Q&ACricket Legend Kevin Pietersen Speaks About Saving Rhinos And Partnering With Hublot

You went from being an accomplished cricketer to founding your own wildlife organisation (SORAI—Save Our Rhinos Africa India), which works towards protecting and spreading awareness about the endangered rhino. How did your conservationist journey begin?

I went on a rhino relocation exercise in 2013 with Mark Boucher, Graeme Smith, and Jacques Kallis—great South African cricketers. We went into ‘the bush’ (a phrase used to describe vast expanses of uninhabited land, far away from settlements and even forests), and when I found out what was happening to the rhino, I dedicated a lot of my time to try and make sure that I made a difference. So 2013 was when everything changed for me and I started to go from cricketer to conservationist.

Tell us more about SORAI. What kind of initiatives are taken for the rhinos?

SORAI is a huge global awareness campaign. I was batting with a bat dedicated to rhinos in my last few T-20 tournaments around the world. I think for two years I’ve been batting with rhinos on my bat, and I was donating my endorsement fee towards the rhino. I was giving a lot of money to the cause. But then I soon realised that not everybody can afford a cricket bat. Cricket bats are actually quite expensive, and the people just wanted the stickers. And then I thought that not everyone who wants to help save rhinos likes cricket. So I tried to open it up to a lot more people. We did wristbands, we did caps, we did T-shirts, we did jumpers. We’ve got a wide range of merchandise, and we have a brand new collection launching soon. And that’s going to give 20 percent of its profits directly to the animals. We’ve got some great investors, we’ve got some great partners, and we’re going to try and make a difference. People also have the opportunity to donate from our website directly to Care For Wild, which is a rhino orphanage in South Africa. It’s all about raising as much awareness and as much money as possible to save the animals.

“It’s all about raising as much awareness and as much money as possible to save the animals,” says Kevin Pietersen, when asked about his initiative, SORAI

What are the efforts your organisation has made/is planning to make specifically for the rhinoceros in India? Have you visited any wildlife sanctuaries here?

That’s a very good question, and the timing, as we’re here talking about timepieces, is right, because I’ve done a documentary in South Africa on the South African rhino, which was last year. Now I’m going to do one over here, in Kaziranga [National Park in Assam], in the next few months. I’m going to do a whole documentary on the Indian rhino in Kaziranga. I’ll be coming here for two to three weeks to film it. And it’s something that I’m so excited about. I think that my attachment and affiliation to the South African rhino has been embedded in me from a very young age. But I need to learn more about the Indian rhino. I’ve seen a lot, and people have sent me a lot of information. But I’m going to come here to learn more, I’m going to come here to understand more and I’m going to come here to make a big difference. And that’s going to happen in the next few months.

Could you talk about your association with Hublot?

We started talking in February, and it’s taken six to seven months to create and release the [Big Bang Unico] SORAI watch. I think they understood how good it would be from a branding perspective, and how amazing it would be to make such a huge difference—donating directly towards helping the animals. They don’t need to donate to organisations; they can donate directly to where they know the animals will benefit the most. And I’m directing them in that manner.

Kevin Pietersen with Hublot's CEO Ricardo Guadalupe

It’s a great partnership because they’re a luxury brand. They’re among the world’s most iconic watch brands. And they’re a huge luxury organisation. When you get a market leader owning that space—as Hublot does now—into the conservationist space, it’s remarkable.

Kevin Pietersen and Ricardo Guadalupe have a chat outside Hublot's first flagship boutique in India, in Mumbai's Palladium, High Street Phoenix one of the most prestigious luxury shopping destinations in the country

“India deserve a Hublot flagship boutique, and Mumbai is the perfect location. I am also really happy to be here today, next to Ricardo, as we just announced Hublot’s partnership with my platform, SORAI,” stated Pietersen

How involved were you in the creation of the Big Bang SORAI watch?

I was very involved. I went to Baselworld. We talked about the watch in March or April. I then went to Switzerland and we sat down with the team and we went through the design, we went through the colours, we went over the type of watch it must be, and this is what we’ve come up with. And I think it’s absolutely amazing. It fits in with the colours of the bush, you’ve got the camouflage strap, you’ve got a beige strap. It screams ‘bush’, right?

The Big Bang Unico SORAI is the result of a partnership between Hublot, Kevin Pietersen and SORAI to conserve rhinoceroses threatened with extinction

A large proportion of the funds raised from sales will be directly paid to Care For Wild, a rhino orphanage, and to the South African National Parks

The Big Bang SORAI features the in-house calibre HUB1242, which has an impressive power reserve of 72 hours

Along with the camouflage rubber strap, the Big Bang SORAI is also available with a matching beige NATO strap

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What was your first watch?

It was the Casio calculator watch. Remember that? I wasn’t very good at mathematics. I needed something that I could cheat under the table with. What’s one plus one? (Laughs)

What’s your take on smartwatches? Would you wear one on a regular basis?

Smartwatches are great. While training, I wear one to monitor the heart rate and to get the calorie burn rate. I train quite hard. So I’ve got a heart rate monitor attached to the piece that guides me in terms of what level I’m training at, and how hard I’m training. But would I wear one on a regular basis? No. This is the baby I wear now (points at his SORAI watch) and I’m so proud of this watch.

Do you usually wear a watch while you’re on the field?

Oh no, I’ve got very clumsy hands. And on the field, cricket balls hit me all over my wrists. But I’ve finished playing now. So in the bush, when I’m on safari, my SORAI watch is proudly worn, even all over the world.