Still Crazy After All These Years

Hublot is an unrivalled proponent of audacious watchmaking. CEO Ricardo Guadalupe takes us down the road less travelled.

- Alvin Wong

EVEN AT ITS most restrained, Hublot watches emanate ostentation. Its latest Classic Fusion dress watch, for instance, dominates the wrist with a porthole-inspired case, polished edges and a captivating dial gleaming with crystalline gold. It is an aesthetic that lends itself better to, say, a Dolce&Gabbana than an Ermenegildo Zegna suit. And at its most flamboyant, Hublot aims for the extreme. Whether in design or mechanics— oftentimes, both—Hublot watches stand out because they are, in the words of its CEO Ricardo Guadalupe, “a bit crazy”.

Among Hublot’s latest offerings are watches that push the boundaries of technical innovation, material experimentation and even blockchainled collectibility. Skeletonised chronographs clad in scratch-resistant gold and set with rainbow coloured gemstones; tourbillons housed in translucent neon yellow sapphire; pop art-inspired watches created with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami and sold with exclusive NFTs… the list is long and enthralling. “At Hublot, we must always seek to surprise,” says Guadalupe. “It’s the key element to our success.” Its fans have come to expect nothing less.

There is a pervasive notion that younger enthusiasts don’t want the watches that their parents and grandparents wore. What’s your take on this?