Hublot or the “Art of fusion”

Hublot was founded in Switzerland in 1980. Since then, the original design of its watches (the first watch case was directly inspired by the porthole, or hublot, of a boat) and their comfort meant that they quickly became highly desirable timepieces.

At the time, Hublot was the first luxury watch brand to combine gold and natural rubber. By pioneering the combination of natural materials which were never previously found together, Hublot became a modern day alchemist marrying the past and the future, tradition and innovation. This creative concept, known as the "Art of Fusion", sparked a genuine revolution in the watch industry. A distinctive symbol of its personality, the "Art of Fusion" now guides all of its actions, innovations, developments and partnerships. Embodying this subtle connection between a past ingrained with secular traditions, and a future nourished by visionary ideas, always avant-garde, always researching new resources, it blends styles and materials with ease.

In 2004, Jean-Claude Biver – one of leading figures to have positively disrupted the Swiss watchmaking industry – took over control of the brand and gave it tremendous momentum, leading to impressive growth. Less than a year later, in 2005, the brand successfully launched the Big Bang Gold Ceramic, the first model in the Big Bang collection. This stylish, contemporary chronograph received many awards around the world that saw Hublot set numerous records and secured its success. New to watchmaking, its instantly recognisable lines featuring sharp angles, six screws arranged around the case, and bezel lugs on each side, perfectly illustrate the concept of fusion. Ten years later, as Hublot celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Big Bang, it became the brand's signature timepiece and a veritable watchmaking icon.

Since then, Hublot has launched six collections – Big Bang, Classic Fusion, Spirit of Big Bang, Manufacture Piece, Techframe and King Power – housing movements ranging from the most pared-back to the most complicated (chronograph, tourbillon, cathedral minute repeater, GMT, etc.). These collections have enabled Hublot to continue writing the story of fusion by combining materials such as King Gold (an exclusive Hublot gold containing 5% platinum), Hublonium (a brand new alloy of aluminium and magnesium), sapphire, gold crystal, coloured ceramic, carbon fibre, tungsten, titanium, gold, platinum, rubber, precious stones, linen, embroidery, leather and texalium, among others.

With a constant desire to conduct cutting-edge research into the latest high-tech materials and safeguard its advanced expertise, in 2012 Hublot built its own foundry to exploit the full potential of its ongoing R&D operations. The foundry included a team dedicated to fusion – the Metallurgy and Materials Department. This enabled the brand to commence in-house production of Magic Gold, a scratch-resistant 18-carat gold developed in association with EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) at the end of 2011 – a Hublot world exclusive. That same year, the company also bought the Swiss firm Profusion, which specialises in the manufacture of carbon fibre components. In addition, an in-house electroplating department continually tests new metal treatments. Through its constant quest for innovation, Hublot is able to push back the limits of possibility. In 2016, paying tribute to its All Black concept, Hublot chose Baselworld to unveil a very special watch: the Big Bang Unico Sapphire All Black, with a case made entirely from smoked sapphire crystal. This marked a key step in the Story of Hublot, whose equipment now enabled it to machine sapphire crystal in-house.

Having seen an almost tenfold increase in its turnover in just four years, on the 24th April 2008, the brand was acquired by the LVMH Group, the world leader in luxury products, to complete its watchmaking centre. In 2009, Bernard Arnault and Jean-Claude Biver opened a new 6000 m2 high-tech manufacture on the shores of Lake Geneva. It marked an important step for the brand's autonomy, in terms of its creativity and research into innovation "to continue taking the watchmaking world by surprise". The site is dedicated to grand complications and the production of the UNICO movement, a chronograph with integrated column wheel on the dial side, which is entirely designed, developed and manufactured at Hublot. However, the brand's rapid growth meant that the manufacture was no longer big enough. In 2015, Hublot opened a second building in a ceremony attended by the brand's Ambassadors: Bar Refaeli, Lapo Elkann and Pelé. A walkway similar to those found on Formula 1TM Grand Prix circuits around the world provides direct access between the two buildings. The addition was highly symbolic for the brand, illustrating its expansion and success. The new buildings covered 8000 m2, bringing the total area to 14,000 m2, with over 100 new jobs created. The new unit, located right next to the original building, is largely dedicated to the production of components for Manufacture movements and the production of watch cases.

