

white-gold case boasts an amazing

322 baguette-cut diamonds, total-

ing 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 stain-

less-steel dial either: it alone has

no fewer than 129 baguette dia-

monds. 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.

MILESTONES


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M A G B A N GWith 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 cut-

ting 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.

B I G B A N GM I N U T E R E P E A T E RC A R B O NSound 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 chal-

lenge. Its waterproof carbon-fiber

case with titanium and rubber parts

is very well-suited for the transmis-

sion 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, quarter-

hours, and minutes acoustically.

This manufacture hand-wind cali-

ber HUB 8100 also boasts a column-

wheel 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.

MILESTONES


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

There’s no logical connection linking solid gold and sports cars. But the objects Hublot

fabricates from the shining precious metal fit perfectly alongside the material research

conducted by Ferrari for its race cars. Despite its beauty, anti-rusting properties and

alloys in different colors, gold has one real Achilles’ heel – the purity level of 750/1,000

used for watch cases has a hardness of a mere 180 Vickers. That pushed Hublot to create

“Magic Gold.” Three years of intensive research resulted in an 18-karat, scratch-resis-

tant fusion of gold and ceramic with a hardness of 1,000 Vickers. Hublot used this unique

material in 2012 for the first of its wristwatches bearing the distinctive Ferrari logo. Each

of the 500-piece limited edition models of the Big Bang Ferrari Magic Gold contains the

in-house automatic movement HUB 1241 “Unico,” with a column-wheel chronograph

and 72-hour power reserve. In addition to the scratch-resistant bezel, Hublot also used

Kevlar and carbon fiber for the case.

B I G B A N GC A R B O N B E Z E L B A G U E T T E R U B I E SIs it possible to increase the value

of a carbon-fiber bezel by decora-

ting 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 gem-

stones, 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 pro-

tects the metal from oxidation.

Hublot then uses a high-precision

manufactured carbon-fiber struc-

ture with six segmented recesses

to envelop the gem-encrusted

metal body. It is attached to the

case body with six iconic Hublot

screws.

MILESTONES


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B I G B A N GJ E A N S C A R A TThe extraordinary Big Bang

Jeans watch showed how Hublot

can even make denim respecta-

ble in the luxury watch sector.

This Swiss manufacturer uses a

special kind of jeans material –

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 vacuum-

sealed the material with epoxy

resin. 48 blue baguette-cut

sapphires enhance the visual

attraction and value of the Big

Bang Jeans Carat watch.

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B I G B A N G U N I C O

After several years of development

work, the in-house caliber HUB 1240

“Unico” debuted in 2010 in a

striking case with a scratch-

resistant 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 case-

back viewing window are the skele-

tonized ball-bearing rotor and the

oscillating balance (four Hertz) with a

variable moment of inertia. The pallet

and pallet fork of the easily exchange-

able escapement consist of lightweight

anti-magnetic silicon.


B I G B A N G U N I C O 2 0 1 4F I F A W O R L D C U PWhen 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 be-

neath 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

Official watch

of the FIFA World

Cup 2014

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B I G B A N GT O U R B I L L O N

POWER RESERVE5 D A Y S

Watch movements with an exten-

sive power reserve always come

with the risk of forgetting to wind the

mainspring, as the hand-wind cali-

ber 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 re-

serve, located at the 9 o’clock posi-

tion. To make this possible, the Hu-

blot designers expanded the move-

ment to include a complicated differ-

ential 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 skele-

tonized hand-wind caliber HUB 6016

is made of 175 components – its

three-Hertz mechanism ticks within

a titanium or King Gold case.

MILESTONES

B I G B A N G U N I C O “ 1 0 Y E A R S H I G H J E W E L L E R Y ” 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 invisi-

ble 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 chrono-

graph caliber HUB 1240 “Unico.”


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FERRARI

DREAM 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.

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FERRARI


THE COLLABORATION between Hublot and

Ferrari was first announced on November 5, 2011 and

has developed into one of the most multifaceted and pro-

ductive partnerships in the entire watch sector. Hublot is

present at events for the automobile brand and the Fer-

rari team, and also participates in many Ferrari Club

events. The watch manufacturer functions as the official

timekeeper and official watch partner, develops wrist-

watches 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 commemo-

rated the 20th anniversary of the first Ferrari purchased in

China, a number that determined the limits of the edi-

tion: only 20 pieces of the Big Bang Chrono Tourbillon

Ferrari were produced. Powering the watch is the hand-

wind caliber HUB 6300. In proven use since 2006, it has

a flying tourbillon, column wheel, decentralized stop-

watch second hand and five-day power-reserve display.

This complex mechanism was packed in a 44-mm light-

weight 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 con-

tract 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.

