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.
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 (International Cricket Council), 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.”
Hublot presents a watch specially dedicated to cricket 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.