Q&AAvant-Garde Advantage: Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe Decodes The ‘Art Of Fusion’

This last year has been unprecedented in every sense of the word. How has Hublot managed during the COVID-19 crisis? The year 2020 also marked the brand’s 40th anniversary. How did you observe this milestone?

Our first priority was to protect our employees, so we shut the manufacture for two months. About 80 percent of our distribution network was also closed, and this impacted us greatly, just like any other industry. But the last trimester was quite positive and we are confident about bouncing back this year. Last year was also our 40th anniversary, and since we couldn’t do any physical events due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, we reinvented ourselves in the digital space, since that has become the primary mode of communication. We organised an exhibition at the manufacture, which was live-streamed to our audience. And we will continue the celebrations till June this year.

Hublot were the first to industrialise the use of sapphire crystal in high-end watches. Seen here, is the new Big Bang MP-11 Blue Sapphire, with a whopping 14-day power reserve

The Big Bang MP-11 Magic Gold is also a limited edition of 50 pieces, launched at LVMH Watch Week 2021. It is equipped with the HUB9011 manual-winding skeletonised movement

Moving forward, we see things opening up now. Yet, it will take a while before things get back to the ‘normal’ we used to know. How does all this impact your plans?

We are hoping that we won’t have to go into a complete lockdown again, since some countries in Europe do have a lot of restrictions still. Given a situation wherein we are 100 percent open in the coming months, I am hopeful of our sales growing and reaching a strong double digit. This will be led by countries where the local market is quite important, and India is among those. China and Japan will continue to remain important for us. In Europe, our focus will be on Germany and Italy. We will also work with the local clientele in the Middle East and the USA. Our strategy will be to talk to them more. For example, in England, we are not only focusing on London but going into smaller cities, such as Liverpool, Birmingham and Newcastle.

Hublot Classic Fusion

₹13,40,000

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Hublot are pioneers when it comes to innovation—especially with alloys such as King Gold, and even coloured ceramic. However other brands are also doing a lot of ceramic. How do you maintain your exclusivity?

We want to be leaders in innovation—in materials, in movements and also in design. Our aim is to bring out novelties that are unique as compared with other brands. We were among the first to implement the use of ceramic in high-end watches. The fact that now many brands are using ceramic is a positive indication, because it shows that as leaders, we are taking steps in the right direction, and setting the course for others to follow.

"We were among the first to implement the use of ceramic in high-end watches. Our aim is to bring out novelties that are unique as compared with other brands," says Ricardo Guadalupe

₹22,90,000

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The Big Bang MECA-10 Ceramic Blue is the perfect fusion between design and function

₹22,90,000

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The Big Bang MECA-10 Ceramic Blue is equipped with a manual-winding skeleton calibre, with a 10-day power reserve, consisting of 223 parts

₹22,90,000

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But the idea is to stay ahead, and for that, we will continue to invest in research and development. Every year, we invest heavy amounts into this segment, which many brands may not be able to. We also have exceptionally creative people in our team, and this year’s launch—the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire—is a result of that. We were the first brand to industrialise the use of sapphire crystal, which is a difficult material to work with. The new automatic tourbillon calibre is also quite different from what we have done earlier.

Why did the brand decide on orange? And placing the micro-rotor on the dial side, at 12 o’clock—was it simply an aesthetic choice, or does it enhance the movement’s performance as well?

Orange is a unique colour. The Sapphire series started with blue, and we subsequently introduced red and yellow. Eventually, orange came out with the perfect intensity, and that’s why we decided to launch it. And since this is a new colour, we decided to complement it with a new movement. The rotor at 12 o’clock is more from a design point of view. Although, if we had placed it at the back, like in most watches, it may have been slightly better because of a stronger winding power. However, we’ve tested the watch’s functioning with this new design, and we’ve found that there is no significant impact on the accuracy. The timepiece looks better with symmetry between the tourbillon at six o’clock and the rotor at 12. At Hublot, we believe that the movement is also part of the design of a watch, and one should be able to see it through the dial.

Coming to skeletonising of watches, Hublot have had a lot of open-worked timepieces in the last few years. Are these skeleton dials here to stay?

I feel that this trend is going to last and we will see more such watches in future. Today, a mechanical watch has to show what it represents, and the movement is the heart and soul of the watch. It is the engine that keeps a timepiece running. And at Hublot, we don’t believe in hiding this complication behind a dial. Therefore, the watch becomes a piece of art, were you can see the mechanics, and this gives immense value to a timepiece.