2011

2012: FIRST SERIAL PRODUCTIONThe 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.

First Ferrari watch from

Hublot: the special edition

model Big Bang Chrono

Tourbillon Ferrari was

developed in 2011 for the

Chinese market.

201250 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 ex-

tremely 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 col-

lector’s automobile.

The year 2012 concluded with the Fi-

nals of the Ferrari Challenge held in Va-

lencia, Spain in December. Once again

Hublot acted as the official timekeeper at

this event and showcased its watches in

this exclusive racing environment.

2012Serial production: Hublot

began its first product

concept with the Big Bang

Ferrari Titanium that was

presented during Basel-

world 2012.

Above: Ferrari Racing Days

in Suzuka, Japan

2012Concluding the first

year of cooperation:

in December 2012,

Hublot attended the

Ferrari Challenge

finals in Valencia.

FERRARI

2013: DOUBLE MILESTONEAfter co-hosting more than 130

events in 2012, the partners swung

into the new year at the same breath-

taking pace. In addition to a number

of collaborative events, Hublot ex-

tended the cooperation, and became

official timekeeper and official watch

of the Scuderia Ferrari with its brand-

ing on the Formula 1 cars.

The second milestone of this im-

portant 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 50-

day power reserve, a horizontally

mounted tourbillon and a power

screwdriver as a winding aid raise the

MP-05 LaFerrari far and above typi-

cal wristwatches. It’s also limited in

its availability: only 50 pieces of the

black titanium introductory models

were built. Subsequent editions in

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 collec-

tion consisting of three models that

exuded the spirit of the race car maker

in both look and materials: the 1,000-

piece, limited edition Big Bang Ferrari

Carbon Red Magic boasted a carbon-

fiber 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

2013Technical 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

2013New 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.


Carbon introduced an elegant touch into the new collec-

tion, 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 chrono-

graph 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° ACTIVATIONIn 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

2014Ferrari 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

2014Lightweight case plus

yellow accents and

displays: the Big Bang

Ferrari Ceramic Carbon

directly references its

automotive partner.

GT-racing team AF Corse, and Peter

Mann, president of the French Fer-

rari 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 pre-

sented the new Ferrari watch collec-

tion 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 ma-

terials and Ferrari-yellow displays

and stitching made obvious reference

to its automotive partner.


2014Hublot 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.

2014Five-year anniversary of the

Hublot Boutique in Singapore:

Scuderia-Ferrari driver Kimi

Räikkönen congratulates.

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 re-

interpret the Ferrari style and meticulous details and trans-

fer 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, inno-

vation, iconic and unique design, passion for detail, mate-

rials 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 inno-

vative colors by creating the Hublot Challenge based on a

Scuderia Ferrari simulator competition. Hublot cus-

tomers 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.

FERRARI

2015Latest Ferrari model:

the new Big Bang

Ferrari King Gold sports

a bezel made of a

very innovative alloy.

2015: FERRARI 458 SPECIALEThe partners have attained a new level of collaboration

this year with the Ferrari 458 Speciale and the correspon-

ding Hublot watch. Ferrari’s part was the creation of an

iconic sports car, technically refined to the highest stan-

dards 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 expand-

ing into other areas as well. In every

way, a far-reaching vision is the most

important concept behind the coop-

erative strategy: this vision creates

opportunities for synergies – a clear

sense held throughout the Hublot

company.

2015Close collaboration

once again in 2015:

the Ferrari 458 Speciale

and the Big Bang

Ferrari Ceramic have

coordinated designs.


PHILANTHROPY

BY MARIA-BETTINA EICH

HUMAN LIFE depends on water. But in many coun-

tries 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 im-

pure 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 limited-

edition Depeche Mode watches to be auctioned at special

events.

SPECIAL EDITIONS CREATED TO HELPOf particular note was the charity auction that took place

in Moscow on March 6, 2014 upon the conclusion of the

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.

INVOLVEMENTFOR A BETTER

WORLD

CLEAN WATER CANNOT

BE TAKEN FORGRANTED

WATER ISA VALUABLERESOURCE

COOL: THE BIGBANG DEPECHEMODE


PHILANTHROPY

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 De-

peche Mode Tourbillon by Hublot, created especially for

this event and submitted for auction along with a plat-

inum CD from the band. The skeletonized tonneau

watch with complications, made of black titanium, is a

unique and therefore extremely attractive prize for col-

lectors 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 con-

tribute to making a real difference in countries strug-

gling 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 con-

taining 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 perspec-

tive and dignity, and for providing the opportunity to

support oneself. This is true not just for the male half of

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 Foun-

dation, 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 EVENTSWomanity is engaged in a variety of different projects,

