THE ANSWERS WITH...RICARDO GUADALUPE

The long-time CEO of Hublot on his love of cooking, the car he's had for decades, and on becoming friends with his favourite football player.

- Wei-Yu Wang

RICARDO GUADALUPE IS a watch industry lifer, most closely associated with Hublot. The 57-year-old worked under Jean-Claude Biver during the brand's electrifying revival that came with the launch of the Big Bang in 2005, and in 2012 he inherited the office of CEO from him. Since then, Hublot has gone from strength to strength, thanks to its constant material innovation and its many collaborations across various segments from art to sports to music. Guadalupe cuts a laid-back, unassuming figure for such a dynamic brand, and for someone who constantly rubs shoulders with various celebrities. We found some time to have a quick chat with him during the frenetic schedule of this year's Watches & Wonders in Geneva.

What's the first thing you do in the morning?

I'm getting old, so now I have to take medicine when I wake up, before anything else. I cannot even have a coffee, I have to wait half an hour! Otherwise, it would be the coffee.

What advice do you wish you had followed?

Somebody once told me that I should have had an international experience, a job outside Switzerland. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it. I would have loved to have lived in Hong Kong or New York.