Swiss watch manufacturer Hublot is set to increase its profile in Australia and New Zealand next year with its official entry into the cricket world.
Hublot has been appointed official timekeeper for the Cricket World Cup 2015 Australia and New Zealand – and has signed on Australian captain Michael Clarke as its first local brand ambassador.
CEO Ricardo Guadalupe said the company had once again proven itself “first, unique, and different” by being “the first luxury brand to invest in cricket”.
“Cricket provides a perfect geographic complement to football, a field in which Hublot has established itself as the partner, and the reference luxury watchmaking brand,” he said.
“Football’s major events, including the FIFA World Cup, and most prestigious clubs (Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain) now bear the colours of Hublot…
“There is also a perfect geographic complement with basketball’s NBA, with which Hublot has forged strategic partnerships to cover the whole of the US (within the east Miami Heat and their captain Dwyane Wade and on the west coast the Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant).”
Guadalupe concluded that cricket will round off the company’s worldwide marketing presence, and help drive its development “in countries with high commercial potential.”
To mark the announcement of Hublot’s entry into the cricket world, the Swiss watchmaking brand will release the Classic Fusion Chrono Aerofusion Cricket watch early next year.
The 45 mm watch has four references to cricket on its dial: a triple applique representing the stumps is positioned at 12 o’clock, the hands on both counters are shaped like cricket bats; the case-back features the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 logo; and the red calfskin leather strap is stitched onto black rubber with triple saddle stitching in the style of a cricket ball.
The watch is available in two versions: a King Gold limited edition of 100 numbered pieces and a titanium edition of 250 numbered pieces.