extending from promoting girls’ education to support-

ing 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 in-

vest in this project. Special editions were unveiled with

the aim of raising money to benefit the Womanity Foun-

dation: 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 in-

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

Exclusive lot in

Moscow: watch

with Depeche

Mode guitar

Hublot chairman

Jean-Claude Biver

and former Miss

France Mareva

Galanter with singer

Mokobé (far left) at

the Womanity Foun-

dation’s 5th Biennial

Gala, January 2014 in

Geneva

Ladies’ version of

the Classic Fusion

Womanity

Pelé and Ricardo

Guadalupe at the

opening of a soccer

pitch in a Rio favela

IN THE JACAREZINHOFAVELA: A NEW SOCCERPITCH PROVIDES A PLACEFOR HOPES AND DREAMS

Todd Morgan, Rosanna

Arquette and Yann

Borgstedt at the Womanity

Gala, 2012

Men’s version of

the Classic Fusion

Womanity

The graffiti designer Panmela

Castro at the Hublot closing

party in Rio, June 2014

terests into these events. The best example comes from

the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Hublot, who was the Offi-

cial Timekeeper of the FIFA World Cup, held a big party

in Rio on the evening before the Final that featured a spe-

cial 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 audi-

ence and with the sounds of Brazilian music in the back-

ground, she created art during the party – an event bene-

fiting the Womanity Foundation to raise funds for the or-

ganization 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 hu-

manitarian endeavors.

A DUTY TO SHAREAs part of its presence at the World Cup, Hublot also

worked closely with one of the greatest stars in interna-

tional 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 in-

volved in completing the long-lasting project.

Hublot’s CEO Ricardo Guadalupe defines the com-

pany’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.”

Mr. Guadalupe, the year 2014 was an important one forHublot, not least of all because of the company’s involve-ment in the World Cup in Brazil. What’s your take on2014? 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 min-

utes 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.

“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.

What effect did the World Cup have on the sales ofHublot 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 achronograph with special functions for soccer fans. Howdid it do? That limited edition of 300 pieces has been sold

out for quite some time. The presentation case was de-

signed 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 cal-

iber, 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.

QUESTIONS BY GISBERT L. BRUNNER AND RÜDIGER BUCHER


INTERVIEW WITH RICARDO GUADALUPE

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM



Let’s stay with soccer. You maintain partnerships withcurrent and former players, managers and clubs, Worldand European Championships too. All that’s missingnow is the Champions League. We were the first watch

brand to become involved in this sport to such a great ex-

tent. 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 time-

keeper 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. AsCEO, how will you be able to achieve similar successes inthe 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 Jean-

Claude 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 impor-

tant events. Our workshop, our in-house caliber Unico,

the manufacture complications and our extraordinary

case materials represent an important foundation for fu-

ture success. The integration of innovation, know-how

and creative people in an in-house manufacturing facil-

ity are all hugely important for our future success.

Do you intend to increase the number of in-house move-ments? Yes. The goal is to have 70 to 75 percent of the

watch movements we use come from our own manufac-ture. We will need full integration of our research and de-

velopment.

Do you also plan to have your own three-hand watch inthe 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 move-

ments per year. Once the new building is finished it will

be 20,000.

Ricardo Guadalupe

and Pelé present

referee substitu-

tion boards with

a new watch shape

for the 2014 FIFA

World Cup.

In the world of

soccer, Hublot

lends its support

to top teams such

as Paris Saint-

Germain.


Who supplies your escapement and oscillator compo-nents? 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 independ-

ence 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 manufactur-ers ever. Doesn’t that mean a huge challenge for the fu-ture? Absolutely. That’s why we always need creative peo-

ple who can let their imaginations run free. This philoso-

phy applies to every employee of this company. Our suc-

cess is based on innovation. Innovation can affect very

different areas: the movement, a complication, the mate-

rial or the aesthetics. I see even the idea of denim in a

watch as an innovation.

You have integrated the production of carbon-fibercases and created the scratch-resistant material MagicGold. Do you intend to increase this kind of vertical in-tegration, like producing more cases under your ownroof? It’s the only rational solution when using high-tech

materials like carbon fiber, Magic Gold or colored ce-

ramic. 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.

Magic Gold will be followed one day by Magic Alu-minium. 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 willthe new case be available? It is planned for the fall of

2015. It’s quite a complicated matter to create a new ma-

terial. It’s another story completely for watch case materi-

als, for water resistance, for example. We solved that

“WE WERE THE FIRST WATCH BRAND TO BECOME INVOLVED IN SOCCER.”


