Ferrari and Hublot Celebrate Ferrari’s 60th Anniversary with Weekend Long Party in Beverly Hills
Ferrari celebrated its 60th anniversary with a landmark event on Rodeo Drive: a historic display of the 60 most iconic Prancing Horses ever assembled descended upon Beverly Hills this past Sunday.
A parade of Ferraris down Rodeo Drive was just one of the highlights of the weekend’s celebration. Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman of Hublot and President of the Watch Division of LVMH Group, kicked off the festivities on October 10 by hosting a dinner at the Petersen Auto Museum which culminated with the introduction of the Big Bang Ferrari 60th Anniversary timepiece; the event was attended by Westime founder John Simonian, Westime President Greg Simonian as well as Mr. Fenech, President & CEO of Ferrari North America.
This timepiece was chosen to reflect America’s colors—red, white and blue—and features a black carbon fiber case that showcases the in-house flyback chronograph UNICO movement (can be reset at any time) visible through the sapphire dial. With just a rarity of 60 numbered timepieces available, the case back of the watch also features the discreet legendary Prancing Horse with the exclusive signature “1954-2014: Ferrari celebrates 60 Years in USA.” The UNICO movement can be compared to the best possible engine to power a racing car, and that it was selected, then designed and developed by Hublot to power the Big Bang Ferrari. With no fewer than 330 components, the column wheel and dual horizontal coupling appear on the dial. Frequency of 28’800 vibrations per hour. An indexed crown (with Hublot’s ‘H’ logo automatically positioning itself to remain in line) features elongated push buttons, fixed along a rotating axis like the pedals in a car whilst carbon inserts give the case distinctive look. Each timepiece comes with two interchangeable straps, blue Schedoni leather stitched onto black rubber, with an innovative quick-change system inspired by the safety seatbelt mechanism. The white stitching is a nod to the signature upholstery craftsmanship typical of Ferrari. 72 hours of power reserve, water resistant to 100 meters.
The weekend continued with Ferrari’s 60th Anniversary Gala dinner and auction on Saturday, October 11, where Ferrari collectors and celebrities including Mary J.Blige and Megan Fox were among those who joined Ferrari executives Piero Ferrari, Vice Chairman of Ferrari S.p.A., Mr. Fenech, President & CEO of Ferrari North America and Amadeo Felisa, CEO of Ferrari S.p.A. to toast the history of Ferrari in America. Hublot took part in the gala which also raised funds to benefit “DayBreak” the American branch of the Italian charity whose mission for nearly 25 years has been to advance research towards a cure for rare genetic diseases. Music entertainment was provided by renowned Italian conductor Carlo Ponti Jr. and acclaimed violinist Caroline Campbell.
On Sunday, October 12, Ferrari showcased its history with “Race Through the Decades: 1954 – 2014,” which brought a record-breaking 1000 Ferraris to Beverly Hills, making this celebration one of the largest Ferrari gatherings ever in the company’s history. Highlights on proud display included the Ferrari 308 GTS (“Magnum P.I.”), Testarossa (“Miami Vice”), Steve McQueen‘s Ferrari 275 GTB/4, the 1954 375 MM that won Best in Show at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, as well as a variety of 250 GTO models and the exhibit“Sixty Fabulous Ferraris on Rodeo Drive.”
Guests were able to see Ferrari’s most legendary cars, as they made their way through Beverly Hills’ famed drives under an Hublot-branded clock counter. A Hublot pop-up location allowed guests to browse the most popular Ferrari watches since the two brands first partnered in 2011.
The event also included the global unveiling of the limited-edition F60 America; just 10 copies of this new F60 will be made, and are already sold out. The value of this rare car is roughly estimated at $3.2 million.
Images courtesy of Ferrari U.S.A.
