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| Courtesy of MDM/HUBLOT |
Remember him? For many folks out there, there was no Hublot before Jean-Claude Biver. And when you compare Hublot BB (before Biver) and AB (after Biver) you really can't dispute that. He has done something amazing.
But gentle reader, way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth (1980), Mr. Crocco conceived the idea of the "porthole watch". And the rest, as they say, is history.
But what history sometimes neglects is how it was that Mr. Biver came to Hublot in the first place. Mr. Crocco was, more and more, getting involved in charity. And he had created a foundation to help children in need around the world. And he wanted to focus on THAT!
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| Photo shamelessly borrowed |
Now I accept the fact that I am a monumental pain in the ass, I nag brands for donations to causes, I will even resort to using shame if I think it will work. But what the world DOES NOT NEED is another dim-witted, short-sighted celebrity tie in with a gift watch to someone who can afford hundreds of them.
No, what the world needs is another Carlo Crocco.
Hublot, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, owes much of its success to Jean-Claude Biver, who transformed the brand after joining in 2004. However, it was founder Carlo Crocco who first conceived the idea of the "porthole watch" in 1980. Crocco's charitable foundation, which helps children in need around the world, was the reason Biver joined the company. Unlike many other luxury brands, Hublot focuses on giving back to the community rather than celebrity endorsements.
ReplyDeleteWeellllll - yes and no ; ) Hublot (the brand) was for quite some time one the most aggressive of all brands when it came to celebrity partners. In truth, with at least 7 sports ambassadors, 10 art & music ambassadors, several "Lifestyle" ambassadors. So that's about 20. With a whopping 3 "social responsibility" partnerships - one of which is only watch - let's be honest, Only watch is charitable in concept, but more and more has devolved into a PR exercise. As regards the reasons for Mr. Biver to join Hublot, I doubt very seriously it was his kind, giving nature that motivated the move, but rather the business opportunities that he saw. Nothing wrong with that, by the way, but partnering with FIFA, a boxer accused of spousal battery, and several other dubious partnerships is not really what most people would call "giving back to the community".
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