While squaring the circle has been considered an insoluble problem since ancient times in geometry, Hublot has taken up the challenge of producing a square watch in its Square Bang Unico – part of the novelties it unveiled at Watches & Wonders. We speak to CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe on this and its other new watches…
Can you start by telling us about Hublot’s biggest surprise this year – the Square Bang Unico? When did you conceive the idea of a square watch and how much time did it take?
The idea of a square watch had been on my mind for more than 20 years. I have always dreamed of creating a square watch because it is a difficult shape, a unique shape. I couldn’t do earlier but, at Hublot, I was convinced we could do it after we did the tonneau-shaped Spirit of Big Bang. I thought it would be a limited success, but am surprised by the importance of the Spirit of Big Bang in our business, as it is almost 15% of our sales, which is quite incredible.
Three years ago, we started studying the design for a square watch. The idea was to introduce the DNA of the Big Bang into the Square Bang. We wanted to use our own Unico movement because we can then design whatever we want for the watch. We had used a Hublotised version of the El Primero in the Spirit of Big Bang; as the supply chain is quite difficult, we cannot produce more than we have scheduled.
Is the Square Bang a limited edition?
We have planned 1,500 pieces for this year. Our problem is also the increase in production of our Unico movement; it takes at least 2-3 years of planning before we can increase production of movements. We need that much of time to get the machinery, hire the specialists, plan the space, etc. Right now, we are almost at full capacity at Nyon – that is our problem today. That is why we are planning to build a new manufacture, and we are planning for the next 20 years. We are finalising the plans and technical drawings, and we will start construction by the beginning of 2023. We are building a big manufacture so that we do not have to build another one within seven years as we are doing now. That would be four times bigger than the current one.
Will the new manufacture be situated next to the current two buildings Hublot already has?
Yes, it will be located next to them, and we plan to have it ready by the summer of 2025.
Will the Square Bang be the last pillar for Hublot as you already have the Big Bang, the Spirit of Big Bang, the Classic Fusion?
What we have done is split our collections as the Big Bang, the Classic Fusion, and created the Shaped collection. The Shaped collection will have the Spirit of Big Bang, and the Square Bang Unico; we may have another shape in this, not tomorrow but perhaps in five years, we could have a rectangle shape or something else. The idea is to have a Shaped collection that will be the third pillar, so we will have three pillars.
Can we expect different versions of the Square Bang – such as Classic Fusion, Hours and Minutes – over the next few years?
I think we will bring out a smaller size of the Square Bang Time Only; I do not know if we will do it next year or the year after. A chronograph will not be possible. We are also developing our own Time Only movement, which should be ready by 2024. We are also working on a new calibre where you can see the regulating organ on the dial side.
This year’s Classic Fusion Titanium Orlinski has an integrated bracelet with the Orlinski design; how viable is it financially?
That depends on the sales; the financial viability depends on how many watches we can sell. But it is not that complicated as it is a titanium bracelet; working with titanium is not as difficult as it is to work with ceramic as we did with the Big Bang Integral Ceramic. That needs more investment financially as we have to create a mould for every link. The titanium can be worked on a bar and cut with a machine. It is actually a bit easier even though it is a complicated as there are numerous facets and finishings. Hublot is known for rubber straps, not bracelets but the Orlinski is quite interesting – it is segmented and has facets. It is a unisex watch, but I think it will appeal more to women than men; we will have to wait and see. The market will give us the answers.
The Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami introduced an element of playfulness in the Hublot design; did it make Hublot interested in going in for a more playful route?
We have done other partnerships such as Orlinski and Sang Bleu, but I think Hublot went one step further when we partnered with Murakami. He is incredible, and one of the most successful contemporary artists of the moment. Both the Murakami editions were very limited: the first one was 200 and the Sapphire was only 100; we could have sold 10 times more. But the idea here was to make it an iconic model that is very rare and very much in demand; the resale value is 3-4 times the original retail value. At the end, it is a piece of art by Murakami together with a Hublot watch, and we have seen that when we come with a watch such as this one, there is huge demand. It was the same with Sang Bleu; the commercial success is incredible.
Hublot debuted the Big Bang Integral Time Only sometime ago; how many people have requested for it?
We have just started delivery, so I cannot give you a figure. The Integral is something that the Hublot fans did not expect from Hublot. I believe that we can build an important market share with the Big Bang Integral Unico and now the Time Only, but it will take time. It is not going to be an immediate success; we will need to give a lot of marketing support and we need to present it in such a way that it remains in the mind of the people. I believe that it will be successful in the next 3-5 years, and it can become one of our pillars within the Big Bang collection.
With the current supply chain issues, will Hublot be able to deliver all the watches slated for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar?
Yes, Hublot has some shortage but not at the level that some other brands have, where their boutiques do not have watches. This is not the case with Hublot because we are able to adapt our production in a more flexible manner than other brands. Or maybe the demand for other brands is so much that they are facing difficulties. We are focusing our deliveries to the markets where it is really needed and strategize accordingly. In case of Qatar, we will give more focus to Qatar and we will be present with strong deliveries for Qatar.
How important is the Polar Pod expedition to Hublot and why is Hublot a part of the expedition?
We have learnt that the world is changing – and the pandemic accelerated this – and so are consumer expectations. Consumers want to know what a brand is doing to safeguard the planet. I think we can create a strong storytelling around this concept, and that is why we have created the project Hublot Xplorations in which we support various ventures in the sea – again harking back to our roots, such as yachting, sailing and the sea. The Polar Pod is an expedition that for the first time will explore the Antarctica in this incredible vertical vessel. This is something that is definitely for the planet because the Antarctica has never been analysed and it could be the solution for what is happening due to the pollution across the planet.
The storytelling is also an important aspect as it is the stuff of dreams; it is an adventure, an expedition. Moving on to the earth, under Xplorations, we are working on the earth with SORAI for rhinoceros; we have a project coming up for space too. Football, of course, is our main focus in sports; art, music, and lifestyle are other areas of focus. We may be inviting the press to have a look when the vertical boat is ready, or when it sets sail to Antarctica. This is a new approach and it is interesting to have something different.
Has the Polar Pod been used in that design configuration before, or is it a totally new idea?
A similar boat was built by the American army in the 1960s or 70s, and it worked, but it was used for military purposes and so, nobody knows exactly how it worked. But Mr Jean-Louis Etienne has participated in that project and he knows that it works. The existence of this boat is not known because it was used to identify submarines. The Polar Pod is different but utilises a similar technique. But, of course, there is always a risk factor and I hope it works.
