Hublot

Hublot was founded in 1980 by Italian entrepreneur Carlo Crocco, a scion of the Binda Group watchmaking dynasty. After leaving his family's company in 1976, Crocco moved to Switzerland and established MDM Genève, creating a revolutionary watch named 'Hublot' (French for 'porthole') that featured the first natural rubber strap in watchmaking history. Despite a lukewarm reception at its 1980 Basel Watch Fair debut, the brand quickly achieved commercial success with over $2 million in sales during its first year. The brand's transformation into a major luxury powerhouse began in 2004 when legendary watch executive Jean-Claude Biver joined as CEO. Under his leadership, Hublot unveiled the iconic Big Bang chronograph in 2005, which won multiple prestigious awards including the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix Design Prize. Sales exploded from 24 million Swiss francs in 2004 to nearly 100 million by 2006. In April 2008, luxury conglomerate LVMH acquired Hublot, integrating it into their prestigious watch portfolio alongside TAG Heuer and Zenith. The acquisition enabled significant investment in manufacturing capabilities and the development of in-house movements like the UNICO caliber. Today, Hublot operates over 169 boutiques worldwide and has established major partnerships with FIFA World Cup, Formula 1, Ferrari, and numerous elite football clubs.