What have your priorities been since you took the helm at Hublot in September 2024?
Hublot is a brand I had been tracking and with which I was well acquainted, as it has always been disruptive. When I arrived, my first priority was to meet with our clients, retailers, the media and of course our employees within the subsidiaries in order to take stock of the situation. This was all the more essential given that the economic climate had become more complex during the course of last year – and that is indeed sometimes the right time to call things into question.
What did you learn from these encounters?
Hublot's founder Carlo Crocco had a very disruptive approach – immediately signaled by the groundbreaking use of rubber on a luxury gold watch – which Jean-Claude Biver then accentuated with a series of initiatives ensuring that the brand would always be ahead of the pack, unique and different. I think Hublot is disruptive by nature, yet its growth has in some ways been accompanied by a certain degree of normalization. By way of example, its advertising campaigns used to be totally crazy but lately have become standardized, simply highlighting the product. Everyone remembers the holograms and raptor display cases in the boutiques that only Hublot dared use, yet they've now become admittedly elegant but unsurprising. So we have to cultivate this difference. I believe this dynamic is essential to the brand's growth and it was the very first decision I made.
What is the outlook for 2025?
Somewhat more positive than 2024. First of all, I would like to be optimistic and as it happens, the end of 2024 and the start of 2025 have been better than expected. I'm working on the assumption that the economic context will remain complicated during the year, but that it will improve and that our redeployment will give Hublot the momentum required to make a success of the year despite the economic situation – with a real upturn in 2026.
What did you learn from LVMH Watch Week?
These meetings in New York and Paris with our ecosystem of partners reinforced my idea of sharing ideas on our actions and vision for the brand, particularly with Hublot aficionados. We're going to draw even closer to our Hublotista community and our retailers, because within this complicated world where watch sales are suffering overall, we need to strengthen our trust capital. LVMH Watch Week also gives us an opportunity to make ourselves heard at the start of the year, even though we'll be celebrating 20 years of the Big Bang at Watches and Wonders.
How will you celebrate this 20th anniversary?
First and foremost through products, naturally. We've been working on some exceptional commemorative timepieces inspired by what made it such a success in 2005, as well as by the brand’s key elements over the last 20 years – all driven by the goal of fusing them and propelling the Big Bang into the upcoming years. A very fine product is in the offing, in addition to some anniversary collector's models, including a number of one-offs. Symbolically, our Watches and Wonders booth will shake things up: the Big Bang will be strongly present and everyone will be surprised and take note that something is happening at Hublot.
Above and beyond Hublot’s cherished fusion concept, how do you instill emotion?
The emotional aspect has always played a key role in Hublot's communications and I have 50 projects on the table relating to it. We've given a lot of thought to various means of channeling emotion at Hublot, means that have accompanied its high points. This has led us to define three territories linked to Hublot's emotional dimension: music (everyone remembers Depeche Mode), sport (our presence alongside Djokovic or at the Euro soccer tournament was a great help) and art. We're even going to create an art gallery in the new wing of our factory, which is currently under construction. At the same time, we're launching a Hublotista World Tour to share emotions and experiences in the field.
Your expertise in sapphire and ceramic pieces is exceptional. Is this a selling point?
More than ever, as once again it’s an integral part of the brand. Hublot was a forerunner in this area and is perceived as highly innovative in materials, but many others are entering this field. Hublot is also seen as a strong marketing force, yet sometimes receives criticism for its watchmaking skills – which turns out to be completely unfounded, as I can personally confirm as someone with a background in traditional watch brands. We need to remedy this underestimation of Hublot's watchmaking substance, which is entirely on a par with some of the great Manufactures.
What is your movement strategy?
We have already decided to strengthen it very significantly, by working only with the cream of high-end calibers and by communicating on a very strong watchmaking foundation. Our Unico and Meca-10 movements will grow in importance – including with the construction of the new Manufacture premises – as will the use of the El Primero caliber that already equips certain models. Hublot has always been transparent about using this legendary Zenith movement and we can also be proud of our watchmakers and the feats they achieve in our workshops. The strength of our marketing and our innovative DNA in no way detracts from our watchmaking expertise; it's up to us to highlight it more effectively.
