It’s easy to get caught up in the cycle of ever-escalating novelties that defines the industry if you look at watches on a regular basis. I love seeing what creativity and innovation can be packed in a 45mm case, but it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that a watch doesn’t need to have a brand new in-house movement, multiple tourbillons laid out in the shape of a swan or a dial crafted from the tears of a fallen angel to be a beautiful, lustworthy object.
Here, Hublot’s Classic Fusion Racing Grey, which is the only thing that’s new about this collection, offered in titanium and King Gold, is the new grey dial. On the scale of things it’s a subtle and smart tweak – warmer than black and less bold than blue, but the result, as you can see, is one heck of a photogenic watch.
This watch is certainly my personal favourite Hublot of the year (though ask me tomorrow and I may well say the Meca-10). And yet there’s minimum novelty. It’s a strong design, 100 per cent Hublot, that’s been executed flawlessly.
All the elements work. The harmony between the brushed and polished gold case elements. The contrast between the cool grey and the warm gold. The perfect radial brushing of the satin dial finish, the mirror-crispness of the applied hour markers and hands, the rich tones of the printed dial text. It all works, and it all works together.
This is also a remarkably versatile watch, and is a solid gold 45mm watch, so there’s no mistaking the statement it makes, but don’t forget there are smaller sizes and titanium versions too.
Having said that, this is a surprisingly un-blingy watch. Hublot is very good at working with materials, and letting those materials stand out and speak for themselves. And while watches with Texalium or Berluti leather speak in strident tones that demand attention, the grey and gold at play here don’t demand your attention as much as deserve it.
Hublot King Grey Classic Fusion Australian pricing
Hublot Classic Fusion Racing Grey, 45mm in King Gold, $30,300
