New Release
AnthonyTsai introduces the Hublot King Power Arturo Fuente, a collaboration celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the esteemed Arturo Fuente cigar factory and its legendary Opus X cigar. This article delves into the unique synergy between the two luxury brands, highlighting the shared philosophy that led to this distinctive timepiece.
The most sought-after of cigars, the "Opus X";
the "Arturo Fuente" factory, which has just celebrated its 100-year anniversary;
a Cuban family with a deep love for its adopted home, the Dominican Republic…
…or when a cigar manufacturer meets a watchmaking manufacture,
when the men at the controls share the same philosophy and form a bond of friendship, the result is known as:
King Power "Arturo Fuente"
In tribute to the Opus X, the rarest cigar in the world, according to some connoisseurs. A cigar as unique as its history… The world of a Cuban family with a most remarkable story, involving some of the most remarkable cigars around. Let's go back to the mid-80s. Carlos Fuente was exploring an area near Santiago in the Dominican Republic, which bore a strange resemblance to the "Pinard del rio" valley, from where the legend of Cuban cigars sprang. He had the idea of growing tobacco plants there: but not just any plants, wrapper tobacco. Yes, wrapper tobacco in Santo Domingo. The whole industry took him for a madman. Be that as it may, he persisted and he succeeded. In a feat of farming, the tobacco emerging from Château de la Fuente is unique, boasting an exceptional power and wealth of aroma.
And while the vast majority of cigars comprise 5 tobacco leaves (wrapper, binder and 3 more leaves for filler), the Opus X has 9! Why, you might ask? Carlito's answer is simple: "So that in every puff, you will discover a surprise." In fact, every module is composed like a book, with its own introduction and chapters. However the Torcedores (the cigar makers) did not go along with this, and refused to make such cigars. Carlito had no hesitation; to make his dream come true, he created a school of Torcedores where he spent 10 months teaching his new recruits his vision of cigars.
In another successful feat, in 1992 the first Opus X emerged from Tabacalera Fuente, making it the first Dominican Puro (cigar deriving all its leaves from the same source). As the ultimate perfectionists, the Fuente family choose to "mature" them for at least 2 years before exporting, for the aromas of the various tobaccos to make a harmonious blend. What more is there to say, except that the whole world is latching onto the Opus X?
But this cigar is not just innovative for its design and tobacco. Its factory is completely unique, similar in many points to the Hublot watchmaking manufacture: 300 employees work there, as at Hublot, organised in workshops. The Opus X has a whole dedicated room, just like the complications at Hublot, where the Master Torcedores have their own domain, like the Master Watchmakers: they are both hotbeds of expert hands, know-how and exclusively reserved components. The similarities in organisation are striking… The Hublot and Arturo Fuente boutiques are even neighbours in Las Vegas.
But that is not all. Carlos Fuente Sr and Carlito Fuente have a deep love for their adopted home, the Dominican Republic. This country has many abandoned or orphaned children. Carlito is very aware of this scourge, to combat which he set up a School and Foundation in the heart of the tobacco plantations, with all the facilities necessary to house the children until they reach maturity. Giving and sharing - once more an outlook similar to that of Hublot, which never fails to tie in its events and operations with its ambassadors for the benefit of foundations and charity actions worldwide.
King Power "Arturo Fuente"
The King Power "Arturo Fuente" limited series is delivered in a genuine cigar case developed specially by Hublot, a blend between Macassar ebony and carbon. The top contains an exclusive OPUS X ring accompanied by the Hublot logo signature.
To mark the presentation of this watch, Arturo Fuente has created a special edition of OPUS X cigars for Hublot, with special rings.
References 703.OX.3113.HR.OPX12
King Gold version. Limited series of 100 pieces numbered from 0/100 to 100/100
703.CI.3113.HR.OPX12
Ceramic version. Limited series of 200 pieces numbered from 0/200 to 200/200
Case King Power - Diameter 48 mm in 18K King Gold or microblasted ceramic
Bezel 18K King Gold or Black ceramic
6 H-shaped relief black PVD titanium screws
Crystal Sapphire Çľ 35.50x3.00 mm, with anti-reflective coating
Bezel Lugs Black composite resin
Lateral inserts Black composite resin
Crown 18K King Gold satin-finished or micro-blasted black ceramic
Black rubber insert
Push-pieces 2 push pieces 18K King Gold or ceramic
Black rubber insert
Case-back 18K King Gold or ceramic
Exclusive Arturo Fuente illustration transfer celebrating the 100th anniversary
Water resistance 10 ATM, i.e. approx 100 metres
Dial Matt brown, with 18K King gold platted indexes with black SuperLuminova™
Fuentes cigar logo transfer at 6 o'clock
Hands Satin-finished 18K red gold hands with black SuperLuminova™
Movement HUB4100 Mechanical chronograph with automatic winding
No. of components 252
Jewels 27
Power reserve Approximately 42 hours
Strap Adjustable black rubber and brown Hornback alligator strap with white stitching
Clasp King Gold version: satin finished King Gold cap, black PVD deployant buckle.
Ceramic version: micro-blasted black PVD titanium deployant buckle.
Press Release
... this must be an interesting piece! Would love to see it in person, although I don't smoke cigar.... :-) Thanks, Anthony! Ken
Sorry just to confirm, does the cigars actually comes together with the watch and box??
A lot of cigar smokers like to time the length of the burn time of the cigar. So it's fitting to have a cigar colored watch with a chronograph while enjoying a cigar.
That is a big worry that the watch/strap will inherit cigar smells. Fortunately, cigars have relatively neutral pleasant smells before they're burned, in my opinion. However, I would be concerned if the cigars smelled like strange strap and watches after. Especially if one were to put a watch back into the box after immediately perspiring. Lastly, and perhaps the bigger concern, the humidor next to the watch may not be good for a watch, as watches like relatively dry environments.
I am a novice. Many so called connoisseurs' cigars are difficult to smoke. I will not talk about aroma or taste characteristics or construction quality as those are esoteric descriptors that exclude the hoi polloi. I am talking about a simple, easy-to-understand feature of the Opus X: it is almost idiot-proof and can be kept alight by novices. No need to predict the smoking duration in minutes and then applying that number of seconds between puffs ( a formula for keeping cigars alight). Those bl
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