Collection Pan Arab Luxury Magazine
Related Articles
Hublot opens its 10th boutique in the USA (Houston), with the cutting of the ribbon featuring an exclusive appearance by Scuderia Ferrari, represented by Felipe Massa, in Texas for the Grand Prix.
Hublot’s explosive growth continues. Today, 13th November 2013, marks the opening of the 10th Hublot boutique on the North American continent* located at the prestigious Galleria Mall in the heart of Houston, Texas.
To mark the occasion, Scuderia Ferrari, for which Hublot is the Official Watch, is making an exclusive are appearance, via its representative, driver Felipe Massa, appointed to cut the symbolic ribbon. Tomorrow will see him line up on the starting grid of the Circuit of the Americas behind the wheel of his F1 car.
This opening is also a first for the new Hublot boutique interior concept in the USA. A warm, elegant concept developed entirely in-house at Hublot. Covering around 50 square metres, the Houston boutique reinterprets the concept of fusion so dear to the brand, but with a new combination of materials including silver brushed oak and wool for the floors, upholstered panels of silky fabric to cover the walls interspersed with details in black wood and chrome steel to highlight the windows. More details on next page.
HUBLOT BOUTIQUE HOUSTON
THE GALLERIA MALL 5085 Westheimer Road, Suite #B2635A, TX 77056 Houston, United States Tel.: +1 (281) 768-3950 E-mail:houston@hublot-boutique.com
Limited edition “Big Bang Ferrari Texas” – Only 50 numbered pieces
To celebrate the new boutique and the presence of the Scuderia in Texas, Hublot presents an exclusive edition: the Big Bang Ferrari Texas. More stylish, more mechanical, the design of this watch traces a direct line straight through the DNA of both Hublot and Ferrari: sport, performance and technology, with one extra detail… a vibrant tribute reflecting the colours of the Lone Star State.
In navy blue, red and white, as seen on the state flag, the Big Bang Ferrari Texas features a bold titanium case (45.5 mm diameter), crowned with a cylindrical bezel in black ceramic which draws the eye down towards the UNICO Flyback chronograph movement (which can be reset at any time) visible through the sapphire dial. The UNICO movement, which is Hublot’s 100% in-house chronograph movement, is comparable to a high-performance racing engine. It was selected, designed and developed by Hublot especially for the Big Bang Ferrari.
With no fewer than 330 components and a frequency of 28,800 Vib/H (4 Hz), it features a column wheel and a double horizontal clutch visible on the dial side, as well as an oscillating weight inspired by the design of a Ferrari wheel. As for the dial, the legendary prancing horse is featured discreetly in relief at 9 o’clock. A minute counter is positioned at 3 o’clock (completed by a yellow date window), and the hand and the style of the indexes are inspired by the counters in a Ferrari, perfectly in line with the Italian manufacturer’s sport DNA whilst adhering to Hublot’s graphic codes.
Complete with a Schedoni leather strap in navy blue and black rubber with tone on tone stitching, the watch is a tribute to Ferrari’s iconic signature. The symbolic prancing horse appears discreetly on the back of the timepiece, only 50 of which have been produced. Power reserve of 72 hours and water- resistant to 100 metres. The concept extends to the aluminium presentation box, which is inspired by a valve support from an engine and features a built-in rotary system.
About Hublot and Ferrari
In November 2011, Hublot and Ferrari signed a deal in Italy to appoint the Swiss brand as the car maker’s exclusive watchmaking partner. Much more than a simple licensing or sponsorship agreement, this was a genuine global partnership between the companies, encompassing the full range of key activities linked to the brand image and including, in particular, the names “Ferrari Official Watch”, “Ferrari Official Timekeeper” and “Ferrari Challenge Official Timekeeper”.
New interior concept for the Houston boutique There is a fusion of materials, but also a fusion of styles: in the more private spaces, gilded velvet is combined with a particularly elegant fabric to give a contemporary reinterpretation of sixteenth century mouldings. A brand new lighting concept has also been installed for the display cases, using focused beams of light to highlight the watches, movements and precious stones. The whole ambience is one of warmth and softness in shades of black and grey and featuring contemporary furniture, including sofas and armchairs in full-grain leather, all hand-made in Italy.
A range of light fittings including table lamps, wall lights and chandeliers, custom-made in Murano in Italy adds an artistic touch. Hublot commissioned craftsmen in Italy to produce exclusive silver-plated rounded glass panels to highlight the windows in the main rooms. Finally, the brand’s key models have been reinterpreted on Pop Art-style canvases. The innovative and technological touch dear to Hublot is represented in the display cases featuring spatial motors, which enable you to view a watch from all angles, and the special liquid crystal glass panes which finely embellish the watch display cases on the walls.
Hublot: the exclusive story of Fusion
“Hublot. A different way to progress,” says those who know this unique Swiss watch company, where each and every moment moves forward to create the future at breathtaking speed. A dream conceived and developed by Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman, and Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot. Together, they have turned the Hublot brand into a genuine success story, in which the Big Bang, King Power, Classic Fusion and Masterpieces represent the symbols of a constantly developing tradition.
Grand complications, research and the creation of new materials, global collaborations ‒ FIFA Football World CupTM and Ferrari: Hublot is distinguished by its philosophy, the “Art of Fusion”, which brings together watchmaking culture and cutting- edge technological developments.
Today, Hublot continues to write the story of the Art of Fusion by combining unusual materials – Magic Gold, coloured ceramic, titanium, magnesium, carbon fibre, tantalum, tungsten and rubber – with more conventional ones such as gold, steel, diamonds and precious stones. With its high-tech manufacture on the edge of Lake Geneva and its impressive growth, the brand remains faithful to Swiss watchmaking tradition while enriching it with a resolutely 21st century creative vision. On a commercial level, the network of stockists is growing very rapidly. It currently comprises 750 points of sale and more than 65 exclusive boutiques throughout the world. www.Hublot.com
