The 60-second watch brand guide: Hublot

Founded: 1980

CEO: Ricardo Guadalupe

Ownership: Part of LVMH, a publicly traded French luxury conglomerate

A brief history: Hublot is yet another brand that has benefitted from Jean-Claude Biver’s Midas touch. Established in 1980 by Carlo Crocco, its early successes included being the first watchmaker to use natural rubber straps – and this experimentation with materials would continue into the present. Biver took over as CEO in 2004, and unveiled the now iconic Big Bang just a year later. The brand has seen spectacular growth since then, including the expansion of its watchmaking facilities, and the acquisition of complications-maker BNB Concept.

Currently known for: Hublot’s watches carry an unmistakeable aesthetic, and this is especially the case for its Big Bang collection, which tends to feature larger, louder pieces. The brand's slogan is “The Art of Fusion”, reflecting a principal that has led it to combine different elements (many of them disparate) during product development. Magic Gold, for example, is a proprietary ceramic-gold “alloy” that’s incredibly scratch-resistant while maintaining 18K fineness.

Key product lines: Big Bang, Hublot’s signature collection, which was inspired by a ship’s porthole, and includes models equipped with the brand’s in-house Unico movement; Classic Fusion, with dressier, more classically styled cases that still retain the brand’s edginess; Spirit of Big Bang, with tonneau-shaped cases; and MP, short for Masterpiece, which contain the brand’s superlative creations.

Price range: S$7,400 for the Big Bang Referee 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia in titanium, to S$270,900 for the MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis 3D Carbon in carbon