HUBLOT

Hublot is one of the youngest watch brands on this list, tracing its roots back only to 1980, which makes its high profile and undisputed position in the luxury watch field all the more impressive.  Hublot’s stock-in-trade “Art of Fusion” began with the very first models from brand founder Carlo Crocco, which raised eyebrows as the first gold watches mounted on rubber straps. This combination of high luxury with sporty practicality proved to be a trendsetter for the entire industry and continues to inform Hublot’s identity today. It was former CEO Jean-Claude Biver, who helmed the brand from 2004 to 2014, who oversaw the release of the emblematic Big Bang, whose bold, aggressive design took the brand to the next level. In addition to maintaining its pioneering role in the use of new materials, like high-tech colored ceramics and its proprietary Magic Gold alloy, Hublot has cultivated relationships with a number of high-profile sporting organizations and athletes, including FIFA World Cup soccer, for which the brand is Official Timekeeper, the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, the NBA’s L.A. Lakers, Olympic Sprinter Usain Bolt, and NHL star Alexander Ovechkin, to name just a few. Hublot has also created some groundbreaking inventions on the technical side, such as the La Ferrari Tourbillon, which stores an astounding 50 days of power reserve in 11 mainspring barrels.

Founded: 1980

Headquarters: Nyon, Switzerland

Ownership: LVMH Group

Notable models: Big Bang, Classic Fusion, Spirit of Big Bang

Did you know: The word “Hublot” means “porthole” in French; the brand name is derived from the design of the Hublot case and bezel, which was influenced by a porthole in a submarine.