It’s no surprise when a luxury watch brand announces a partnership with an athlete or professional sports team. Football, basketball and baseball are particularly well represented in this area but there’s one sport that lacked a relationship with a maker of fine Swiss timepieces—until now. Just a few days ago, Hublot announced its entrance into a new sporting field: cricket.
Like soccer, cricket is a sport that enjoys great popularity in other countries but not so much in the U.S.A. In fact, cricket is the most popular game in India, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. It’s also the second most popular in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and South Africa.
That’s why Hublot has staked a claim as the first luxury watch brand to create a watch dedicated to fans of cricket. Hublot CEO Ricardo Gualdalupe made the big announcement in New Delhi, India. At a press conference in the Leela Ambience Hotel, Guadalupe and David Richardson, Chief Executive of the UCC, delivered the news that the watch brand would be the Official Timekeeper of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
A second event was held the same day in Sydney, Australia, where a press conference was held at a luxurious villa at Darling Point during which Michael Clarke was presented as the new Hublot Ambassador and star of an advertising campaign celebrating the brand’s entrance into the world of cricket. Clarke is very well–qualified for the position since he has been Captain of the Australian national cricket team since 2011.
To honor its grand entrance into the world of cricket, Hublot has created the Classic Fusion Chrono Cricket watch just for devotees of the sport. The watch comes equipped with a HUB1155 self-winding chrono movement that is openworked to reveal its fine mechanics. The Classic Fusion Chrono Aerofusion Cricket has a date window at 6 o’clock and bears four emblems of the sport on its dial.
A triple appliqué that refers to the stumps placed on the wicket appears at 12 o’clock while the hands on both counters are fashioned in the shape of the cricket bat. On the caseback is the exclusive symbol of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in transfer form on the watch’s sapphire crystal. A red calfskin leather strap that is stitched onto black rubber and is accented by triple saddle stitching resembling that on a cricket ball finishes the watch.
Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe remarked on his brand’s new affiliation: “Hublot has once again proven itself as the first, unique, and different luxury brand to enter cricket. This incredible sport will round off our worldwide marketing presence, and help drive our development in countries with high commercial potential. I am delighted with this great collaboration that awaits us, and am very proud that the ICC has chosen Hublot as its partner.”