The manufacture strives daily to promote sustainable development in the interests of environmental protection – one of Hublot's fundamental values. It has two recharging stations for optimal charging of cars and scooters, and photovoltaic solar panels that produce renewable electric energy. The manufacture is also home to eleven beehives that help encourage regional pollination. The landscape, which is both agricultural and rural, provides the bees with numerous foraging sources. Each year, Hublot harvests the spring honey crop from late April to early May, and the summer crop at the end of July. The honey is then packaged in magnificent light wood boxes, along with a honey dipper, and presented to customers, friends of the brand and journalists as part of Hublot's end-of-year celebrations. Hublot also offers its employees and Hublotins (children who attend the crèche located within the manufacture) the chance to sign up for discovery workshops to learn more about the bees and visit the hives and honey harvesting. The aim is to teach staff and children about the major environmental issues facing us.

The constancy and consistency of Hublot's development is as remarkable as the brand's need to keep turning received ideas on their heads, as illustrated by its marketing strategy: "Go where potential customers can be found". This approach made Jean-Claude Biver the first to make a luxury brand part of the world of football. In 2006, Hublot was appointed Official Licensed Partner of the Swiss Football Team. Two years later, Hublot also became the Official Timekeeper for UEFA EURO 2008TM. It was just the start of a flourishing partnership. In 2010, Hublot was chosen as the first Official Watch and Official Timekeeper in the history of FIFA, and for subsequent World Cup finals including Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018. In 2015, the brand was appointed Official Watch of the UEFA Champions LeagueTM for the following three years, as well as the Official Watch of the UEFA Europa LeagueTM. For the occasion, Hublot created a unique board, with a design directly inspired by a Hublot watch and the latest developments to the UEFA Champions LeagueTM brand, allowing the fourth official to display the time added at the end of the match, extra time and substitutions.

In 2016, Hublot celebrated the UEFA EURO 2016TM championships by organising a Match of Friendship on the eve of the competition attended by brand ambassadors Pelé and Maradona. The brand also invited 800 people to experience UEFA EURO 2016TM in France via packages in different French cities. During the Paris matches, guests were given the opportunity to visit Dom Pérignon or view the latest exhibition held by the Louis Vuitton Foundation, while afternoon boat trips to the Calanques (coves), were on offer during the Marseille matches. To mark the occasion, Hublot unveiled the Official Watch of UEFA EURO 2016TM. The Unico manufacture calibre was equipped with a patented self-winding bi-retrograde module, allowing the duration of a football match to be measured. That same year, Hublot became a sponsor of the fans' favourite award, the Hublot Golden Foot. This highly prestigious international award represents a double distinction, since it reflects the opinion of the public and fans, and because it can only be won once.

In 2017, Hublot was appointed Official Timekeeper of the FIFA Confederations CupTM. The brand paid tribute to the eight footballing nations by creating a unique series of interchangeable bracelets in the colours of the competing countries for its iconic Big Bang Unico Chronograph Retrograde model. Thanks to its visionary and passionate character, Hublot has been a pioneer for over a decade, confirming its commitment to football year after year. The "Hublot Loves Football" universe grows. Whether official ambassadors or friends of the brand, from Pelé to Mourinho, Shaqiri to David Trézéguet, or from clubs - Ajax, Benfica, Chelsea, Juventus - many people share a passion for football and fine watchmaking.

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Hublot is also heavily invested in the world of motoring. In 2010, the brand was chosen as the Official Watch of Formula 1TM. The following year, it signed a partnership with Ferrari that sealed the fate of the two brands. An exclusive partner involved in all of Ferrari's activities, Hublot is not only the Official Timekeeper for Ferrari and the Ferrari Challenge, and Official Watch of the Scuderia Ferrari, but also a partner to Ferrari's special events. This rich, synergistic partnership between two of the big names in watchmaking and motor sport resulted in no fewer than 25 revolutionary timepieces. True to its philosophy: "Be the first, be unique, be different", Hublot teamed up with Ferrari to produce sporty, stylish limited editions, pieces which inspire passion with myriad details making reference to the world of the Prancing Horse: firstly, the materials, with the use from 2013 of carbon, the ultra-lightweight material ubiquitous in motor racing, mixed with titanium in 2016 and used to decorate the bezel on the Big Bang Ferrari; secondly, the design, with the creation of a seconds counter inspired by racing car dials; the design of the oscillating weight reminiscent of the wheels on supercars; and the ingenious "One Click" system that allows the watch's strap to be changed with a single click, attaching and detaching like a seat belt; and finally, its movement, with the heart of the MP-05 LaFerrari beating to the rhythm of the engine in the eponymous supercar that was its inspiration. In 2017, to mark Ferrari's 70-year anniversary, Hublot designed the Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph, employing an identical approach to that used by the Ferrari Centro Stile to create a car. The aim of this new line in the Hublot collections was to produce a watch with a visceral bond to the Ferrari DNA, combining strength, performance, beauty and lightness, created and developed by the Hublot Manufacture.

