It takes a bold and visionary watch brand to combine a material as conventional as rubber and one of the most precious metals in the world, gold, to create a timepiece, which has gone on to become one of the most iconic creations in the world of horology. Although a young watch brand, Hublot claimed its position in the horology universe by being avant-garde, disruptive, and fearlessly creative. While the brand was founded in 1980, it was in 2005 that Hublot made headlines and had the watch industry astounded with the unveiling o f the Big Bang. Since then, Hublot has reached dizzying heights as a result of its ingenuity, technical prowess, and distinctiveness.
Hublot and Mistal, the brand’s dedicated retailers in Oman, recently celebrated 10 years of partnership. This significant milestone was commemorated with the launch of a Hublot shop-in-shop, and the unveiling of a limited-edited watch created especially for Oman in collaboration with Mistal. To mark the occasion, David Tedeschi, Regional Director of Hublot for Latin America, Middle East, and Africa was in the capital.
The Luxury Bulletin met with David Tedeschi during his visit to Muscat to learn more about the evolution of the brand, being unconventional, and the special limited-edition watch that has been created especially for Oman.
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary and the new exclusive shop-in-shop for Hublot in Mistal. Is this a new concept that Hublot
Thank you very much. The shop-in-shop is a concept that we have deployed a couple of years ago. It is the first time we are introducing the concept in Oman. It also marks 10 years of our partnership with Mistal. It is important for us to refresh our spaces for Hublot when required and the 10th anniversary seemed like the right time to do it. Hublot boutiques, spaces, and even corners tend to go through a design change every five years. For example, when I joined in 2008, the décor was completely black. This has changed over the years. We now use warm accents in our design.
How would you describe Oman as a market for Hublot?
Luxury is quiet in Oman. Yet almost all the major watch brands can be found in Oman. For us, Oman is an important market. We have dedicated brand aficionados here and the clients are extremely knowledgeable about the watch industry.
When we were looking to collaborate with partners in Oman, we did a market study. We wanted the brand to be represented by the right partners and after many meetings with Dharmesh Khimji and the team, we felt Mistal was the best choice.
What’s new for Hublot in 2024?
We have a lot planned for 2024. It is also the year of innovations for Hublot. We recently launched our hero piece – the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System at the LVMH Watch Week in Miami. This is a manufacture piece and is very dear to the brand. With the MP-10, we have developed a watch that moves away from the normal brand standards we have followed. It’s a tourbillon with a linear weight system. The MP-10 has acircular power reserve and no dial and hands. Instead, the calibre and the dial have been merged.
We will be showcasing more incredible products at Watches and Wonders in April year.
Please tell us about the limited-edition watch that has been created especially for Oman in collaboration with Mistal.
The Classic Fusion Titanium Gradient Blue has been exclusively made for Oman and our partner, Mistal. This a Limited-Edition launch with only 50 pieces available. The watch embodies the Hublot DNA. Hublot is the master of the Art of Fusion, which is also our brand motto. While we have used titanium, which can be considered a conventional material in watchmaking, we have given it a treatment to make it appear like blackened, aged titanium. The dual is reminiscent of Oman’s radiant blue seas. Another feature we have incorporated, inspired by Oman’s heritage, is Khanjar calligraphy that reads as ‘Sultanate of Oman’. The seconds hand features the three colours of the Omani flag.
How does Hublot manage to stay relevant year after year?
Hublot has been viewed as a fearless brand since 2005. We have been able to stay relevant because of our philosophy – the Art of Fusion. We have strived to be different in what we do. We are not conventional. Nor are we an old brand with a lot of history. We are a young brand talking to a young generation. We appeal to a variety of audiences.
Being unique is in our DNA. Technology is very important for us. We have an entire floor dedicated to Research and Development at our headquarters. The R&D department makes it possible for Hublot to do unconventional things. For instance, we might not be the first brand to launch a full sapphire watch. But as a result of our R&D department, Hublot is the first brand to industrialise the way of manufacturing sapphire watches which gives us the advantage of being able to make the timepieces in larger quantities, instead of one of two.
Hublot is one of the leading watch brands to use ceramic in its creations. We are the only brand that can create vivid colours like red and yellow for our ceramic timepieces, a process that we have patented.
We are well-known for our innovations, which has been one of our success factors.