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 mil-limeters. Will you be offering smaller watches too in thefuture? Not in the next two years. In my opinion the 38-

and 41-millimeter watches are the right size for women

too.

How do you envision the development of the Big Bangafter 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 at-

tention 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 mod-

ern watch with a strong identity. So it will, with a skele-

tonized movement or a small complication perhaps,

have an enormously wonderful future.

Who is a Classic Fusion customer? While we will cer-

tainly 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 thin-

ner, 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 mod-

els pointed us in the right direction, so we’ll be introduc-

ing watches with traditional Swiss embroidery on the

dial produced by the world-renowned company Bischoff

“THE BIG BANG SHOCKED THEWATCH SCENE AND FOCUSEDA GREAT DEAL OF ATTENTIONON OUR BRAND.”

Stated goal:

within just a few

years, at least 70

percent of Hublot

watches will be

powered by in-

house movements.



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 quan-tities? 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 fora model that works for any occasion. Wouldn’t the Clas-sic 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 pre-

fer 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 mar-kets? Europe is our most important market with 40 per-

cent of our sales, but it is greatly influenced by the tourist

trade. In Paris, for example, 80 to 90 percent of our sales

are to tourists. Germany is shaped much more by local

factors.

Hublot has a price range between 4,000 euros and overone 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 tourbil-

lons, 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 manu-

facture exclusively for Hublot. So broadly speaking we

can talk about manufacture products.

You plan to move into the new building in the summer of2015. What will the new building hold? Everything asso-

ciated with the machine-based production of movement

and case parts. Plus, the continuously expanding cus-

tomer-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: Hublotor Ferrari? Both brands profit equally. It is a fortunate sit-

uation that also sees success in Formula 1 and Scuderia

Ferrari. Ferrari takes us very seriously. So far we have al-

ready hosted about 200 events together, both locally and

globally.

Hublot has

mastered the

production of

brightly colored

ceramic case and

carbon fiber

components. The

newest material to

join the ranks is

linen.

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM



But Hublot can’t create a special watch for each Ferrarievent, right? What are you thinking? We only make spe-

cial 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 ofcricket and poker. Why is that?Cricket is a religion, partic-

ularly 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 knowl-

edge 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 independ-

ent 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 spe-

cific 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 Bou-tiques. Are they better than traditional licensed jewel-ers? At the current time there are 77 Hublot Boutiques

worldwide and 21 of these we operate ourselves. Bou-

tiques 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 Dal-

las. 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 40,000mechanical watches each year. Each one will requiremaintenance or repair eventually. After-sales customer

Second mainstay

alongside the

Big Bang: the

Classic Fusion

collection

Boutiques form an

important compo-

nent of the brand’s

strategy (pictured

here: Place

Vendôme, Paris).


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 en-

vision 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 beserviced? 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 purchasedwatch 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 points-

of-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

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 anniver-sary of the Big Bang. Have you planned a multi/mega-karat anniversary model for this special occasion? We

considered it, but ended up throwing out every idea. In-

stead we’re holding a Big Bang tour where we’ll show de-

velopments 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.

“THE BIG BANG IS OUR ICON.BUT HUBLOT RESTS ON TWOPEDESTALS, THE SECOND ONEBEING THE CLASSIC FUSION.”

A PERFECT WEEK


SUNDAY

STARTING THE WEEK full of adrenaline at the Formula 1 GrandPrix with Hublot’s fastest partner,Ferrari. The team has added evenmore excitement since Ferrari signed Sebastian Vettel alongsideKimi Räikkönen. A love of innova-tive technologies, fine craftsman-ship and exclusivity link Hublotand Ferrari, who forged a partner-ship in 2011. But only one thing istop priority now: speed. Things arelooking good – quick pit stops andred’s ahead. The unmistakablesound of tires on the race track.And again and again, a quickglance at the watch. Today it’s gotto be the Hublot Big Bang FerrariTitanium, one of the newest Fer-rari watch models from Hublot. As technically sophisticated as therace cars, its bezel is made of a veryinnovative alloy. Black and skele-tonized to reveal the inner work-ings, with Ferrari-red accents. Final round: once again Vettelpasses the Hublot banner on therace track – for the win!

Formula 1 with Ferrari


The new Big

Bang Ferrari

Titanium

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With the Dallas Cowboys

A PERFECT WEEK

MONDAY

AMERICAN FOOTBALL in Arlington,Texas. An NFL match-up in the gigan-tic AT&T Stadium, home of the DallasCowboys. An enormous dome upabove that opens and closes. High-tech equipment that’s simply amazing.Stadium clocks from Hublot. I’mseated among the home team fans andemotions are high. On the field: con-stant action and total physical exer-tion. Everything around me is blueand white, five-pointed stars every-where: the colors and logo of theworld-famous team from Dallas. Themost exclusive accessory – the limitededition Hublot watch for the DallasCowboys with blue details, the Cowboys logo on the back and a five-pointed star at 5 o’clock (because theteam has won the Super Bowl fivetimes already). Down on the field theteam is doing everything to ensure another victory. Soon to be seen in anupcoming Super Bowl!

