Hublot entering a new sporting field: Cricket!
To mark the occasion, a watch dedicated to cricket devotees was presented.
It is now official, Hublot is entering the world of cricket. It is one of the world’s most popular sports in terms of aficionados and fan base. It is the most popular game in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and the United Arab Emirates, and second most popular after football and other sports in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. It is also enjoying increasing popularity in Canada, Africa and the Netherlands.
The first publicity event was held today in New Delhi (India), in the presence of Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot and David Richardson, Chief Executive of the ICC, who held a press conference before a throng of Indian journalists in the Leela Ambience Hotel to announce Hublot’s appointment as Official Timekeeper in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. To mark the occasion, Hublot’s Champion Ambassador Harbhajan Singh very kindly, and in good humour,
took part in the “Bowl for a Million Rupee Charity Challenge” organised by Hublot in the neighbouring luxury arcade, the Ambience Mall.
The second event was held on the same day in Sydney (Australia), with the Captain of the Australian national cricket team since 2011, the famous batsman Michael Clarke, who also announced, through a press conference in a magnificent villa in Sydney at Darling Point, his appointment as a Hublot Ambassador. Genuinely won over by Hublot and the Art of Fusion, he will be the face of the new advertising campaign dedicated to this theme.
Cricket provides a perfect geographic complement to football, a field in which Hublot has established itself as THE partner, and THE reference luxury watchmaking brand. Football’s major events, including the FIFA World Cup™, and most prestigious clubs (Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain…) now bear the colours of Hublot, not to mention the many players who sport Hublot watches. There is also a perfect geographic complement with basketball’s NBA, with which Hublot has forged strategic partnerships to cover the whole of the US (within the east Miami Heat and their captain Dwyane Wade, and on the west coast the Los Angeles Lakers with the legendary Kobe Bryant).
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, remarked “Hublot has once again proven itself as the first, unique, and different luxury brand to enter cricket. This incredible sport will round off our worldwide marketing presence, and help drive our development in countries with high commercial potential. I am delighted with this great collaboration that awaits us, and am very proud that the ICC has chosen Hublot as its partner.”
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “As anticipation builds for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, the ICC is delighted to announce this new and exciting partnership with Hublot, a Swiss watchmaking brand, as the Official Timekeeper. Hublot has a strong reputation worldwide and we are delighted to welcome this luxury brand to our suite of commercial partners, and we look forward to working together over the coming months.”
that can help the less privileged children come out of the vicious cycle of poverty and suffering, and transform into an empowered next generation. By involving the privileged section of the society proactively in the process of child development, we aim to bring some real and permanent change in the lives of the most deserving children. We are overwhelmed by the support received from Hublot Watches and thank all in making this event a great success”.
Hublot was the 1st luxury brand to enter football in 2006, which proved to be a now familiar immense marketing and commercial success story. The same approach led Hublot into basketball, with the NBA in the USA, starting in 2011. Nor should we forget the success of Hublot’s worldwide collaboration with Ferrari also since 2011.
Hublot presents a watch specially dedicated to cricket devotees
To mark the announcement of Hublot’s entry into the world of cricket, the Swiss watchmaking brand has developed a CLASSIC FUSION CHRONO CRICKET watch especially for devotees.
There are several subtle details that make this watch so special. Equipped with a HUB1155 self-winding chrono movement openworked to reveal the fine mechanics, and with a date window at 6 o’clock, the Classic Fusion Chrono Aerofusion Cricket bears on its dial four distinctive signs directly referring to cricket: on the dial, we can see at 12 o’clock a triple applique in reference to the stumps which are placed on the wicket, which is the name for one of the two sets of 3 wooden poles defended on the field by the batsmen, while the hands on both counters are shaped like the cricket bat, which is reminiscent of a short paddle and made from willow and rattan. The case-back bears the exclusive symbol of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in transfer form on the sapphire crystal. This assembly is rounded off by a red calfskin leather strap stitched onto black rubber, with triple saddle stitching in the style of a cricket ball.
This 45 mm diameter watch is available in two versions: a King Gold limited edition of 100 numbered pieces (it is Hublot 18K gold with an extra 5% platinum which gives it this even more intense red colour, thereby making it even more precious), and a titanium edition, lightweight and more impact resistant, of 250 numbered pieces. Each watch is delivered with a second white strap, to provide a summery look should the mood take the customer.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
References:
525.OX.0139.VR.WCC15 (King Gold version of 100 numbered pieces)
525.NX.0139.VR.WCC15 (Titanium version of 250 numbered pieces)
Case:
Classic Fusion – Diameter 45 mm in King Gold or Titanium
Bezel:
King Gold or Titanium with 6 H-shaped titanium screws, polished & locked
Crystal:
Sapphire with interior/exterior anti-reflective coating
Crown:
King Gold or Titanium with Hublot logo
Push-pieces:
King Gold or Titanium
Case-back:
King Gold or Titanium, sapphire crystal with interior anti-reflective coating
Exclusive symbol of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in transfer form
Dial:
Sapphire with faceted, polished ruthenium indexes
Triple applique at 12 o’clock in reference to the wicket
Hands:
Faceted, polished ruthenium, hands on both counters shaped like cricket bats
Movement:
HUB 1155 Hublot Aero mechanical self-winding chronograph
White date disc at 6 o’clock
Components:
207 (60 jewels)
Power reserve:
Approximately 42 hours
Water résistance:
10 ATM, i.e. approx 100 metres
Strap:
Red calfskin stitched onto black rubber, with triple saddle stitching in reference to
a cricket ball. Supplied with a 2nd white calfskin strap.
Clasp:
King Gold or steel deployant buckle
About the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015:
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will start on 14 February with New Zealand taking on Sri Lanka in a day match in Christchurch, while on the same day in Melbourne, co-host Australia will go head to head with England in a day/night match. Melbourne will also host the final on 29 March. A total of 49 matches will be played across 14 venues, seven in Australia (Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney) and seven in New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier, Nelson and Wellington).
About Smile Foundation:
Smile Foundation is a national level development organisation benefitting over 300,000 underprivileged children, their families and the community directly through 158 welfare projects on subjects such as education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment across 25 states of India. Adopting a life cycle approach of development, Smile Foundation focuses its interventions on children, their families and the community.
About Hublot:
“Hublot’ A different way to progress” say those who know this unique Swiss luxury watch company, where each and every moment moves forward to create the future at breathtaking speed. A dream, initiated and developed by Hublot’s Chairman Jean-Claude Biver with CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe, these two men are responsible for turning the Hublot brand into a genuine success story in which the Big Bang, King Power and Classic Fusion represent the symbols of a constantly evolving tradition. From watch complications and revolutionary materials to world class collaborations such as FIFA World Cup™ and Ferrari, Hublot characterizes itself through the “Art of Fusion” philosophy, bringing tradition into the future. On a commercial level, the network of approved retailers has grown rapidly and currently stands at 750 points of sale and more than 70 exclusive boutiques around the world (Geneva, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Paris, London, Berlin, Moscow, New York, Miami, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Ginza…).
