Hublot Luxury Swiss Watches

The watch manufacturer Hublot came from an urge to produce unique watches that would move away from contemporary watch design and set new trends for the world to follow. Carlo Crocco, the creator of Hublot, grew up in a proud family of watchmakers, and the young man designed his first watch in the late 1970’s. Just a few years later, in 1980, Crocco established a company (MDM Genève) in the hopes of creating timepieces that were elegant, yet sporty, and known to those all around the world.

It was out of Crocco’s determination to respect the traditions of watchmaking while innovating the styles and fashions used to create contemporary timepieces that he came upon his own design philosophies. He wanted to create pieces that could be worn in situations formal and informal alike, and that had no superfluous elements in their design. The look that he arrived at met these goals and allowed Hublot to reach a large number of people.

“Hublot” is French for “porthole”, and the look of the watches were modeled after just that: portholes. Finely brushed steel and gold were among the materials used, with titanium screws attaching the bezel and the case, which gave the watch function and sophistication all at once. The case took 160 manual operations to reach the perfection desired by Crocco, and the strap was not made of leather, which was deemed to be exceedingly fragile by the designer. Instead, he used rubber to create a matte black strap that would complement the gold and steel used to construct the pieces.

To find the right rubber for the strap, a lot of research was needed: three years, to be exact. The remarkable strap was finally produced to be very durable and produce a distinctive, yet subtle vanilla scent. There were a lot of advantages to the rubber straps. They were resistant to corrosion and were solidly attached to the watch with double-hinged clasps and steel inserts that reinforced the straps themselves. The rubber strap was a very bold move, but it paid off as the Hublot wristwatches instantly became known as truly original pieces.

Of course, the initial reaction was largely one of skepticism when the first Hublot watches were presented in 1980 (at Basel Fair). However, this initially cautious reaction gave way in time as the watches became a true sensation that were embraced by all kinds of watch lovers and collectors. The distinctiveness of the design gave the Hublot a leg up on the competition, as its easily recognizable look gave the new company an identity all its own. Before long, everyone from royal family members to worldwide celebrities were seen sporting Hublot watches, and it was clear that Crocco’s gamble had paid off.

Even as other watchmakers have adopted some of the elements of design that made Hublot watches instant classics, the Hublot pieces are still recognized as true originators. While other watches may incorporate the distinctive rubber strap of the Hublot, the Hublot’s strap is truly indicative of the brand’s bold philosophy and is a trademark exclusive to Crocco’s own creation.