“We don't rest on our laurels, thinking that we've achieved great success and therefore stop,” says Kevin Pietersen, the international cricketer and conservationist who founded Sorai in 2018. At the time, three animals were being killed a day, a number that now is around one or two, says Pietersen. “When it comes to conserving animals, protecting biodiversity and critically endangered species, you need to be proactive. You don't want to be reactive.”
Crafted in eye-catching polished grey ceramic, the new 42mm Hublot x Sorai watch sees the design move from the Unico collection to the Spirit of Big Bang, and now comes in the iconic tonneau shape (“Maybe I was wearing too many round watches and wanted a square one,” says Pietersen with a smile). Set with an off-centre dial and hand-wound tourbillon, the dial – like its three predecessors – features a three-dimensional rhino, as the transparent caseback is stamped with the Sorai name. Limited to 30 pieces and coming with two straps – grey fabric and camouflage black rubber - part of sale proceeds will be donated to support Sorai’s initiatives.
According to Pietersen, those conservation initiatives are various and manifold, and which need work together for change to happen. Whether that’s funding canine units or helicopter services, to dehorning the animals and educating the children who live around South Africa’s Kruger National Park, all programmes are in need of funding, says Pietersen. “There are so many different strings to the bow that we have to make sure we’re on top of.”
One particular focus is technology and equipment, such as state-of-the art bush cameras that can detect and alert park rangers of syndicates and incursions. These poachers usually come in groups of three, in the cover of darkness – a tactic that was highlighted in the previous model, the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sorai, featuring jewel-like tones that recall not only the region’s beautiful sunrises and sunsets, but also highlight this dangerous time of day for the rhino. Other new technology includes lie detector testing in Kruger National Park. Corruption remains a huge issue for poaching, with up to 50 percent of employees affected, says Pietersen. “So when there’s four of you walking out in the bush with guns, you know that at least two are corrupt. It's horrifying,” says Pietersen, who adds that money is further needed to fill growing vacancies with the right people.
This new Hublot x Sorai feels poignantly about the people behind rhino conservation, which also includes Sorai’s partner Care for Wild, a South African grassroots organisation that supports abandoned, injured and orphaned endangered species like the rhino. “This watch is about togetherness – about unity and the people,” says Pietersen, who cites each of the past models: the first that came in earthy tones (paying homage to winter), green (signalling the bush coming alive), to the dawn and dusk colours. “There are different stories that filter through from the start, to where we are now with the brand,” says Pietersen.
A documentary maker and podcaster, Pietersen continues to be driven by the raw reality of rhino conservation. “The stories that I get told, the pictures I get sent, the animals that I've seen dead - the smell from those dead animals. They live with you for a very long time and you almost never get rid of them. That's why partnerships like this are fundamental to making sure numbers continue to drop,” he says. According to the South African government, 229 rhinos were poached in South Africa during the first half of the year; this compares to 231 for the same period in 2023.
“It so real and so authentic – and they are desperate for help,” says Pietersen. “We all see real-life change, which is so important. This is not just a watch.”
