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Chief happy to take lead role

It is interesting that the most down-to-earth chief executive I have ever met is the head of a luxury watch brand. Sitting at Cafe Landmark with his sleeves rolled up to the elbow, Jean-Claude Biver, chief executive of Hublot watches, seemed ready for anything.

Visibly enjoying the touch of different materials Hublot is famous for using, he lifted up the large watches made of ceramic, kevlar, tantalum, steel or gold, with their trademark rubber straps.

'The trend in the next few years will be big watches. Even women are starting to wear big watches. [The deluxe watch industry] used to be very traditional. The new generation watches will be a fusion between tradition, the past and future - fusion, which in architecture is already present, now comes into watches.'

He added that lightness is another direction which is already present in the car, phone and other industries. 'Light is the name of the game, super light,' he said.

The brand, originally created by Carlo Crocco who in 1980 had the idea of modelling the watch in the shape of a porthole (hublot means porthole in French) and using rubber for the strap, was put under the care of Mr Biver in 2004.

He has given 'fusion' a new meaning by combining unusual materials such as magnesium with kevlar or white ceramic with steel to make watch cases.

'I want to give my personality and my soul to the watches,' Mr Biver said. 'I want people to copy me, to take inspiration. If nobody wants to follow us, we cannot be leaders.'

The 2005 relaunch of the brand with Hublot's Big Bang chronograph revitalised it and ever since, Mr Biver has kept his eyes firmly on future trends to ensure success in the long run.

Extension, he said, must come from creativity, new materials and new technology, not new lines.

'I believe in creativity. Creativity is my religion. You must remain creative to stay connected,' he said. 'I believe in change and evolution, and try to capture elements that help my business.'

One of the best ways for him to stay creative and connected are his five children who tell him about the needs and trends of the younger generation. 'We are doing well because we address the needs of the new generation. A client in Japan told me: 'I am 90 years old. I bought this watch to be connected with the future'.'

A big fan of the internet, he spends at least an hour a day chatting with collectors on the four websites which are devoted to watches, and he uses this as a resource for feedback. He has also put Hublot on the virtual site Second Life, where he spent more than HK$3million on an island, beach club and sailing boats - to be at the cutting edge of technology and marketing.

In sharp contrast to some luxury brands which strictly target the ultra-rich, Mr Biver believes in the benefits of targeted and mass marketing.

He said, 'We need to communicate. I don't necessarily need to be known only by people who can afford [my product].

'It doesn't damage the Rolls-Royce [brand] if people know it ... in luxury you can be targeted if you want people to buy and not targeted if you want people to know.'

Mr Biver's next challenge is to make the brand successful in the long term as he is well aware that in success there are always the seeds of failure.

'The challenge is to keep the humbleness and fighting spirit,' he said. He seems to be doing both extremely well.

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