Hublot has once again proven itself to be first, unique and different, as the first luxury brand to invest in the international professional poker circuit as Official Timekeeper and Official Watch.
To seal the presence of the Swiss watchmaking brand in this new field, a Big Bang World Poker Tour®, with a design heavily inspired by the game, was presented at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic and attended by CEO of Hublot Ricardo Guadalupe, as well as the greatest players on the WPT.
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Los Angeles, CA (December 17, 2014) — After football, American basketball, and recently cricket in India and Australia, Hublot has achieved yet another master stroke by signing with the World Poker Tour® in Las Vegas to become Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the WPT®.
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, chose to announce the partnership at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, WPT Alpha8™ Las Vegas, organized and televised (FOX Sports Network) from 15th to 20th December at the Bellagio, the legendary Las Vegas hotel and capital of international poker. The event was attended by the greatest professional and amateur players on the poker circuit.
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, remarked “Hublot has once again proven itself to be first, unique and different, as the first luxury brand to become Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the international professional poker circuit. We chose the World Poker Tour because its global presence, televised tournaments and quality of its players make it a benchmark in the game. I strongly believe that this field has great commercial and marketing potential. The tremendous success of our boutiques in Las Vegas and Macau are evidence of the possibilities. I am delighted with this great collaboration that awaits us.”
Adam Pliska, President of the World Poker Tour continues: “Hublot is a Swiss luxury brand renowned across the globe for its sports watches with an instantly recognizable design. This partnership will bring even more value to each and every televised event of the World Poker Tour. In April, Season XII WPT World Champion Keven Stammen beat Byron Kaverman at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, and received the magnificent prize of a Hublot King Power Unico. We are delighted to be able to give almost one million dollars’ worth of luxury watches to the champions of our televised WPT Main Tour and WPT Alpha8 events, and the Hublot WPT Player of the Year in the upcoming seasons.”
For photos of the WPT-branded timepieces and from the celebration at the Bellagio, click here.
Hublot was the first luxury brand to enter professional football in 2006, with the immense marketing and commercial success that we expect of the brand. It was also the first luxury brand to enter American basketball in 2011. That same year, Ferrari chose Hublot to be its Official Timekeeper and Official Watch.
In 2014, in addition to poker, Hublot was also the first luxury brand to enter cricket, one of the world’s most popular sports, particularly widespread in India, Australia, the Middle East and in all Commonwealth countries, which offers Hublot great additional geographic coverage on four continents.
Hublot presents a Big Bang specially dedicated to poker devotees
To mark the announcement of Hublot’s entry into the world of poker, the brand has developed a limited-edition BIG BANG UNICO World Poker Tour with a design that suitably encapsulates the poker world. The watch chosen to entice the players was the iconic Big Bang, equipped with the in-house UNICO Manufacture Chronograph, unique in the industry for its column wheel and double clutch visible on the dial side.
The new detail – which gives this watch its resolutely “poker” character – is a bezel made of 18K King Gold or steel that features an interplay of two different treatments, polishing and micro-blasting, which in particular showcase a heart, spade, club and diamond, the distinctive and universal symbols of card players. The UNICO Chrono movement is revealed thanks to a skeleton dial featuring the famous voluminous indexes and Arabic numerals, hollowed out and filled with red SuperLuminova™. Two counters encircled by polished silver-plated rings, the first displaying the minutes at 3 o’clock and the second showing the small seconds at 9 o’clock, along with the date window located at 3 o’clock, complete the overall effect. The sapphire crystal of the case-back also bears the exclusive symbol of the World Poker Tour® in transfer form.
This 45.5 mm diameter Big Bang Unico World Poker Tour® is available in two versions: a limited edition of only 100 numbered pieces in 18K King Gold (Hublot 18K gold with an extra 5% platinum which gives it an even more intense red colour, thereby making it even more precious), and a more impact resistant steel edition, of 200 numbered pieces. Each watch is equipped with the famous, exclusive Easy One Click system which allows the wearer to switch easily between the three straps that come with the watch. All are made of alligator stitched onto rubber, and come in black, red and above all gold or silver treated, which confers upon the watch a very… “poker” look.
For more details on World Poker Tour events, sponsors and promotions, please visit www.WPT.com.
WPT Media Contact
Rich Ryan – [email protected]
About Hublot
“Hublot? A different way to progress” say those who know this unique Swiss luxury watch company, where each and every moment moves forward to create the future at breathtaking speed. A dream, initiated and developed by Hublot’s Chairman Jean-Claude Biver with CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe, these two men are responsible for turning the Hublot brand into a genuine success story in which the Big Bang, King Power and Classic Fusion represent the symbols of a constantly evolving tradition. From watch complications and revolutionary materials to world class collaborations such as FIFA World Cup™ and Ferrari, Hublot characterizes itself through the “Art of Fusion” philosophy, bringing tradition into the future. On a commercial level, the network of approved retailers has grown rapidly and currently stands at 750 points of sale and more than 70 exclusive boutiques around the world (Geneva, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Paris, London, Berlin, Moscow, New York, Miami, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Ginza…). For more information, visit www.hublot.com.
About World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour (WPT) is the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online, and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments. WPT has broadcast globally in more than 150 countries and territories, and is currently producing its 13th season, which airs on FSN in the United States. Season XIII of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com, a unique online membership site that offers inside access to the WPT, as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club available in 35 states across the United States.ClubWPT.com also sponsors Season 2 of the new WPT Alpha8 series of super-high roller poker tournaments which is currently in production and which airs on FOX Sports 1 in the United States. WPT participates in strategic brand license, partnership, and sponsorship opportunities. WPT Enterprises Inc. is a subsidiary of bwin.party digital entertainment plc. For more information, go to WPT.com.
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