Launched in 2020, the Big Bang Integral stands out for its fully integrated bracelet, which is fused with the 42mm ceramic case. A new blue version has been added to the line, this year

"We launched three models—in blue, white and grey ceramic, and I am hopeful that this line will become one of the pillars for our Big Bang collection," says Guadalupe

Hublot have used the in-house Unico movement with an open-worked dial to complement this integrated bracelet, which blends seamlessly into the case

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You launched the Integral watch in black ceramic at last year’s LVMH Watch Week in Dubai. And this year, we see three new additions. What has the response been like for this line, and do you plan to introduce integrated bracelets for more collections?

The Big Bang Integral is a huge challenge for Hublot because we are known for our rubber straps, and a majority of our watches are also sold on these straps. It was a tough task to find a unique metallic bracelet to suit the Hublot aesthetic. We have used the Unico movement with an open-worked dial to complement this bracelet, which blends seamlessly into the case. But, we went a step ahead and launched a full ceramic version, because that’s what we do best. That’s why we launched three models—in blue, white and grey ceramic, and I am hopeful that this line will become one of the pillars for our Big Bang collection, going forward.

The Hublot Classic Fusion King Gold 33mm Diamonds timepiece is forged in 18-karat King Gold, with a bezel that boasts a total of 36 brilliant-cut white diamonds

It is powered by the self-winding HUB1120 movement with a power reserve of 40 hours. The dial displays the date window at three o'clock and the small seconds counter at six o'clock

Hublot Classic Fusion

₹17,90,000

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Hublot was once associated with robust watches for men, but lately, you’ve been surprising us with some great offerings for women, in an expanding portfolio. How important are ladies’ watches for the brand and will we continue to see more?

Ladies’ watches represent about 23 percent of our sales, which is quite acceptable for a brand like us. But we see more potential in this segment, and would like to increase it to even 35 percent, one day. For that, we have been constantly trying to create watches that appeal to and speak differently to women, as in the case of the Big Bang One Click, which allows the wearer to change the straps easily at home, without having to rush to a store. This makes the watch brand new for every occasion, depending on how you’re dressed. It is highly versatile and we have also introduced a smaller 33mm version, which is better suited for smaller wrists. Even with the Richard Orlinski pieces that measure 40mm—a more unisex size—we are catering to women, who may not prefer very dainty watches. And 80 percent of these watches are sold to women.

Hublot's Richard Orlinski pieces that measure 40mm—a more unisex size—are catering to women, who may not prefer dainty watches, and about 80 percent of these are sold to women

Hublot have used a three-dimensional design for the Richard Orlinski watches. They have embodied the artist's unique style by incorporating vivid hues and ceramic

Every year Hublot has some collaborative pieces, such as the Richard Orlinksi line; among other collaborations. How do these come about? Do the ideas lead to collaborations, or do potential partnerships make way for new ideas?

I believe that we are the first brand to do such collaborations, where we aim to bring the art of these artists into our watches. But we like to have a three-dimensional approach. We consciously choose artists whose art can be represented through our timepieces. We saw great potential in Mr Orlinski’s work, and have done the same for our collaboration by bringing in facets of his work such as the vibrant hues and the use of ceramic, which makes these watches unique. I doubt that you’ll find such a product in the market.

The Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami is the latest among such timepieces. How do these watches fare for Hublot?

We were inspired by Takashi Murakami’s emblem—the smiling flower, and we have recreated it in a three-dimensional model with the flower taking centre stage in this watch. The petals rotate in a ring on the outside periphery, while the smiling flower head remains stationary at the centre. These pieces are doing really well for us because they not only give the consumer a high-end watch, but also give them unique interpretations of the artists’ brilliant creations.

Hublot launched the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami limited edition timepiece at the LVMH Watch Week 2021, which is inspired by the Japanese artist's emblem—the smiling flower

The dial showcases a splendid mechanism, where the petals rotate in a ring on the outside periphery, while the smiling flower head remains stationary at the centre

In the past few years e-commerce for luxury goods, especially watches, has gained momentum. And the pandemic has further encouraged business via digital media. What is your take on e-commerce for high-end Swiss watches?

The pandemic has shown that digital channels, even for sales, are extremely important. We have accelerated our pace, and opened our e-commerce site, last July, for Europe, USA, China and Japan. Even though it represents a very tiny percentage of our sales, we have been fairly successful, and we plan to introduce this in more countries. The business of haute horlogerie certainly depends upon customers being able to touch and feel the watches, but this will help us in bringing more options to them, while they’re in the safety of their homes.

The Big Bang collection is synonymous with Hublot. Which Big Bang series is the biggest bang for you?

The Big Bang is our biggest pillar in terms of value. After that we have the Classic Fusion and The Spirit of Big Bang. But the biggest growth driver within the Big Bang collection is the Big Bang Unico, where we have our own movements. That adds a lot of value as compared with the Big Bang Original in steel and ceramic, which was launched in 2005.