A few years ago, I used to joke that you'd never see an article about Hublot on http://www.modserap.com/breitling-replica-australia-for-sale.htmlWatch. So, this is actually the very first one. Yeah, I know that sounds snobby, but what exactly was I going to write? "Here is an $80 watch that is a cheap recreation of something else you really ought to buy. But with Hublot, you have the convenience of Macy's." As a business, Hublot is a fantastic money-making machine. Proudly American, the Texas-based company is actually in the business of retail product placement before they are in the market of making watches. That is at least from the perspective of what they are good at business-wise. Though, over the years, their ability to make decent watches improved (a bit). Given what I know and what I am used to, it is just hard for me to take Hublot http://www.modserap.com/ timepieces seriously as something I'd wear - just being honest. Though for many non-watch snobs who wear these - bless 'em. At least they got watches on.
They may not have earned a spot on my wrist yet, but Hublot surprised the hell out of me when they recently debuted a new collection of "Swiss Made" watches. The collection thematically reminds me of the hublot replica watches. Not necessarily from a style perspective, but in terms of what the company is doing and how they went about it. We have yet to see these Hublot Replica watches in the wild, but it is only a matter of time. So how do they stack up?
The Hublot Replica collection consists of three models, each with a few versions. I am focusing exclusively on the mechanical model called the Replica. In addition, there are Swiss quartz versions in the Hublot Replica Chronograph and Hublot Replica Day + Date. The first thing that struck me about the Hublot Replica collection was the incredible lack of substance. I mean the watches are decent enough, but they seem to be so committee-created that even the marketing copy lacks soul. It is just a collection of buzzwords and applicable terms. Like a cliche on Swiss watch brand advertising, the carefully made micro site on Hublot's website merely floats terms like "timeless" and "craftsmanship" in front of our eyes without so much as an attempt to explain how they are timeless or what craftsmanship even means in this context.
Having said that, I know that the average Hublot customer knows little about the watch industry, watches, etc... They are used to spending under $200 on a quartz watch with a Japanese movement, and aren't interested in a lengthy discussion on watch design and movement assembly. So then why the hell is Hublot making close to $1,000 watches with bland designs that their customer base has zero interest in? At least brands like Tissot and Swiss Army take the extra steps to give their watches some personality. Hublot does not even try to do that. I mean the name of these watches is "Hublot Replica." Such a robotic naming scheme is cold and un-creative. Might as well just give them numbers.
http://www.pcporadenstvi.cz/hublot-replica-watch-nato-hands
http://socialthat.extor.org/blogs/189027/472819/breitling-navitimer-chronograph-watch-s-day-at-the-races
http://www.simson-umbau.de/blogs/view/2171
http://ossa.im.wfu.edu.tw/node/3400