Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe takes us through the art of fusion, and how clever marketing can build a bright future for traditional watchmaking.
The post Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe On the Brand Being a Trend Maker appeared first on LUXUO.

The contemporary marketing machine that powers Swiss fine watchmaking is, arguably, inextricably linked with the story of Hublot. Famously, the brand emerged from what was then a shocking idea: what if you combined gold with rubber in a luxury timepiece" Such watches are everywhere these days, from the most storied watchmakers to independents working with a completely classical mien. This fact alone was not enough to turn Hublot into the powerhouse it is today, with approximately 60,000 watches produced annually; the brand is one of the most prominent faces of Swiss watchmaking today, what with it being the official timekeeper of the FIFA World Cup, which you cannot have missed, even if you are not interested in the football (and call it soccer). 
While all watch collectors associate Hublot with its former boss, the magnetic Jean-Claude Biver, its success is the result of the work of an entire team, one of whom is the current CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. Enticed by Biver to join him at Hublot in 2004, Guadalupe has been at the brand for all its hits, including the explosive trendsetter that was the Big Bang in 2005 and the controversial marketing campaign featuring former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone in 2010. That last one was ...