Hublot And Roy Hodgson Celebrate England Manager’s 66th Birthday With New “King Power 66 Hodgson” (Exclusive Photos)
Last night, Hublot celebrated Roy Hodgson’s 66th birthday by releasing the “King Power 66 Hodgson,” at the Hublot Boutique in New Bond Street, in London. Haute Time UK attended the event and spoke to Mr. Hodgson about his new watch.
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, presented Roy Hodgson, the Manager of the England National football team, with a watch created and named in his honour.
Roy Hodgson, who coached in Switzerland during his managerial career, joined the Hublot family a few years ago, and came to visit the Hublot factory in Switzerland last year with his family.
The idea to collaborate was hatched from Roy’s son, Christopher, who also collaborated with Hublot on the design of this amazing piece.
“Dad and I are massive fans of the Hublot brand,” said Christopher. “Their extraordinary vision, fusion of materials, and marketing expertise is truly amazing, and one of the great success stories.
The presentation was followed by a tour and a dinner at the House of Commons.
Mr. Hodgson said it was an honor to be joining an exclusive group of friends and ambassadors of the brand, including the King Pelé, José Mourinho and Falcao to name a few in the football field.
He added that 1966 was an important year for every one in England, and that he hopes the new addition to the squad would bolster the chances of bringing the trophy back from Brazil.
The King Power was developed especially for the football fans, equipped with a chronograph movement that features two chronograph hands positioned in the centre in addition to the hour and minute hands.
This makes it easier to read and therefore quicker and more efficient. The wearer can keep track of both hands at a glance; the first indicates the seconds, and the other hand, specially developed when watching a game, indicates the time elapsed out of the 45 minutes in each half.
With a sapphire dial, the movement – here in an Aero Bang version – features an exquisite new skeleton movement to reveal even more of the working parts of the watch and its fine mechanics. The topside retains only the material necessary for it to function. This is coated with black ruthenium for a beautiful overall effect of homogeneity, and clearer reading. A minute track, a time counter at 9 o’clock and a date window at 4 o’clock all feature on the predominantly white and red piece, which is stamped with the famous English flag.
Much attention has been lavished on the King Power case, which is 48 mm diameter in highly shock-resistant black carbon fiber. The moulded black rubber crown made of King Gold is flanked by two push-buttons in red and white rubber. In a final reference to Roy Hodgson, and adding an attractive touch to the piece, the caseback is engraved with the English victory emblem and has the Manager’s signature.
Each watch comes with a certificate guaranteeing its authenticity and three interchangeable straps made of alligator and rubber, red, white and black with a deployant buckle.
The Hublot “King Power 66 Hodgson” will be a Limited Edition of 66 pieces to commemorate the year England won the World Cup, and will be available at Hublot’s New Bond Street boutique, at £18,500.
The “King Power 66 Hodgson” is Hublot’s latest football collaboration. The brand was the first luxury brand to become involved in football in 2006, and it has since continued to strengthen its presence in the world of professional football.
Hublot currently works very closely with a number of famous clubs, including Bayern Munich in Germany, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus Turin in Italy and Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
This summer, Hublot will collaborate with FIFA as Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the FIFA World Cup™
Photos courtesy of Haute Time and Hublot
