Hublot makes football it’s horological playground – Announcing the new Premier League Official Timekeeper
What is it: Hublot is set to become the Premier League Official Timekeeper
Why: ‘Hublot Loves Footbal’
When released: From the start of the 2020/21 season
Where: England
Who is it for: For football fans and lovers of the brand
How does it do: I reckon it’s a brilliant play on the part of the young brand. Hublot already has a noteworthy 16-year long association with the sport of football, and this partnership will only cement the brand’s legacy as an expert and innovative watchmaker.
On Pelé’s official Instagram page, there is a quote by Ronald Reagan on Pelé: “My name is Ronald Reagan, I’m the President of the United States of America. But you don’t need to introduce yourself, because everyone knows who Pelé is”. That has been the power of one of the sports leading performers and the sport he represents: football.
Coming to the present age, Christian Mate Pulisic, a current American professional soccer player who plays for the Premier League club Chelsea and the United States national team is known to have said that the “Premier League is an unbelievable league”. In the world of football, the Premier League is an institution; it is the world’s most-watched football league. It then comes as no surprise that to become the Premier League Official Timekeeper is a moment worth celebrating.
Pelé, Maradona, Beckham, Zidane, Ronaldo, Messi, and now Hublot – these are just some of the names that have helped spread the love of the game of football — or soccer if you may — throughout the world.
Football in its current state arose in England in the middle of the 19th century. It’s a cherished, much loved and popular game. One of its various formats is the Premier League. Also referred to as the English Premier League or the EPL, it is the top level of the English football league system that is contested by 20 clubs. And officially sponsoring this mega-gig is the Swiss watch industry’s 40-year old virgin legend-in-the-making brand, Hublot, that is defined by its innovation which began with the highly original combination of gold and rubber.
The latest Premier League Official Timekeeper Hublot is owned by LVMH, and for the last four years, another LVMH brand TAG Heuer held that position. The Official Timekeeper for the League title may have changed hands from one company to another, but it has still remained within the LVMH group.
Says Stéphane Bianchi, LVMH Watch and Jewelry CEO: “Following a very successful four-year partnership with the Premier League, TAG Heuer is gradually refocusing its investments on its core areas of sponsorship: motor sports and speed and precision sports. However, the Premier League is a fantastic platform which will further enhance Hublot’s already impressive football portfolio, and we are delighted to be able to retain this important partnership within the LVMH Watchmaking Division”.
Bianchi I reckon is right; in my personal opinion, this is a good move for the group as Hublot is more associated with the sport of soccer than TAG Heuer. After all, Hublot under its ‘Hublot Loves Football’ campaign has been associated with the sport since 2006 when by becoming the Sponsor of the Swiss National Football Team, it became the first luxury brand to enter into a partnership in football. This moment has paved the way to a remarkable journey since, with some key moments seeing Hublot as the Official Timekeeper for FIFA World Cup™ (Men’s) in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Not just as a sponsor, partner, or the Premier League Official Timekeeper, Hublot is also actively involved in making exceptional timepieces especially dedicated to the sport. The brand recently released the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph in a satin-finished and polished blue ceramic case (reference 525.EX.0170.RX.UCL20) that marked the collaboration between Hublot and the return of the UEFA Champions League. Featuring the calibre HUB1155, this self-winding chronograph comprised of 207 components, 60 jewels & beat at the frequency of 4Hz (28’800 A/h) allowing for an okay 42-hour power reserve. The limited edition of xx/100 Classic Fusion watch face showed the functions of hours, minutes, seconds, date and a chronograph on a skeletonised and transparent sapphire dial with blackened bridges. As a nod to the collaboration, a Champions League logo was printed at 3’o clock.
Coming back to the new announcement, as the Premier League Official Timekeeper, Hublot will get to be at the centre of the limelight in more ways than one:
- The brand will time every match pitch-side and on TV screens all over the world
- Its logo will sit alongside the on-screen graphic showing the match score and time
- The iconic Hublot Big Bang Unico-shaped Referee Board will be held up by the fourth official to signal extra time and substitutions
- The Premier League referees will also time matches using a Hublot Big Bang luxury smartwatch, which includes goal-line technology. Most likely it will be the new Hublot Big Bang e that was released recently this year as part of the regular production. Coming in a wearable size of 42×12.8mm, it should help Hublot establish itself as a major player in the luxury smartwatch sector. This black ceramic or titanium cased timepiece bears the brand’s trademark “sandwich” case construction and inside it beats with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 as its core processor
- Between matches, Hublot will feature on all of the Premier League’s digital platforms
“The Premier League is one of the most difficult in the world. There’s five, six, or seven clubs that can be the champions. Only one can win, and all the others are disappointed and live in the middle of disaster,” once said Jürgen Norbert Klopp, the Manager of Premier League club Liverpool and current title holder.
As intense as the game maybe, trust Hublot to be successfully at its side, helming the crucial task of timing these historic moments.
All images unless separately specified are courtesy © 2018 HUBLOT – ALL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS RESERVED. To find out more about this news and other Hublot watches, please head to their website here. You can also visit the Premier League website here to find out more about this and other football-related news.
