Hublot celebrates 40 years of watchmaking innovation

Hublot is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an online ceremony, a special exhibition and a new interior design for its stores. Founded in 1980, the Swiss watch brand has become a standard of excellence for lovers of horological innovation.  

Hublot livestreamed a ceremony on November 23 from its manufacture in Nyon, Switzerland to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, presented the four themes of a special exhibition organized for the occasion: the history of the Maison, the watches that have earned it global renown, Hublot ambassadors, including Kylian Mbappé, and of course the Art of Fusion, the concept at the heart of Hublot’s amazing success. 

The exhibition is staged by Samuel Ross, a British fashion and industrial designer and a new member of the Hublot family. A year after winning the Hublot Design Prize, Samuel Ross was tapped to create a new interior design for the brand’s stores. He has combined concrete and steel, referencing the Art of Fusion, and evoked watchmaking accuracy with plays of transparency, perforated surfaces and laser etching.  The monochrome palette with a bright touch of red and the simple, clean lines encourage visitors and customers to focus on the essential: materials and functionality.

Fusing traditional watchmaking know-how with advanced technologies and combining both precious and modern materials, Hublot has spearheaded innovation for 40 years. Among its iconic best-selling models are the Classic Original created in 1980 – the first watch to combine rubber with a gold case – and the Big Bang Original, launched in 2005. Hublot develops signature materials at its Swiss manufacture, including anti-allergic, inalterable and stainless ceramics, as well as Magic Gold, a scratch-resistant 18-carat gold alloy. In 2010 Hublot also designed and developed its own automatic chronograph movement, the UNICO calibre, which equips the latest exceptional model, the Big Bang Unico Berluti Cold Brown. Crafted in a limited edition of just 100 watches, this spectacular collaboration fuses the expertise of master watchmakers and master bootmakers. 

For its 40th anniversary, Hublot affirms its audacious identity in perpetual movement. “This success story is only just beginning,” says Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot. The remarkable history of the Maison is featured in a book entitled HUBLOT XL, available on order in hard copy for delivery around the world, or available for download from Hublot.com. A video of the online ceremony celebrating the anniversary and a 3D tour of the exhibition at the manufacture in Nyon are also available online on Hublot.com.