Never worn leather eyewear before? Take a look through the porthole, it is now possible…
By Olivier Müller
The watch brand Hublot and the famous Italian shoe manufacturer Berluti have a history that goes back four years. The two houses joined forces to produce watches from the Classic Fusion collection, with three hands and patinated leather dials, the famous “Cuir Venezia”, in the purest spirit of the Italian bootmaker.
Today, the collaboration takes a new turn. It has already been extended to a new collection: the Big Bang. So we go from the three-hand model to the chrono model – in short, from an urban spirit to a sportier approach. Then, it is not only the dial that is in leather, but also the bezel and the chronograph counter. For this new creation, the two houses went back to their sketches, working in collaboration with Kris Van Assche, Creative Director of Berluti.
On the dial side, the leather is sandwiched between two pieces of sapphire crystal, whose cut-out allows the Unico movement to be seen. Then, a technique of encapsulation of the leather colors was developed to crystallize them, in order to ensure their durability. For this new creation, the Venezia leather is proposed with a Cold Brown patina.
Even if, for the previous editions, this leather was reserved for the strap and the dial, it is now also displayed on the bezel. This achievement was possible thanks to the creation of a new bezel design, made in two parts. Using an adhesive and stiffening resin, the first piece of the bezel – made of leather, about 1 mm thick – is inserted on the second piece, made of black ceramic, and then screwed onto the watch case. The bezel will continue to develop a patina over time, as will the rubber strap, a “fusion” dear to Hublot.
Our opinion: “Be the first, different and unique: the famous motto that Jean-Claude Biver, former CEO of Hublot bequeathed to the brand, continues to flourish. The watch all dressed in leather, including the bezel, is unheard of. A revolution? Far from it, but a clever dressing process that gives a strong personality to the watch. The collaboration with Berluti brings him a second essential element: credibility. At almost 26,000 euros, the piece is still reserved for an elite. Remember that this is almost the price of a gold Rolex Daytona, which has increased in value by 30% in a few years. This new “Big Bang Unico Berluti Cold Brown” is therefore intended for a wealthy clientele that does not conceive of having a different watch to match its shoes. A hundred people in the world, as the number of copies of this limited edition.” Olivier Müller