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Classic Fusion

Dallas Cowboys

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Skiing in Courchevel

TUESDAY

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 easyto leave the pressures of daily life on theother side of the mountains. Wheneveryou need to know the time, just take aglance at the six-foot-high Hublot clockat the base of the chair lift. Or, you mightjust pass by one of the 50 Hublot clocksthat are placed all around Courchevel.Hublot has been partnering withCourchevel’s French School of Skiing foryears. 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 build-ing that’s true to the local style – befittingthe location and also a clear sign that thepeople from Hublot, with all their inter-national flair, are Swiss.

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WEDNESDAY

A SUMMIT MEETING of sorts in theAllianz Arena. Bayern Munich is play-ing in the Champions League againstthe Chelsea Football Club led by thefamous manager José Mourinho. As a Hublot fan, we’re on the right side,regardless. For Bayern, Hublot hascreated the King Power Bayern Mu-nich – with striking red and Bavarianwhite-and-blue accents. If you’recheering for the Brits, you’ll probablybe wearing the watch Hublot designedfor their eccentric manager: the KingPower Special One. “The Special One”is Mourinho’s nickname, and thechronograph is special too with a bezelmade of blue carbon fiber. Blue is saidto be Mourinho’s favorite color andalso happens to be the color ofChelsea. A fantastic match on greengrass with two world-class teams whoalways give it their all. A super atmos-phere. Exciting until the last second!

A PERFECT WEEK

Top-Class Soccer Game

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King Power

Special One

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A DAY FOR INDULGENCE. First awine tasting with the exclusive Officedes 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 wine-producing area they call home.

Wine tasting in Canton de Vaud

THURSDAY

IN THE EVENING, a cigar tasting ses-sion with the Fuente family, which hasproduced cigars for over 100 years.Pretty cool: there’s also a Hublot watchto pair with the premium cigar “ArturoFuente ForbiddenX” with a dial made ofreal tobacco leaves. The Fuente familyplantations in the Dominican Republicharvest their tobacco for these exclusivecigars. A Dominican Puro to smoke; aDominican-Swiss collaboration to tellthe time.


A cigar with the Fuente family

Classic Fusion

Arturo Fuente

ForbiddenX

Style update with Lapo ElkannTIME NOW TO SHOP for sun-glasses with Lapo Elkann, brotherof Fiat president John Elkann. Lapois the co-founder and president ofthe sunglass brand Italia Independ-ent. Their trademark is sophisti-cated design, Italian style. An excit-ing and glamorous partnership hasbeen forged recently between ItaliaIndependent and Hublot, and thefirst product of this partnership: aspecial watch made with the high-tech material Alutex.

A PERFECT WEEK

FRIDAY


Piano concert with Lang LangFINALLY SEEING LANG LANGlive in concert! When the youngChinese pianist steps onto thestage, he looks like the star of anAsian boy band, but the moodchanges immediately once he sitsdown at the keyboard. First thequiet tones and melancholy ofChopin, followed by the passionand elegance of Rachmaninoff.Lang Lang’s own sparkling sophis-tication and extravagant, uncon-ventional presence may very wellbe what links him and Hublot. Lang Lang is a friend and supporterof the brand – a wonderful match.

Big Bang

Alutex Blue

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Miami Heat vs.Los Angeles Lakers

SATURDAY

FINISHING off this fantastic week withan unrivaled sports highlight: basket-ball. The Los Angeles Lakers goingagainst the Miami Heat with an amaz-ing line-up of NBA stars. Dazzling per-formances on the court. To be as tal-ented as these guys! Dream on ... still,many of them wear the same watches I do. Hublot enjoys a close relationshipwith professional basketball andthey’ve designed some terrific specialeditions for the NBA. One watch forthe Lakers team and one for their superstar Kobe Bryant, known as the“Black Mamba.” And that’s the name ofhis Hublot: King Power Black Mamba.Another special Hublot was dedicatedto Dwyane Wade who is playing on theopposing team, the Miami Heat. His isthe Classic Fusion Dwyane Wade. Theman is not only a basketball champion,he’s a fashion icon as well. But rightnow his mind’s on other things – it’s abattlefield out there.

