Hublot

Featuring new technical details, and equipped with a new chronograph movement with two centre chrono hands providing better readability, the King Power Red Devil is a fine symbol of fusion and innovation, paying tribute to this most legendary of football clubs.

At 6 pm on 7 May 2011, the day before the match against Chelsea, the hallowed turf of Old Trafford - the scene of so many victories, so much excitement and effort - has been chosen by the Manchester United players, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot, to host the presentation of the new King Power Red Devil to the international press.

In tribute to one of the world's most famous football clubs, for which it has been Official Timekeeper since 2008, Hublot has developed a King Power equipped for the first time with a chronograph movement distinguished by two centre chrono hands. This makes for better readability - quicker and more efficient. The wearer can keep track of both hands at a glance; the first indicates the seconds, and the other hand, specially developed for football, indicates the time elapsed out of the 45 mins in each half.

With a sapphire dial, the movement – here in an Aero Bang version - has also undergone new skeleton working, leaving it more open to reveal even more of the working parts of the watch and its fine mechanics. The topside retains only the material necessary for it to function. This is coated with black ruthenium for a beautiful overall effect of homogeneity, and clearer reading. Predominantly red, the minute track, a time counter at 9 o'clock and a date window at 4 o'clock round off the piece, stamped with the famous, slightly rebellious Red Devils emblem at 3 o'clock. In a nod to Old Trafford's more than one hundred year-old turf, the focus of all attention, the watch indexes come in a natural grass-green colour, obtained using real blades of grass from Old Trafford, picked and preserved especially by the club's groundsmen for the making of this limited series. It took Hublot 6 months of development to stabilise the plant material and its original colour, including against UV and temperature differences. The freeze-dried blades of grass were inserted into the indexes through an all-new process, then coated with a special transparent lacquer to secure them permanently.

The King Power case – 48 mm in diameter, and here in micro-blasted black ceramic or in 18K King Gold - has been revamped. Its two push-buttons have been redesigned, and are now each protected by a little safety bar, which is completely built in either side of the crown. Moreover, in a final reference to the legendary club and bringing a last aesthetic touch to the piece, the black rubber strap has a red line in the centre, directly inspired by Manchester United's graphic charter.

This limited edition is produced in 500 numbered pieces for the micro-blasted black ceramic version and in 250 pieces for the King Gold 18K version. Every watch is accompanied by a certificate guaranteeing its authenticity, signed personally by Sir Alex Ferguson.


TECHNICAL DETAILS
Reference              716.CI.1129.RX.MAN11
                             716.OM.1129.RX.MAN11

Series                    Limited to 500 pieces for the micro-blasted version
                             Numbered from No. 01/500 to No. 500/500
                             Limited to 250 pieces for the King Gold 18K version
                             Numbered from No. 01/250 to No. 250/250

Case                     “King Power”, diameter 48 mm
                             Micro-blasted black ceramic or King Gold 18K

Bezel                     Micro-blasted black ceramic or circular satin-finished ceramic with black rubber moulding
                             6 H-shaped relief black PVD titanium screws
Crystal                   Sapphire with interior/exterior anti-reflective treatment
Bezel lug                Black composite resin
Lateral inserts         Black composite resin with push-piece guard at 3 o'clock.
Case-back             Micro-blasted black ceramic or circular satin-finished King Gold 18K
Crown                   Black PVD steel, with black rubber insert
Push-piece            Black PVD steel with black and red rubber moulding
Water resistance    10 ATM or approximately 100 metres

Dial                       Sapphire, indexes made from grass from the hallowed turf of Manchester United's Old
                             Trafford stadium, date window at 4 o'clock, Red Devil logo at 3 o'clock.
Hands                    Satin-finished, black nickel with red luminescent coating

Movement              HUB4245 skeleton chronograph with central 45’ counter
                              Automatic self-winding

Bridges                   Micro-blasted & bevelled, with black galvanic coating
Screws                   Steel, polished & locked
Oscillating weight     Monobloc in heavy metal with ceramic ball bearings
Main plate               Micro-blasted with black galvanic coating
Barrel                     With reinforced spring
Escapement            Swiss lever escapement with silicon pallet fork and escapement wheel
Power Reserve        72 hours

Wristlet                  Adjustable black rubber strap
Clasp                      Black PVD titanium deployant buckle
                              Decorative plate in micro-blasted black ceramic or King Gold 18K

- Press release

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2011-05-08 11:06:40

Does any of the proceeds, like the original watch, goes to charity like the Man U Trust? MSRP?