The brand also has a strong link to the golfing world thanks to its involvement in the organisation of the Hublot Golf Cup, as well as its prestigious partnerships with Dustin Johnson, who has amassed no fewer than seventeen professional victories including the 2016 US Open, 2016 Olympic Champion Justin Rose, Patrick Reed, who won the 2018 Masters, Alex Noren, and Alex Levy. The manufacture launched the Big Bang Unico Golf with Dustin Johnson. Featuring a new movement entirely dedicated to golf, this watch allows golfers to easily calculate their score as they play. Its case is cut from TexaliumTM, an innovative material exclusive to the brand that fuses glass fibre with aluminium. The composite which retains the main benefit of carbon fibre – its lightness – results in a timepiece weighing just 100 grams.

Over the years, Hublot's relationship with sport has continued to diversify. Hublot has become the first luxury brand to forge links with the ICC (International Cricket Council) as Official Timekeeper for all events until 2020. Its interest in cricket has also been confirmed with the appointment of Michael Clarke as an ambassador. Hublot has a continuing presence in the world of sailing, with the Marina di Porto Cervo, as Official Timekeeper of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, and in polo, organising the annual Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad, one of Europe's most popular tournaments. Hublot is also involved skiing, through major competitions and friends of the brand, Dario Cologna, Maria Höfl-Riesch and Norwegian skier Kjetil Jansrud; tennis, with Borna Coric; athletics, with Usain Bolt and Dafne Schippers; baseball, with Masahiro Tanaka; American football, with the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants; and boxing, through its partnership with GGG, Kovalev, and Floyd Mayweather, 12 times world champion and still undefeated.

In 2015, Hublot joined forces with Lapo Elkann and Italia Independent to design a true fashion icon: the Big Bang Italia Independent. The following year saw Hublot partnering with the famous Parisian shoemaker, Berluti. For the first time, the brand would collaborate with another company in the luxury LVMH Group to create a highly synergistic partnership. Together, Hublot and Berluti combined their expertise and shared their techniques in a bold and fascinating way. A joint venture to produce a watchmaking masterpiece; the limited edition Classic Fusion Berluti, where every piece was unique. The watch was dressed from the dial to the strap in Berluti's iconic Venezia leather. Hublot achieved the feat of adorning its dials with this noble, living material. A complex, delicate process, this required the natural constituents of the leather to be neutralised. Two years later, Hublot unveiled a second watch, the Classic Fusion Tourbillon Berluti, available in Scritto King Gold or All Black versions.

True to its philosophy, Hublot has fostered privileged relationships on the theme of fusion with the world of gastronomy through its ambassadors, Andreas Caminada and Yannick Alléno. And finally, through its "Hublot Loves Art" campaign, the brand has reasserted its love for music, through partnerships with Depeche Mode and Lang Lang; for painting, with Romero Britto, Mr Brainwash, Hush, Tristan Eaton, Flore and Yue Min Jun; street art, with Shepard Fairey; photography, with Chen Man; sculpture, through its exciting collaboration with celebrated French artist Richard Orlinski, which resulted in the iconic Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski; and tattoo art, via an equally fruitful collaboration with Maxime Büchi… All true living legends in their fields. In 2015, to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the Big Bang, Hublot decided to give budding talented designers the chance to raise their profile. The Hublot Design Prize was created to enable young designers to assert themselves through their creations and to gain public recognition; as such, the prize is awarded to the designer who distinguishes themselves through their boldness and creativity - just like the Big Bang!