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Dwyane Wade


Kobe Bryant

Classic Fusion

Dwyane Wade

King Power

Black Mamba

MATERIALSMATERIALS

NOTHING IS BYG

ISB

ERT

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IMPOSSIBLE


MATERIALS

AT THE BEGINNING OF 2004, there were few

people in the watch industry who would have bet on a suc-

cessful 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 ar-

rived 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 tradi-

tion with new visions. Our entire epoch is ripe and ready for

Fusion – in other fields too, like architecture, music and gas-

tronomy. 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 illus-

trating the art of Fusion. These include the bezel, gasket,

front and back cover plates, the case body, separate flanks on

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.

A SPORTY LOOK: RUBBER STRAPS –

LIKE ON THIS BIG BANG UNICO – ARE

AN ESSENTIAL DESIGN FEATURE

AT HUBLOT.

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 GOLDJean-Claude Biver was not content with scratches on most

watch materials. In 2008, he approached Andreas Morten-

sen, 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 aca-

demics and turn to the watch industry – that is, to Hublot.

The first truly revolutionary result proved to be the spec-

tacular fusion of ceramic and 24-karat gold. The watch in-

dustry has used high-performance ceramic for scratch-

resistant 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, ALMOSTALL 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 18-

karat gold many times over. Diamonds are virtually the only

substance that can scratch this precious metal.

CERAMICThe 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 be-

come almost common, but it’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 consis-

tency, Hublot had to make extensive financial investments

to develop sufficient expertise in processing technologies.

There are different parameters to meet in producing ce-

ramic, 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 intro-

duced in 2013 with a Ferrari-red ceramic bezel.

CARBONFiber-reinforced synthetics are an essential part of innova-

tive lightweight construction. Modern aircraft, race cars,

and eco-friendly automobiles now demand the use of light-

weight, 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 BIGBANG FERRARI

RARELY SHOWSSCRATCHES.

THE BIG BANG FERRARI HONG KONG

WAS ONE OF THE FIRSTLIMITED EDITIONS WITH

BRIGHT RED CERAMIC COMPONENTS.

LIGHTWEIGHT:CARBON FIBERMAKES WEARINGTHIS BIG BANG UNICO HARDLY NOTICEABLE.

CARBON FIBERBECOMES BRIGHTBLUE OR GRAY BY PUTTING AGLASS-FIBERLAYER ON IT:THAT’S WHATHUBLOT CALLSALUTEX.

MATERIALS


founder Jean-Pierre Kohler and his colleagues have mas-

tered the production of components made of carbon-fiber

sheets measuring around two millimeters in thickness.

ALUTEXOne real shortcoming of carbon as a material lies in its limi-

tation to the color black or, at most, dark blue. This has led in

recent times to the development of the material Alutex. Car-

bon 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 brand-

new limited edition (100-piece) Big Bang Unico Alutex

Blue, more than a hundred carefully documented experi-

ments were required. This was the only way the – naturally

top secret – process for serial production could be repro-

duced 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 leader-

ship role in the area of innovative case materials.

LINENThe 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 artis-

t ic 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 light-

weight and sturdy.

NATURE AND SYNTHETICSTOGETHER IN HARMONY:

THE NEWEST HUBLOT CASES ARE MADE OF LINEN

RESIN COMPOSITE.


The positive characteristics of this material are widely

known. Automobile parts made from natural fiber-

reinforced 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 re-

ward 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 won-

der 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.

OSMIUMThe 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 Firma-

ment has a dial of pure, costly crystal osmium. Osmium is

the rarest metal on Earth. Only about 30 grams can be ob-

tained from around 10,000 tons of rocks. Geologists have

estimated the world’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 ex-

tremely 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. Re-

searchers in Switzerland developed the high-tech crystal-

lization 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.

EXTREMELYRARE PRECIOUSMETAL: THEDIAL OF THECLASSIC FUSIONTOURBILLONFIRMAMENT ISMADE OF CRYSTALLIZEDOSMIUM.


LADIES’ WATCHES

LuxuryWIT H AN EDGE

BAR REFAELI’SFIRST OFFICIAL

PHOTO SHOOT FORHUBLOT


LADIES’ WATCHES

EVEN SUPERMODELSneed 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 ambas-

sador of the brand on February 12, 2015. This world-

famous 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 well-

known.

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 per-

fectly 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 collab-

oration 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

Jeans and gemstones,

graffiti style and

traditional watch-

making. Hublot

ladies’ watches are

known for mixing it

up in unorthodox

COMBINATIONS.