This is the final year of ManU/Hublot collaboration, as per the original deal which was for 3years. Has it been renewed?

Best,

Horo

P S : Man U ....well done on the crucial Chelsea match, winning 2-1. Your 19th title is almost at hand, and we have Barca for UEFA...good luck.

We will be partners at least till end of 2015

And the relative longevity of the partnership with ManU, a team I have supported for over 20 years, and are on the verge of making history again.

I am looking forward to owning the watch. May I also humbly suggest you highlight how much money were raised from the first watch, and the good that have been done.

Keep up your good work, and charity.

Best, Horo

Thanks for sharing, Ken.

The grass indexes are really something else!

All the best,

Alex

I will post some pictures from the event later today, but a good time was had by all.   The markers on the watch are truly remarkable and I would have not thought it possible... but it looks great!  If you are a Man U fan this one is definitely for you... I would say much better than the 1 or 2 versions.

In answer to some of your questions Horo, I will tell you what I found out or gathered at the event:

1. Yes the proceeds are going to charity and supporting children recently affected by the Japanese quake was mentioned in addition to sending out many packs of colouring pencils to the children as Mr Biver said something similar at the start before presenting the watch... Children love to dream and by giving them the coloured pencils they can transform this onto paper in wonderful bright colours. 

2.  MSRP... no mention... yet!

3.  They mentioned the ongoing collaboration and friendship between the club and Hublot, so I can only assume that this is to continue....

Cheers
Andrew

I am thinking of this, even though I have version 1. We are just one point away from winning the premier league, and we have Barca for the champions league finals.....this watch would be a great commemorative piece for me.

Best, Horo

Here are a few pictures that I took at the event on Saturday with my phone... so sorry now about the quality but gives you a bit of an idea!

Great talk by JCB about the watch, charity and children being the future.

The children ready to go on the pitch for pictures

Not sure who this was... ;-)

Not great Macro shots as the light was bad and the phone not good!  It is mainly to give you an idea of the green grass markers.

 
A quick shot of what was on the wrists of the people at our table in the restaurant...

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL AT HUBLOT WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN!

Sometimes I prefer photoshoots now provided by the PR departments. More original, less contrived.

Best,

Horo

No message body

I am a fan of Manchester United (also wonderful they won against Chelsea the day after) and I am crazy about Hublot now.
I even sold one of my watches the day I saw the pic of this watch to make funds available! Haha...
No info r/e release date + price yet I guess?

I will get that info as soon as I can.

Congrats in advance!

Ken

And I also put down my depositi for one, watch to arrive in Sept. Wow, 3 Hublots in a span of 1 year hahaha

... and sorry for my slow inteligence :-(  Very cool addition to your collection.

Three H's?  Quite impressive.  Looking forward to your family pics!  Better yet, let us see your other two!

Congrats again!

Ken

It's still with my cousin in Tochigi. I gotta to ask him to send it soon. The Red Devil Bang won't come till maybe Sept-Oct (if I am given one).

... as long as it is the official list/ retail price, it can be posted.  What we do NOT embrace on PPro is the discussion of possible discount or gray market price or secondary price or cheapest ADs, etc.

Thank you for the valuable info!

Ken

List prices (courtesy of Mike, thank you) are as follows:

Ceramic - CHF21,900, EUR18,000 & USD24,900
Gold - CHF34,900, EUR28,600 & 37,900

Andrew

It's certainly an eye-catching piece. I think I'll have to keep an eye out for this one...

perhaps the best innovation and creation for modern watch history by hublot as we might have been tired of classic watch designs!! Will try to get this piece and anyway hope hublot sign partnership with dutch football as i like orange dial actually!!!