Some watches become defining designs not through complexity, but through a willingness to challenge convention. When Carlo Crocco introduced a gold watch with a black rubber strap in 1980, the combination offered a different perspective on traditional Swiss watchmaking. More than four decades later, that original idea returns in the form of the Classic Fusion Tributo, a contemporary interpretation of the timepiece that established Hublot’s distinctive design language.
Available in yellow gold and white gold, the new editions preserve the essential character of Crocco’s original creation while introducing modern mechanical watchmaking.
The original watch was developed under the Hublot name through Crocco’s company, MDM Genève. Its design was distinguished by a bezel inspired by a ship’s porthole, twelve exposed screws and a restrained dial. The pairing of precious gold with black rubber introduced an unexpected contrast between traditional watchmaking materials and a more contemporary approach to wearability.
These defining elements remain central to the Classic Fusion Tributo. Rather than radically reworking the original, Hublot has retained its recognisable proportions and visual identity, allowing the relationship between gold, rubber and minimalist design to remain the focus.
The more significant evolution lies beneath the surface.
Where the 1980 model relied on quartz technology, the new Classic Fusion Tributo is powered by an automatic movement developed by Hublot. It offers a power reserve of approximately 60 hours, bringing the original design into the context of contemporary mechanical watchmaking. Through the sapphire crystal caseback, the movement’s oscillating weight reveals an additional design detail: a form shaped around the Maison’s signature H.
The two gold editions approach the heritage design from different perspectives.
The yellow-gold version, paired with a black dial, maintains a particularly close relationship with the original watch. It also retains the MDM signature at six o’clock, preserving a detail that connects the contemporary release directly to its beginnings.
The white-gold edition introduces a quieter interpretation. Its black onyx dial creates a more restrained visual effect, allowing the contrast between the precious metal and dark surface to define its character.
Together, the two versions demonstrate how a longstanding design can accommodate subtle changes without losing its identity. The original combination of gold and rubber remains the defining gesture, while the choice of metal, dial and movement reflects the evolution of the Maison since its founding.
The launch also carries a philanthropic dimension. Hublot will donate CHF 100,000 to the Main Dans la Main Foundation, established by Carlo Crocco in 1998 to support humanitarian and educational initiatives for vulnerable children and communities in need. The contribution connects the watch’s return to its founder’s broader legacy beyond the world of horology.
With the Classic Fusion Tributo, Hublot returns to a design that helped establish its position within Swiss watchmaking. Its significance rests not simply in revisiting a historic model, but in demonstrating how an original idea can remain relevant through carefully considered evolution. The watch preserves the unconventional material pairing that distinguished it in 1980, while its updated mechanics reflect more than forty years of development.