Hublot proudly presents the Classic Fusion Gold Crystal. A watch whose dial boasts the rarest form of gold on Earth: gold crystal.
"Every one of our Classic Fusion Gold Crystal watches is unique, truly one of a kind. A fusion of matter and design that is made possible through our mastery of the complex production process. We have been able to reproduce gold in its rarest form on earth: gold crystal. From the dawn of time to the dial of our watches, thanks to our wonderful Swiss environment, gold will always fascinate us. Here we can see it in its most beautiful and magical expression."
Ricardo Guadalupe
CEO Hublot
Unique, delicate and flamboyant, the dial of the Classic Fusion Gold Crystal is decorated with gold crystal made from flakes of gold. Like a precious work of art, which needs to be framed, the dial is fitted into the black ceramic case of a Classic Fusion Gold Crystal watch, available in 38 mm or 45 mm diameters. It houses the HUB1112 calibre, a mechanical movement with automatic winding and a 42-hour power reserve. A black alligator strap stitched onto rubber allows you to wear this rare object on your wrist.
Gold crystal, the rarest form of gold on Earth
Gold has always intrigued mankind. To understand this love of the yellow metal, you need to dig deep, deep in the history of time and our planet. Gold has been part of the Universe since shortly after its birth with the Big Bang. This means that all of the atoms on the Earth have been here since it was formed, some 4.6 billion years ago. A long time after, nearly 50 million years ago, auriferous veins appeared following the formation of mountain chains. Under the surface of the Earth, water wended its way, carrying with it mineral salts and metals that were deposited in conducive spots. These metals included gold. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, glaciers eroded the igneous rock that held these gold-bearing veins. Carried away by the water in rivers, the gold was then deposited on river-beds.
When it is collected, the gold is in the form of flakes. The conditions required to form a crystal are very rare, and gold crystals scarcely occur in nature. This is where Hublot’s engineers come into play by giving gold its most exclusive form: gold crystal.
The Research and Development Department at the Hublot manufacture heats gold in the purest form possible—24 carats—to melting point, which creates emanations of gold that we could compare to steam carrying atoms of gold. These particles rise through this emanation, then set in a crystalline form when they reach the cold surface. They agglomerate there as crystals with completely random shapes that are never the same twice.
The master dial maker then delicately picks up the crystals to lay them on the dial, cluster by cluster. Only 20% of these crystals are kept. Once they have been sorted, they are very delicately placed by hand on a black dial then imprisoned in a fine transparent lacquer that took years to develop. This is a complex operation as it must be carried out in a vacuum to avoid any air bubbles appearing. The process is repeated again and again as twenty different layers of lacquer must be applied to completely hold the crystals. Then this plate just needs to be polished to make the lacquer invisible and give a perfectly flat surface.
HUBLOT
Founded in Switzerland in 1980, HUBLOT is defined by its innovation, which began with the highly original combination of gold and rubber. This "Art of Fusion" stems from the imagination of its visionary Chairman, Jean-Claude Biver, and has been driven forward by CEO Ricardo Guadalupe since 2012.
The release of the iconic, multi-award-winning Big Bang in 2005 paved the way for new flagship collections (Classic Fusion, Spirit of Big Bang), with complications ranging from the simple to the highly sophisticated, establishing the extraordinary DNA of the Swiss watchmaking house and ensuring its impressive growth.
Keen to preserve its traditional and cutting-edge expertise, and guided by its philosophy to "Be First, Different and Unique", the Swiss watchmaker is consistently ahead of the curve, through its innovations in materials (scratch-resistant Magic Gold, ceramics in vibrant colours, sapphire), and the creation of Manufacture movements (Unico, Meca-10, Tourbillon).
HUBLOT is fully committed to creating a Haute Horlogerie brand with a visionary future: a future which is fused with the key events of our times (FIFA World CupTM, UEFA Champions LeagueTM, UEFA EUROTM and Ferrari) and the finest ambassadors our era has to offer (Kylian Mbappé, Usain Bolt, Pelé).
Discover the HUBLOT universe at our network of boutiques located in key cities across the globe: Geneva, Paris, London, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Zurich and at HUBLOT.com