Newest additions: a

world premiere watch

with delicate embroi-

dery and a world-

famous ambassador

for the brand.BY MARIA-BETTINA EICH

WORLDPREMIERE:

BIG BANGBRODERIE,

HIGH-LIGHTING

SWISSHANDI-

CRAFTS

LADIES’ WATCHES


durable? Hublot found a partner within Swiss borders to

bring this project to life. St. Gallen embroidery is world-

renowned as a traditional Swiss handicraft – so Hublot nat-

urally 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 vis-

ible 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 em-

broidery and hard carbon fiber is a remarkable expres-

sion of the company’s vision. The combination of tradi-

tional watchmaking (a mechanical automatic watch

movement) with cutting-edge fashion is something one

has almost come to expect from Hublot.

VIBRANT:BIG BANGPOP ART

Street style and jeweled art: the newPop Art version

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, confi-

dent. 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 TRENDSThe Broderie and Jeans watches are not the sole repre-

sentatives 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 strik-

ing watch shape: This aesthetic has made Hublot a trend-

setter – reinterpreting the definition of luxury in the

ladies’ watch scene.

EVEN COOLER:BIG BANGJEANS,NOW WITHSTYLISHLYFRAYED INSETS

Killer design:Big Bang SnowLeopard

Wild life: Big Bang in zebra print


INSIDE HUBLOT


An imposing

modern black building

stands in Nyon,

Switzerland – it’s the

HUBLOT

MANUFACTURE for

milling parts, machining

screws, assembling

movements, manufac-

turing cases, developing

complications and

creating watches of the

future and even their

unique materials.

BY JENS KOCHPHOTOS BY FRED MERZ

THE MANUFACTURE

Challenging: in the complicationsworkshop, a single watchmaker isresponsible for assembling a move-ment from A to Z. Here is where minute repeaters, tourbillons andastronomical displays are created,each made up of hundreds of parts.


INSIDE HUBLOT

HAND GAME: WHEN SETTING THE HANDS CAREFUL NOTE MUST BETAKEN OF THE PRECISEMOMENT THE DATE ADVANCES. HANDLING THE SENSITIVE, LIGHT-WEIGHT COMPONENTS REQUIRES IMMENSE DEXTERITY TO AVOIDSCRATCHES.

INSIDE HUBLOT


ALCHEMIST’S LABORATORY: HUBLOT DEVELOPED MAGIC GOLD,THE WORLD’S MOST SCRATCH-RESISTANT 18-KARAT GOLD ALLOY.ONLY DIAMONDS CAN AFFECT ITSSURFACE. PRODUCING THE CASECOMPONENTS REQUIRES SEVERALHEAT TREATMENT UNITS TO MELTAND SINTER THIS COMBINATION OF CERAMIC AND GOLD.


PRECISION WORK: AT HUBLOT, A HIGH-TECH MACHINE SETS THE JEWEL BEARINGS IN THEMAINPLATE, AUTONOMOUSLY SELECTING AND PRESSING THE CORRECT JEWELS INTO THE VARIOUS POSITIONS.

INSIDE HUBLOT


INSIDE HUBLOT


HAPPY LANDING: IN THE LABORATORY, HUBLOTWATCHES MUST SUSTAINAN IMPACT BY A HAMMERAND ACCELERATION OF5,000 GS. A CATCH BASKETAND THE SYNTHETIC STRIKING SURFACE OF THE HAMMER PREVENT EXTERNAL DAMAGE.


BY ALEXANDER KRUPP


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.

TEX

T:G

ISB

ERT

BR

UN

NER

HIGH-TECHUNDERWATER

IN OCTOBER of last year a research

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 be-

tween the Peloponnese peninsula and

Crete). Assumed to have been built in

the second century B.C.E., the shoebox-

size bronze geared mechanism once

powered a number of different astro-

nomical 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 An-

tikythera mechanism as a model and,

within four years, miniaturized it to

wristwatch size. But, in contrast to the

original device, the Antikythera pre-

sented 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 com-

plications, 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 RETURNHublot played a crucial role in the

“Return to Antikythera” expedition by

providing the research team – commis-

sioned by the Greek Ministry of Culture

and Sports and led by the maritime ar-

Heavy-duty inevery way: the so-calledExosuit weighs240 kilogramsand cost $1.3 million.

DIVING EXPEDITION

chaeologist Brendan Foley – with finan-

cial support. This included a recently de-

veloped dry diving suit plus additional

equipment valued at $1.3 million.

Thanks to its special aluminum alloy and

18 rotating joints, the 240 kg atmos-

pheric “Exosuit” is flexible and ex-

tremely 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 pro-

fessional 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

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 addi-

tional 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 expe-

dition. So the aim of the mission has

already been achieved – a successful

collaborative endeavor in which the

Antikythera team, the Greek govern-

ment and Hublot play a part.

Professional diver: the Exo4000 with inner dive-timebezel is water-proof to 4000meters.

