Limited edition series for the wealthy set to make a big impact at soccer's Euro 2008
In the three-and-a-half years since Jean-Claude Biver took over as chief executive at Hublot, the watchmaker has seen considerable expansion. Last year, sales topped 170 million Swiss francs (HK1.25 billion) and this year the company expects to achieve sales of 250 million Swiss francs.
Still, Hublot has big expansion plans. Managing director Ricardo Guadalupe said the watchmaker still had space to grow. 'But the main problem today is to increase capacity. We are building a new factory near Geneva and we plan to produce our own movements from 2009 to 2010, so that is how we intend to increase productivity in the future,' he said.
The recent success is down to its Big Bang series of watches which were launched when Mr Biver came on board. They have become Hublot's iconic pieces and are distinguished by their deliberate fusion of unusual materials with traditional movements.
And while the collection has created a big bang in the watch industry, the watchmaker intends to make another big impact this year in the soccer arena.
At the Basel watch fair, Hublot announced it would be the official timekeeper of next month's Euro 2008 championships. Mr Guadalupe said soccer was becoming attractive to the jet set crowd. 'The very wealthy go to watch games, and Hublot customers are wealthy,' he said. 'The idea is to follow the Hublot client and to see his world.'
