Forty-six years after Carlo Crocco challenged Swiss watchmaking conventions, Hublot returns to where it all began with the Classic Fusion Tributo
The Classic Fusion by Hublot has always been something of an oxymoron. In fact, some would argue that calling anything the provocateur and boundary-pushing maison rolls out ‘classic’ should come with a wink and a knowing smile. It’s difficult, after all, to name many maisons with quite the same penchant for experimentation and expressive designs.
And when it comes to the Classic Fusion, the watch that started it all, why would you expect anything different? First unveiled by founder Carlo Crocco at the Basel Fair in 1980 under the MDM Genève name, the timepiece was a rebel from the start.
Like a guest who turns up to a black-tie affair in blazer and jeans, it paired the opulence of gold with the less-than-glamorous appeal of rubber. It was an unlikely marriage of materials that raised more than a few eyebrows among the Swiss watchmaking establishment.
With its porthole-inspired case, minimalist dial and unconventional rubber strap, the original Hublot was a porthole window into the future of watchmaking. Since then, we’ve seen the Classic Fusion reinterpreted in myriad materials and expressions, and even turn the very notion of timekeeping on its head with the Classic Fusion Titanium Retroverse.
Now, with the new Classic Fusion Tributo, we’ve come full circle. Housed in a more contemporary 38mm case, compared to the original’s 36mm, the refreshed interpreation is offered in yellow and white gold, complete with the same minimalist black dial, twelve screws adorning the bezel and, of course, the rubber strap that caused such a stir all those years ago.
Indeed, for a maison that rarely misses an opportunity to push the envelope, Hublot has been restrained with the Tributo. The twelve bezel screws serve as hour markers in the absence of conventional indices, while a discreet date window sits at 3 o’clock. Even the exposed lugs and absence of the maison’s convenient One Click strap-changing system are deliberate nods to the original construction. The result is a watch that looks remarkably familiar, albeit one that has benefited from 46 years of refinement.
While both versions share the same design language, each brings a subtle difference to the table. The yellow gold iteration stays closest to Crocco’s original vision, sporting a black lacquered dial with a subtle charcoal effect. At 6 o’clock, the gold MDM signature makes a welcome return, a nod to the MDM Genève name under which the very first Hublot was introduced. The white gold version, meanwhile, is a decidedly dressier affair. Inspired by the elegance of Italian tailoring, it swaps the lacquered dial for polished black onyx, with black-plated bezel screws lending the watch a more understated, almost monochromatic aesthetic.
Of course, while the exterior may be a faithful throwback, it’s a different story beneath the surface. Where the original Hublot was powered by a quartz movement, the Classic Fusion Tributo now houses the HUB1711 Manufacture self-winding calibre with 50 hours of power reserve. Forty-six years on, the Classic Fusion Tributo is proof that while Hublot has never been one to play by the rules, some things are worth keeping just the way they are.
