Hublot becomes the fourth luxury watchmaker acknowledged the honor of adorning the iconic Ferrari prancing nag emblem, joining Girard Perregaux (Ferrari Collection 1994 to 2004), Panerai (“Ferrari engineered by Panerai” 2005-10) and Cabestan (2010 Scuderia Ferrari One, a quite limited-edition, one-off project).
During a private interview with Biver prior to the reception conference, he shed some light on the momentum for the project. He confided that is was nor him neither Montezemolo who came up with the mind for the partnership yet prefer his friend and Fiat scion Lapo Elkann–who is the director of brand promotion at Fiat and who has also held positions at Ferrari and Maserati.
When inquired to annotate ashore what numerous in the watch industry (and clients) penetrate for Panerai’s outstanding failure as Ferrari’s watch partner, Biver was candid: “I think their accumulation was also huge. Which equates to a big investment, big catalogue and ultimately big hazard . . Hublot and Ferrari will comesintoseffect slower.” He proceeded, namely ultimately Panerai’s lack of success was truly the outcome of the collaboration’s absence in “material.” “It had no Ferrari DNA,” he said. “It was a marketing relationship, it was 100 percent Panerai DNA with a Ferrari logo on the turntable.”
Biver and his crew will debut their 1st Hublot Ferrari vision at the BaselWorld watch commerce fair in mid-March 2012. Biver did hint during the reception meeting that the watch might merge a proprietary Ferrari ruddy” ceramic, although Montezemolo playfully reminded him to consider some of Ferrari’s other historical colors, such as yellow. Hublot was one of the true innovators of incorporating industrial-grade ceramic in luxury timepieces. Pricing was not made available.
Saturday’s publication firmly establishes Hublot’s situation as the current automotive-inspired timepiece powerhouse. Less than two years ago, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone labeled Hublot the official timepiece/timekeeper as Grand Prix racing. The partnership has yielded an astounding 8 Hublot F1 timepieces: the F1 King Power Steel, the F1 King Power Zirconium, the F1 King Power Gold, the F1 King Power Ceramic, the King Power F1 Chronograph Tourbillion, the F1 King Power Red Magic Monza, the F1 King Power India and, maximum recently, the F1 King Power Suzuka, unlocked final month during the activities circling Suzuka Grand Prix–no small attainment in less than 24 months.
The account of Hublot’s automotive-related collaborations too includes British boutique-manufacturer Morgan Motor Co; the two produced the Hublot Aero Bang Morgan, a bold 100-piece limited-edition wristwatch whose skeleton dial incorporates the Morgan logo atop a grillelike piece.
But Hublot didn’t stop there. Its collaborations stretch to one ongoing sequence of timepieces produced in conjunction with, and to behalf, the Ayrton Senna Institute (Instituto Ayrton Senna), a charitable basis created by the home of the late Brazilian F1 star driver Ayrton Senna after his pernicious break. IAS is scamper by Viviane Senna da Silva Lalli, Senna’s sister and mother of F1 racer Bruno Senna Lalli.
When asked what Ferrari brings to Hublot and vice versa, Biver was straight in mentioning that both companies will be respective mark ambassadors for other. “Ferrari will be an ambassador for Hublot. Giving it [though its endorsement and partnership] exclusivity, performance and prestige.”
In rotate he said that Hublot will be a true watch partner for Ferrari, a collaborator that will go with Ferrari’s designers, and in keeping with its kernel philosophy of “the masterpiece of mixture,” Hublot will incorporate solitary Ferrari materials into the timepieces whenever possible.
