By Patrick Koune
Even before manufacturing watches, Hublot chose to create a vision. Since its creation in 1980, the Swiss watchmaker has constantly challenged the codes of haute horlogerie by combining seemingly opposing materials: gold and rubber, ceramic and sapphire, carbon and precious metals. A philosophy summed up in three words that have become its signature: The Art of FusionThis constant quest for innovation finds a new echo today through Fast Forward Future, a campaign that goes far beyond the realm of watchmaking to question transmission, audacity and the ability to shape the future.
Founded in 1980 by Carlo Croco, Hublot Hublot was born from an idea as simple as it was revolutionary: combining a gold case with a natural rubber strap. At the time, this marriage of materials was seen as a true provocation in the highly codified world of Swiss haute horlogerie. Yet, this watch, with its design inspired by a ship's porthole, quickly found its audience and gave its name to the brand. Born in Italy in 1944 into the family behind the Binda Group, Carlo Crocco grew up in a world where watchmaking was part of everyday life. After working for several years in the family business, he chose to forge his own path and left the group in 1976 to develop his vision of a decidedly different watch. Settling in Switzerland, he founded MDM Genève before launching Hublot in 1980.
His intuition was revolutionary: to combine a gold case with a natural rubber strap, a material previously reserved for utilitarian watches. It took nearly three years of research to develop this strap, which would become the brand's signature. With this first creation, inspired by a ship's porthole, Carlo Crocco laid the foundations for what would later become the concept of the Art of FusionMore of a visionary than an industrialist, he handed over the management of Hublot to Jean-Claude Biver in 2004 in order to dedicate himself to his humanitarian foundation. MDM – Hand in Handdedicated to helping disadvantaged children.
The arrival of Jean-Claude Biver marks a decisive turning point for Hublot. It breathes new life into the brand with the concept of Art of Fusion, which consists of combining watchmaking tradition, technological innovation, and new materials. The launch of the collection Big Bang in 2005 propelled Hublot to the forefront of the international scene and earned it numerous awards.
Launched in 2005, the Big Bang marked a true turning point in Hublot's history and, more broadly, in contemporary watchmaking. Under the direction of Jean-Claude Biver, it revived the brand's founding principle: the fusion of materials, pushing it to an unprecedented level. Its case features a multi-layered construction combining gold, steel, titanium, ceramic, carbon, and Kevlar, paired with the iconic natural rubber strap. With its generous 44,5 mm diameter, its bezel secured by six H-shaped titanium screws, its openworked dial revealing part of the movement, and its resolutely architectural aesthetic, the Big Bang broke with the classic codes of the luxury watch.
Beyond its design, the Big Bang inaugurated a new way of conceiving a watch: it became an object of expression as much as a precision instrument. Sporty, technical, and instantly recognizable, it appealed to a clientele seeking more contemporary watchmaking. Its success was immediate. A few months after its launch, it received the prestigious award of the Best Design at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, establishing Hublot as one of the most innovative watch manufacturers of its generation. Since then, the collection has continued to evolve with in-house movements, tourbillons, chronographs, and cases in transparent sapphire or colored ceramics, while retaining the aesthetic codes that have defined its identity. Nearly twenty years after its creation, the Big Bang remains Hublot's iconic collection and the most accomplished embodiment of its philosophy of Art of Fusion.
But, the Exceptional Timepieces undoubtedly represent the most radical expression of Hublot's philosophy. More than a collection, it is a true laboratory of innovation where the manufacture's engineers and watchmakers push the boundaries of traditional mechanics. Each model is designed as a demonstration of expertise, blending revolutionary movements, unprecedented complications, and spectacular architectures. The MP series (Masterpiece) perfectly illustrate this approach with creations such as the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System, which replaces the hands with rotating displays and eliminates the traditional rotor, the MP-13 Bi-Axis Retrograde Tourbillon, or artistic collaborations such as the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow and the MP-17 Meca-10 Arsham SplashProduced in extremely limited series, these pieces do not simply seek to measure time: they explore new ways of representing it. True technological showcases of the manufacture, the Exceptional Timepieces embody Hublot's vision that innovation, design, and haute horlogerie can merge to give birth to extraordinary creations.
At first glance, time seems to be Hublot's sole area of expertise. Yet, the brand primarily tells human stories. For several years, it has brought together personalities from sports, art, and music around a common idea: the future belongs to those who dare to build it.
That is precisely the meaning of Fast Forward FutureMore than just a slogan, this initiative illustrates the dialogue between two generations. On one side, the legends who defined their era. On the other, those who are already writing the next chapter. The campaign notably brought together two icons of world football: Pele, a historic ambassador for the manufacture, and Kylian Mbappé, the embodiment of a new generation. Their meeting did not only celebrate two exceptional careers; it symbolized the passing of the torch between experience and the future, around common values such as humility, respect and perseverance.
This ability to tell a story that goes far beyond a product is part of Hublot's DNA. While some manufacturers exclusively showcase their heritage, the Swiss brand prefers to look ahead. Every launch, every partnership, every innovation becomes a demonstration of its commitment to moving ahead of its time.
But innovation is never an end in itself. At Hublot, it serves a broader vision: pushing boundaries without abandoning Swiss watchmaking tradition. The UNICO manufacture movements, the in-house tourbillons, the research into alloys, and the mastery of composite materials all testify to a continuous pursuit of technical excellence, serving a deliberately contemporary aesthetic.
This approach also explains why Hublot invests so heavily in the world of sports. The brand doesn't choose its ambassadors solely for their achievements, but for their ability to embody a certain mindset. Whether it's football, Formula 1, music, sailing, or athletics, each one illustrates this desire to push boundaries, just as the manufacture does in its Nyon workshops.
Basically, Fast Forward Future This perfectly encapsulates what has distinguished Hublot for over forty years: a company that respects the past without ever being confined by it, capable of combining traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technologies. A watch brand that believes a watch is not just an instrument for measuring time, but also a reflection of personality, ambition, and sometimes even the culmination of several generations.
In a world of fine watchmaking often attached to continuity, Hublot continues to defend a rarer idea: that of a luxury in motion, a luxury that does not wait for the future to arrive, but chooses to create it.
Photos: Hublot
