June 15, 2018 [Saint-Petersburg] – Today in Saint-Petersburg, Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, Alexander Reebok, General Manager of Mercury, Hublot’s long-standing business partner in Russia, and Russian contemporary artist Andrey Bartenev, who created the Swiss luxury watchmaker symbol for the 21st FIFA World CupTM – the emblematic Matriochka with a Hublot football at its heart painted and decorated by the artist – celebrated altogether the grand opening of the first Hublot Boutique in Saint Petersburg, the so called “Venice of the North”.
Following one year since the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Metropol Boutique and the revamp of the historical TSUM boutique, Hublot cements with this third opening, its willingness to expand in Russia.
This new Boutique is located within the renowned DLT, Dom Leningradskoi Torgovli, meaning the House of Leningrad Trade, the oldest department store in Saint-Petersburg, which is a stone’s throw away from the famous Ermitage Museum and the iconic onion domes of the Church of Savior on Blood.
This 26-square-meter space reflects the brand’s approach to fusing a wide range of materials; from black ash wood to grey alcantara. Touches of colour adorn the walls and the Boutique’s windows: freely inspired from the Hublot Big Bang collection, the Pop Art paintings exhibit the brand’s philosophy pioneering luxury innovation spirit and the ‘Art of Fusion’. This brand-new space features a curated selection of Hublot most recent watch collections, including the Russia exclusive limited edition Classic Fusion Chronograph 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.
This new edition captures perfectly the excitement of football with the integrated football shaped second counter at 3 o’clock and the official event emblem at 6 o’clock. The Red, White and Blue accents featured on the watch draw proud inspiration from Russia’s national colours. Indeed, 2018 is a milestone year for Hublot in Russia. Not only has the brand opened its third Boutique in the country but also celebrates the beginning of the 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM, a competition of which Hublot is the Official Timekeeper and has truly engrained into the worldwide viewing experience with the 4
th Referee board and with the introduction of the Big Bang Referee FIFA World Cup RussiaTM, the first Hublot Smart Watch integrating full GoalLine technology and featured on the wrists of the official referees throughout the competition.
Russian artist Andrey Bartenev, who created the Official Hublot Matriochka and Official Hublot Football for the 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM, declared: “I am incredibly proud to have been asked to partner with Hublot to create such important pieces of iconography for the 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM, representing my home land and showcasing our culture for the world. There is little to rival the sheer joy of seeing your team win, while experiencing this excitement with millions of fans tuning in on television or watching live from Russia. This is the feeling I wanted to convey through the Hublot Matriochka and football.”
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, declared: “I am delighted to celebrate the opening of our first Saint-Petersburg Boutique. Russia is not only one of Hublot key business markets but also the 2018 host country of the most-watched sporting event in the world, the FIFA World CupTM. We are very proud to open this boutique during this Football’s most elite tournament. For us, it is undoubtedly a double celebration!”
CLASSIC FUSION CHRONOGRAPH 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA™
Technical Specifications:
Reference: 521.NX.7139.LR.MER18
Limitation: SPECIAL EDITION XX/100
Diameter: 45 mm
Thickness: 13.05 mm
Water Resistant: 5 ATM (50m)
Case: Polished and satin-finished titanium
Bezel: Polished and satin-finished titanium
Bezel Lug: white composite resin
Screws « H »: Polished titanium
Glass: Sapphire with anti-reflective treatment
Crown: Polished titanium with engraved HUBLOT logo
Pushers: Polished titanium
Case back: Satin-finished titanium engraved “SPECIAL EDITION” + “XX/100”
Case back Glass: Sapphire with interior anti-reflective treatment
Dial: Blue sunray satin-finished + “FIFA WORLD CUP” logo printed at 6.00 and ball
printed at 3.00
Polished rhodium-plated appliques
Hands: Polished rhodium-plated hands
Polished rhodium-plated hands and red lacquered chronograph second hand
Movement: Caliber Hublot HUB1143
Type: Self-winding Chronograph movement
Dimensions: Dia. 30 mm (131/4’’’); Thickness 6.9 mm
Date: Window at 6.00
No of Components: 280
Jewels: 59
Frequency: 4 Hz (28’800 A/h)
Power reserve: 42 Hours
Strap: White rubber and blue alligator with red and white stitching
Buckle: Stainless steel deployant buckle clasp
