The sport of sailing sometimes has a problem with being elitist and exclusive, but polo has no such problems. As the America’s Cup dumbs down for a wider audience, brands like Hublot, who have sponsored the America’s Cup in the past, are not afraid to align themselves with the polo crowd.
The Swiss luxury watch-maker has launched a new limited-edition timepiece inspired by the sport of Polo called the Chukker Bang.
Limited to just 500 individually-numbered pieces, the watch was created to mark the 2011 Polo Gold Cup tournament that took place in Gstaad, Switzerland late last month. Hublot were the main sponsors of the “ultra-exclusive” sporting event, which draws high profile society figures, as well as some of the world’s best polo players, each year.
Named after the word ‘chuka’ – a term used for a single period of play in Polo – the watch features a 44mm wide casing with titanium grilling which can be removed to increase exposure of the dial. A hand polished sapphire crystal bezel, renowned for its resistance to wear and tear, is also included, whilst 50 more rubies are stored on the inside.
Other notable features include an automatic chronograph movement, a beige-coloured calf skin leather strap with ecru stitching, and sailing fans – don’t fear that this is a landlubber’s watch – it has a water resistance of 100 metres.
If you want to get your hands on one of these upper-class timepieces, deliveries of the Hublot Chukker Bang will begin worldwide in October. America’s Cup fans might want to stick the the cheap Louis Vuitton models – the Hublot will set you back around €13,200