In addition to this, Hublot collaborates closely with numerous charity organisations including Best Buddies, Only Watch, Black Jaguar White Tiger, Womanity, the Prince’s Trust and, in partnership with Depeche Mode, charity: water, an organisation that supplies clean drinking water to developing countries. The various campaigns have funded 239 charity: water projects in Nepal and Ethiopia, giving over 30,000 people access to clean drinking water. Hublot works hand in hand with some of its ambassadors on its charity projects, because "the connection is all about sharing. If you don't share, you miss out. Hublot has been fortunate and has a duty to share some of its success".

Hublot is also the first luxury brand to have a launched a web television channel (Hublot TV) and to continuously explore new interactive and revolutionary display cases. On a commercial level, the network of approved retailers has rocketed since 2007-2008 and now boasts some 87 exclusive boutiques at some of the world's most prestigious addresses (Geneva, Paris Place Vendôme, New York 5th Avenue, Miami, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Cannes, Saint Tropez, Berlin, Moscow, Warsaw, Prague, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Ginza, Kyoto, Vancouver, among others) which feature interiors redesigned in collaboration with New York's celebrity architect, Peter Marino.

Today, Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO, runs the company with Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman of Hublot and President of the LVMH Group Watch Division.

Awards:

2005:

Design Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), for the Big Bang.

2007:

Jean-Claude Biver named "Best watchmaking Manager" and "Best watchmaking Communicator" in a survey of journalists conducted by Business Montres. He is also invited to the FT Luxury Summit in Las Vegas.

Jean-Claude Biver placed 5th in the "Entrepreneur of the Year" rankings organised by Handelszeitung, a Swiss weekly publication created by 100 economic journalists who voted him one of the top 10 Swiss entrepreneurs.

2008:

Jean-Claude Biver is named "CEO of the Year" at the Premier watches, jewellery and pens awards in Bahrain.

Swiss magazine PME Magazine names Jean-Claude Biver "Leader of the Year".

2009:

Jean-Claude Biver is named "Man of the Year" by Italian magazine Orologi da Polso, French magazine La Revue des Montres and Business Montres and Swiss magazine GMT.

Jean-Claude Biver attends several international conferences including the World Economic Forum in Milan (speaking after President Clinton), the Nikkei IMD Economic Forum in Tokyo and the HSM Conferences in Madrid and Lisbon.

2010:

Jean-Claude Biver is nominated in the Swiss Awards and recognised in London for his achievements with Hublot at the famous Walpole Awards for Excellence.

Jean-Claude Biver has the privilege of attending the HSM Conference in Egypt.

Jean-Claude Biver receives the Gaïa Award in the Entrepreneurship category and the Special Jury Prize at the Luxury Creation Talents in Paris.

2011:

Jean-Claude Biver receives a Caesar Award in Bucharest for "his entire career, his qualities as a visionary businessman and his marketing genius".

2012:

The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (Fine Watchmaking Foundation [FHH]) presents Jean-Claude Biver with the "Hommage à la Passion" award in Lausanne, at a ceremony attended by the entire Swiss watchmaking industry.

2013:

Hublot wins the "Best Holidays Lady’s watch 2013" award for the Big Bang Caviar and the "Best Sports Watch 2013" award for the Big Bang Ferrari at the second edition of the Temporis Gala Awards in the Middle East.

2014:

The Classic Fusion Tourbillon Cathedral Minute Repeater receives the "Chiming Watch" award at the renowned and prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

The Big Bang Bi-Retrograde Chrono Official FIFA is voted "Caesar Best Watch of the Year 2015".

Hublot is voted "Brand of the Year" by the famous Revolution Magazine.

2015:

The Big Bang Broderie is awarded the "Ladies' Watch" prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

2016:

The Big Bang Unico Italia Independent wins the "Best Holidays Man’s Watch 2016" award at the 5th edition of the Temporis Gala Awards in Bucharest, Romania.

2017:

The Techframe Ferrari 70 years Tourbillon Chronograph wins in the "Sports Watch" category at Salon Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) in Mexico.

The Big Bang Meca-10 Magic Gold wins first prize in the "Best of the Best" category at the Red Dot Awards.

2018:

The Techframe Ferrari receives the iF Design award 2018.

The Big Bang Unico Red Magic wins the "Best Holidays Man’s Watch" award and the Big Bang MP-11 wins the "Best Power Reserve Watch" at the 7th edition of the Temporis Gala Awards in Bucharest, Romani