Hublot has been known to experiment with high-tech materials like carbon fiber and even produces its own patented materials like Magic Gold and Bright Red Ceramic. But Hublot also believes that the “Art of Fusion” philosophy extends beyond just high-technology. Meet the Classic Fusion Jeans.
There is no other garment that symbolizes our times like a pair of blue jeans does. And yet, the story of jeans dates back to the mid-19th century and was first produced in the Italian city of Genoa. Some believe jeans got its name from the French word for Genoa, “Gênes”.
Hublot first explored the idea of incorporating this staple material with Tina Zegg of Monegasque retailer Zegg & Cerlati, and together they came up with the Big Bang and Oceanographic collections in jeans.
It takes the audacity of someone like Parisian horological mogul Laurent Picciotto of Chronopassion and a brand with the imagination of Hublot to take this concept to a more classical platform. After the success of the Skull Bang Classic Fusion limited edition launched over a year ago, Hublot and Laurent Picciotto joined forces once again to work on a more Old Western-inspired collaborative piece.
For the first time, denim is used in the more restrained Classic Fusion case. Made of polished and satin-brushed Titanium, known for its light weight and hypoallergenic properties, the case reminds one of the metal button on a pair of jeans or denim jacket. To mimic the copper-tone stitching and seems of the typical denim pants or jacket, the various case components are held together by 5N red gold H-screws.
The dial is made or a fabric that resembles denim but hat thankfully won’t discolor or deform with exposure to sunlight. The hands and hour markers are done in white metal, matching the case. The Hublot logo is laser-engraved onto the underside of the sapphire crystal.
A detail that really pops is the red date wheel. While this might not make sense a first sight, it’s a fitting tribute to true selvage denim. As any denim enthusiast knows, selvage denim is the “premium” kind of jeans to buy, as the fabric used as well as the weave technique are considered superior, and selvage denim usually cannot be mass produced the way regular jeans are. Selvage denim fabric is weaved using one continuous yarn, with the edges finished in a contrasting warp, most commonly red and white.
The strap is the most jeans-infused part of the watch. Using a supple black rubber backing, a piece of actual denim is inlaid and held together with copper tone stitching.
The Classic Fusion Jeans is available in both 42mm and 45mm case sizes, and will be made in 25 examples each.
A closer at the Hublot Classic Fusion Jeans 45mm
A closer look at the Hublot Big Bang Jeans Carat