Antikytherathen and now:the remains ofthis ancientmechanism inspired Hublotto create twowristwatches so far.

Phot

o: F

otol

ia.c

om/S

erge

y Pe

term

an

SPECIAL HUBLOT WatchTime | 91

Hublot is regularly developing new

watch movements and thereby expanding

its KNOW-HOW in complications and

base calibers.BY ALEXANDER KRUPP

EXPERTISECENTRAL

IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS



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 manufactureonly 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 ex-

clusive movements has grown steadily, as well as the

company’s horological expertise and the complexity of

its own calibers. Tourbillons, minute-repeater mecha-

nisms 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.

HUB 12 40 “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. Al-

though 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 chrono-

graph 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 re-

placed 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.

COMPLICATIONS:chronograph with column-wheel and flybackfunction, 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 FUNCTIONALJEWELS: 38

IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS

SKELETON TOUR BI L L ON 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 watch-

makers 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 eye-

catching. Every minute, the delicate cage – designed to

compensate for negative gravitational effects – com-

pletes 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


HEIGHT: 4 mm

POWER RESERVE:115 hours (Single barrel)

CAGE DIAMETER:12.9 mm




WWW.WATCHTIME.COM94 | WatchTime HUBLOT SPECIAL

CATH E DR AL MI NUTE R E PEATER TOURB ILLON 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 cathe-

dral gongs in its in-house caliber HUB 8001, which are about one-and-one-

half 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 tour-

billon – 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.

COMPLICATIONS:minute repeater, minute tourbillon


HEIGHT: 6.35 mm


CAGE DIAMETER: 12.9 mm




IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS


KEY OF TIME HUB 9002

“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 move-

ment, this model has a small, sophisticated transmission

that can slow the passage of time whenever life is espe-

cially precious – at the very least, it makes the appearance

of running at one-fourth the normal tempo. And when-

ever 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.

COMPLICATIONS:minute tourbillon, variable display speed

DIMENSIONS:ca. 40.2 x 40.1 mm

HEIGHT: 9.5 mm







ANTIKYTHE RA S UNMOON 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 hand-

wind 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 cur-

rently behind the Sun and how long it will take the Sun to

pass over a constellation. Also, a date “sun hand” 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 ob-

server 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

COMPLICATIONS:minute tourbillon, seven

astronomical displays

DIMENSIONS:35.2 x 37 mm

HEIGHT: 12.43 mm






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 qual-

ity control of this 295-component movement remain in

the hands of a single watchmaker.

IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS

WWW.WATCHTIME.COM

L AFE R R AR IThe 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 astound-

ing 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 consecu-

tively, but release their energy in unison.

Just as impressive are the indications for seconds,

minutes, and the remaining power reserve. A horizon-

tally mounted minute tourbillon with a 14.5-mm alu-

minum 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.

COMPLICATIONS:minute tourbillon,

power-reserve display

DIMENSIONS:45.8 x 39.5 mm

HEIGHT: 15.3 mm

POWER RESERVE:50 days (11 barrels)





IN-HOUSE MOVEMENTS


Ebner Publishing International, Inc.274 Madison Avenue, Suite 804

New York, NY 10016

Tel 646-742-0740

Fax 646-742-0749

Email: [email protected]

www.watchtime.com

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 Treandfrom Hublot

© Ebner Publishing International, Inc.All Rights Reserved. March 2015. Printed in Germany.

Editorial Director and Project Editor: Rüdiger Bucher

Contributors: Gisbert L. Brunner, Rüdiger Bucher,

Jens Koch, Alexander Krupp, Maria-Bettina Eich

Assistant to the Project Editor: Bettina Rost

Translations: Joanne Weinzierl

Graphic Design: trurnit Publishers GmbH, Munich

Production: Dr. Cantz’sche Druckerei Medien GmbH,

Ostfildern-Kemnat

AMER ICA’S #1 WATCH MAGAZ INE HUBLOT SPECIAL

TOURB I L L ON TONNE AUHUB 9006

Power and stamina – that’s the tonneau hand-wind caliber

HUB 9006 with a power reserve of 115 hours. The art-

fully skeletonized mechanism is available in different

versions, depending on the equipment of the watch. The

Hublot technicians positioned the large barrel at the 12-

o’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.

COMPLICATIONS:minute tourbillon

DIMENSIONS:33.5 x 35.3 mm

HEIGHT: 4 mm

HEIGHT WITH TOURBILLONBRIDGE: 5.7 mm






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.

Hublot_ChronHbt_BBUnicoAB_210x280.indd 2 05.02.15 13:46


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.

Hublot_ChronHbt_BrodGold_210x280.indd 2 05.02.15 13:54

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