Why Are Hublot Watches So Expensive? -A Detailed Answer


Whether you’re looking for an investment or a new heirloom, purchasing a luxury watch is a great idea. One of the best brands offering luxury watches is none other than Hublot.

The Swiss-found company offers some of the most prestigious watch options in the market. You might be wondering, “Why are Hublot watches expensive?”

Like most luxury brands, big names usually cost extra. Hublot’s case is no different.

Nevertheless, the watchmaker company is more than just a name. It offers uniquely manufactured products using top-of-the-line materials.

Stick around to learn more about what makes Hublot watches expensive and whether they’re worth it.

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What Makes Hublot Watches Expensive?

Is it the material, the design, the name, or everything combined that makes a Hublot so expensive? Let’s find out below

Pricey Materials

Whenever you hear about an expensive product, the first thing that comes to mind might be its high-quality build. Hublot’s watch materials are undoubtedly first-rate, but that’s not all. These materials are rare.

Gold

One of these precious materials is gold. Now, Hublot doesn’t use any regularly-produced gold. The company has created its specialized “Magic Gold” or “King Gold.”

What makes “Magic Gold” so unique is that it is 18 karats and scratch-resistant. Most metals, including gold, aren’t scratch-proof. For Hublot to create durable gold is practically ground-breaking.

This incredible feat in the “Magic Gold” technology involved the assistance of several highly-experienced engineers and scientists.

The first “Magic Gold” watch Hublot created in 2012 and named the Big Bang Ferrari Gold. Ever since then, the luxury company has manufactured around 300 to 350 “Magic Gold” infused watches annually.

This relatively small number of productions has increased demand. This, in turn, naturally raises the watch’s prices even more.

Ceramic

Another unique ingredient added when making Hublot watches is ceramic powder. You’re probably thinking, “ceramic isn’t too expensive.” Well, just like the gold material, Hublot has also uniquely reproduced its ceramic powder.

The manufacturing process for ceramic first involves adding color. Hublot’s standard ceramic watch colors are red, green, blue, yellow, and black. Afterward, the colored powder is pressurized and heated to provide extra protection.

The ceramic-production process took the watchmaking company about four years to perfect. After all, trying to fit such tiny pieces of ceramic in a compact watch can’t be easy.

That being said, the production technique requires lots of distinctive machinery, which, in the end, raises costs.

It also helps that Hublot is one of the few watchmaking companies that actually incorporates ceramic into their designs.

Diamonds

Diamonds are added in some Hublot watch designs. For instance, the Big Bang Steel Diamonds are one of those rare items.

Once again, this is a case of demand and supply. There aren’t enough diamonds to meet the supply of products, making them even more exclusive.

Sapphire Crystal

To cover the watch face, Hublot uses a sapphire crystal. A sapphire crystal is the most scratch-resistant option when it comes to covering the watch face, but such a high-quality material comes with a price.

The lab-grown sapphire crystal used isn’t easy to mill and shape to Hublot’s signature skeletal shape. The material needs a 5-axis CNC machine, which can cost as much as $20,000.

Additionally, the lab-grown sapphire case is also polished with diamond powder to retain its transparency. The milling and polishing process is highly time-consuming and can last up to hundreds of hours in production.

The results of such refined work have allowed Hublot watches to become entirely abrasion-resistant, transparent, and mirror smooth. You’ll be able to look into the minuscule mechanics of the watch.

A sapphire crystal is expected in any luxury watch, but that doesn’t take away that it’s expensive to produce.

Rubber

When you have a “Gold Magic” watch, the first strap pairing you may think of is an oyster, dress leather, or other formal bracelets. Hublot thinks differently. The company combined its gold case with a rubber strapping material.

As unconventional as it may seem, rubber’s inclusion in Hublot’s material list is what kickstarted its “Art of Fusion” campaign. This is what pushed this company forward and allowed it to sell its rare timepieces at such high prices.

Hublonium

Hublonium, named after the company, is a proprietary material exclusively used by Hublot. The main components of hublonium are aluminum and magnesium.

The metal alloy offers its wearer maximum protection from scratches and abrasions. Creating this material can be costly since it’s one of a kind and only produced by Hublot.

Reputation And Name

Most, if not all, luxury names have a celebrity spokesperson. When you think of Dior’s Sauvage, your mind will revert to the actor, Johnny Depp. Hublot similarly strategizes its marketing efforts through the use of high-level influencers.

A few of their brand ambassadors are Usain Bolt, Rohit Sharma, and Bernie Ecclestone. Hublot doesn’t only rely on individual influencers; the company has also taken the Manchester United football team under its wing.

Apart from celebrity-sponsored work, Hublot is also involved with charity organizations. The luxury brand donates to groups like the Smiling Children Foundation and Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE).

All of these campaigns, sponsorships, and donations add up, making Hublot watches more expensive.

Buying Experience

Whenever you go into a store, you typically just browse around, and if something pops your interest, you wait in line to purchase it. When you buy a Hublot watch, you’re also buying the shopping experience itself.

As you enter the store, you’re met with a salesperson taking you through their collection. Along with their explanation, you’re offered sushi, caviar, champagne, and cigars. Most regular stores don’t even allow a milkshake in.

After you’ve made your decision and finalized your purchase, the assistance doesn’t end there. You can get free customer service if you have any issues with the watch later on.

Marketing

We talked a lot about the different ways Hublot stands out. Celebrity endorsement, a luxurious buying experience, charity organizations, and the ‘Art of Fusion’ campaign, just to name a few.

And this is where Hublot really sets itself apart. Hublot is unlike any other Swiss luxury watch brand, as Hublot tends to focus on the ‘new rich’. They market through channels that traditional Swiss luxury brands often ignore. Think of famous rappers, sports teams, and even influencers.

In fact, traditional Swiss luxury watch brands don’t focus on marketing nearly as much as Hublot does. The Hublot name appears much, much more often, and the aggressive marketing really bumps up the price.

Are Hublot Watches Worth It?

After understanding why Hublot watches are expensive, are they worth it in the end? That depends on what you’ll use the watch for.

If you’re getting a Hublot just to get a high-quality watch, then we’d say the craftsmanship, material, reputation, and purchase experience speak for themselves. It’ll be worth it then.

If you’re thinking of reselling it, then you may want to reconsider. The price of reselling a Hublot might not be profitable enough.

All in all, we recommend keeping the watch with you as long as possible. Passing it down as a family tradition will be a sure way of retaining the watch’s value for a lifetime.

Jasper

Jasper has always been a fan of watches. But when he took on a project of restoring a nearly 30-year-old timepiece, he was hooked. Throughout the years, he has learned a lot about horology and shared his passion on Watches of Today!

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