Feature: What Do You Think Of Hublot?
Hublot chose a turbulent time to enter the watch industry. Founded in 1980 when the quartz crisis was still raging and Swiss watchmakers were melting away like a slice of grilled Emmenthal, it could easily have faded into obscurity as quickly as it appeared.
Instead it has become one of the most talked about and visible luxury watch brands around, worn by some of the biggest sports stars on the planet while getting flak from some of the more conservative corners of the watch community—not that the people who run Hublot give a rat’s fundament what people think. Even its former CEO, the whirlwind of charisma that is Jean-Claude Biver, has unabashedly defined the brand as “disruptive, inaccessible luxury.”
In a world that is often reluctant to embrace change, Hublot has bestowed it with a glut of fresh design concepts and a healthy dose of rebellion.
You don’t have to like it, but read on to find out why else Hublot deserves your admiration not condemnation.
It Loves A Good Scrap
Launched in an era when Swiss watchmaking was reeling from the economic equivalent of an earthquake and tsunami rolled into one, Hublot has had to parry a number of blows that would have knocked some brands clean out.
Its founder Carlo Crocco, looking to give Hublot watches a USP, fitted his first model with a natural rubber strap that took three years of research to create, only for its Basel debut to be poorly received. It immediately bounced back, doing well commercially.
Hublot pioneered the use of rubber straps with high-end watches
A virtually unknown brand throughout the 80s and 90s, it eventually found its direction in 2004 when industry legend Jean-Claude Biver came onboard.
It then had to deal with the uncertainty of moving into its Nyon headquarters just a year after the global financial crisis of 2008, which had huge repercussions for the watch industry.
It navigated all the above with aplomb before really upping the ante in the last decade, both in its endless technical innovations and highly effective marketing strategy¬—a potent combination. The last decade has been such a successful one for Hublot that, in a two-fingered salute to the haters, it added a second, bigger factory in 2014.
The Biver Effect
Where would Hublot be without Jean-Claude Biver. One of the biggest and most influential names in the industry, Biver has worked for Omega, Blancpain, TAG Heuer and Audemars Piguet over a decades-long career and joined Hublot as CEO. Following a fivefold increase in sales in the three years after he joined, the company was bought by LVMH, which also owns TAG Heuer and Zenith.
Jean-Claude Biver (right) with Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe
Biver, now retired, helped formulate Hublot’s modus operandi, which includes launching endless limited editions. As such, while Hublot watches are not that rare, with around 50,000 watches coming off its production line each year (comparable to Patek Philippe which makes around 60,000), it is unusual to see the exact same watch twice.
Its flagship model has undoubtedly been the Big Bang, characterised by skeletonised dials, a 45mm case and a porthole-style bezel screwed down with six titanium screws. But it has dared to go even larger, with the King Power models maxing out at a hulking 48mm. The mantra “Go big or go home” was almost invented for Hublot.
Innovation
Biver also helped devise Hublot’s "fusion" concept of pairing materials that were previously considered incompatible, or at the very least an aesthetic paradox.
These materials included gold and ceramic—a scratch-proof alloy it named ‘Magic Gold’—denim and diamonds, as well as carbon fibre and the little-known osmium, one of the world’s rarest metals. Tantalum, which it has also used for several models, is so highly corrosion-resistant and bioinert that it is used for orthopaedic implants.
Frankly, being a follower of Hublot is in itself an education in metallurgy. Add that to its growing list of plus points!
The colour carbon-cased Hublot MP-09 model with Tourbillon Bi-Axis
In-house movements, tourbillons and even minute repeaters have also given Hublot added horological kudos, as have affiliations with various global sporting events as an official timekeeper, most notably the FIFA World Cup.
Bad Boy Ambassadors
Hublot never set out to entice older watch aficionados who were loyal to more established brands. It found a fresh audience which hitherto might not have had any interest in wearing a luxury watch.
Much of its client base has been won over through its heavy association with football. Before Hublot, watch brands gave the sport a wide berth. Football, so the reasoning went, was too popular, too working class.
Golf, tennis, horse-racing and motor sports had long had the watch industry’s seal of approval. Football players, however, were condemned to endorsing take-away pizza, razors and hair gel.
Argentinian footballing legend Diego Maradona was a Hublot ambassador
Biver saw the huge amounts of disposable income elite footballers had, as well as their interest in the latest style accessories, and their influence on their fan base. He promptly signed up legends like Pele and Maradona and sponsored a raft of top European clubs.
It was a smart move; being synonymous with flashy footballers has done Hublot no harm, and perhaps even acted as a gateway brand to other watchmakers. Maybe the likes of Ronaldo and Mbappe and will move on to Patek Philippe minute repeaters and vintage Rolex watches when their playing days are over.
It’s Influential
Hublot’s influence can be seen in everything from nouveau high-end watchmakers like Richard Mille to more affordable brands like Linde Werdelin and Dietrich.
And the fact that Tudor has signed up David Beckham as a brand ambassador is perhaps a sign that the industry old guard is softening to the idea of footballers promoting their watches.
Ultimately, Hublot has become a big-hitter in the industry despite its relatively short history, so the next time you prepare to lay the boot in, consider giving it a firm pat on the back instead.
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