Hublot and Italia Independent Come Together In Paris For A Big Bang!
Following the presentation at Baselworld of the Big Bang Unico Italia Independent, Swiss watch brand Hublot and Italia Independent Group eyewear and lifestyle products were in Paris last night to officially launch the new timepiece that is another creative result of the friendship between Jean-Claude Biver and Italia Independent Chairman of the Board Lapo Elkann, a relationship that started in 2011 with the Ferrari collaboration.
Customers, collectors, French and international press, retailers and other friends gathered to celebrate the event in the posh 16th district on the right bank of the Seine at the smart and trendy Monsieur Bleu restaurant facing the Eiffel Tower.
“Blue is Lapo Elkann’s favorite color,” explained Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe as he welcomed the crowd at the press conference that preceded the soirée in an atmosphere of blue light that became brighter and bolder as the daylight faded, (almost) outshining the Eiffel tower across the river!
Highlighting the unique and creative personalities of Jean-Claude Biver and Lapo Elkann, Guadalupe stressed upon their shared values of loyalty and sensitivity, with the desire to create and communicate emotions in their products. Elkann added that “it is important to make objects more personal, to make them become personal belongings.”
“This is not a collaboration just to gain public attention,” added Italia Independent CEO Andrea Tessitore in an exclusive interview. “Both companies want substance and concrete objects with a real story.”
The real story behind this collaboration is to explore new territories by associating and delivering together two products : a timepiece and sunglasses, that are both covered with a new material exclusive to Hublot : Texalium®, an aluminium – coated carbon fibre that gives extra brilliance and colour variations. They both come in a striking unique blue or grey colour, with 500 pieces of each.
The superb advertising visual that conveys both emotion and concrete substance, showing Elkann surrounded by his favourite colour blue, was created by Chinese fashion photographer Chen Man, who will be shooting the next Pirelli calendar.
Ricardo Guadalupe expects the Hublot Big Bang Unico Italia Independent will take “about one year, not even,” before they are all sold, so collectors will have to be quick.
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When asked why the Swiss and Italian brands chose to launch the timepiece in Paris, Guadalupe exclaimed that « Paris is essential ! Indispensable in the world of fashion. And the Place Vendôme, where we have one of our boutiques, conveys an image that shines throughout the world ! »
Photo Credit: Julio Piatti and Haute Time (Watch Shots). For more information, please visit the official Hublot website. Follow Haute Time on Instagram to catch all of the new releases as they happen.
