Hublot is not new to concrete as a material in watchmaking. The Swiss watchmaker first combined concrete with luxury watchmaking some five years back. Back then cement found presence only on the bezel of the watch. With some further toiling with concrete, the watchmaker has now launched the Concrete Jungle New York watch, which has the case, bezel and even the dial made from concrete.
Drawing inspiration from grit, fervor, and of course the building material of the New York City, this namesake special edition watch is designed well in time for the holiday season. The idea of launching the watch at this time of the year is to “end the year” (which has been the worst in a century for the human race) “with a bang.”
The bold style statement
Hublot Classic Fusion Concrete Jungle New York watch is made from composite of concrete and is strapped to a rubber band that also matches the NYC ethos. To extended the use of concrete from the bezel to the case and dial Hublot’s design team has used up to 75-percent of cement mixed with up to 25-percent of epoxy resin instead of water (a standard for mixing cement) and up to 10 percent of fiberglass.
Since epoxy resin contains anti-UV additive, the watch will not lose color over time, making it an everlasting design. Concrete Jungle New York is a 45mm watch – its gray dial, bezel, and case are complemented by black ceramic crown and pushers.
Movement and availability
Hublot powers the Classic Fusion Concrete Jungle New York watch with an in-house self-winding HUB1143 caliber chronograph movement. The watch is made water-resistant up to 50 meters.
The $18,800 watch is limited to just 50 pieces. It will be initially available exclusively at Hublot’s Fifth Avenue flagship boutique before going live in other Hublot boutiques in the US.