2017 is set to be well and truly the year of the prancing horse, as Ferrari’s extraordinary story enters its seventh decade. The company’s history has been marked by its outstanding achievements in competition, together with the unparalleled range of sports cars it has created over the years. Hublot watches have been linked with this motoring legend for five years now, and in fact the partnership has just been extended. It’s a meeting of minds between two brands in search of absolute excellence: a perfect union between the two worlds of motoring and watchmaking.
On September 9, Ferrari celebrated its 70th anniversary in Maranello, during which an auction featuring exceptional cars and accessories emblazoned with the prancing horse logo was held. The Swiss watchmaking brand has developed a limited edition watch for the occasion – a unique design based on the Hublot Tech frame Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph.
Unveiled at this year’s Basel world show, this collection is the result of an intensive collaboration between car designers and high-end watchmakers. It’s also the first non-automotive object that has been designed by Ferrari’s in-house team, Centro Stile, led by Flavio Manzoni. Taking the movement of the Hublot Tourbillon Chronograph (the “engine”) as a starting point, the Italian designers developed the watch following the same creative processes as those used for sports car chassis, to achieve minimal weight combined with a solid frame. The Swiss watchmakers then inserted a high-performance “engine” into this structure: the HUB6311 calibre hand-wound manufacture movement, containing a total of 253 components and with a 5-day power reserve. This one-of-a-kind mechanism is fitted with a tourbillon with exclusive operation, and also has a chronograph feature.
Following this design, the unique model to be offered at auction is set apart by its skeleton case middle – the chassis – which is made from uni-directional carbon, PEEK (polyether), a multi-layer hypoallergenic material, and the case – the engine cover – made from King Gold, the celebrated gold/ceramic alloy developed by Hublot. The dial, which features both the Hublot and Ferrari logos, takes inspiration from the counters on Ferrari’s instrument panels. The open design leaves the movement visible, and allows a glimpse of the beautiful ruthenium anthracite finish.
This exclusive watch went under the hammer on September 9 at the auction organised by RM Sotheby’s, and sold for 150,000 Euros
