Rebelliousness has always been at the heart of Hublot‘s ethos. When the brand burst onto the scene in 1980, it did so with a never-before-seen pairing of a precious gold case and a utilitarian rubber strap. Fast-forward to today and almost every high-end watch brand has at least dabbled in fitting precious metal watches with rubber straps, if not fully embracing the once avant-garde idea. That combination seems tame by current standards, particularly among Hublot’s other wild creations. However, that first model, conceived by founder Carlo Crocco, set the stage for Hublot to continue performing its unconventional theater for the following four decades. The Classic Fusion Original collection is Hublot’s tribute to Crocco’s creation, offering various metal and size iterations but always maintaining the design fundamentals of the first. At Watches & Wonders 2024, the brand has expanded the lineup with new Hublot Classic Fusion Original 29mm watches, available in yellow gold or titanium. Plus, Hublot has also added Classic Fusion 29mm watches to the mix, which share a similar design to the Classic Fusion Original but include more decorative dials and the option of diamonds.
The watch design may not be new, but the choice of 29mm is; these are the smallest versions of the Classic Fusion Original now, sitting alongside 42, 38, and 33mm cases that debuted in 2023. The petite 29mm cases are just 8mm thick, which suggests a comfortable wear for those that belong to the small wrist club. They’re also rated to 50 meters of water resistance. Both the yellow gold and titanium versions have polished black lacquer dials, and for Hublot, they are quite simple in execution. They’re home to the trio of hands at the center, a prominent Hublot logo at 12 o’clock, a matching logo that serves as the seconds hand counterweight, and a date window at 3 o’clock. There are no hour markers or minute tracks to speak of, and the date window disappears into the background thanks to the matching black disc.
The Classic Fusion Original 29mm watches are furnished with smooth black rubber straps, which attach around the wrist via case-matched deployant clasps with added black-plated details. Powering the watches is the MHUB2915 quartz movement with a two-year battery life.
Moving onto the new Classic Fusion watches, 29mm is also a new size for this sub-collection, joining 45mm, 42mm, 38mm, and 33mm cases. Identical to the Original variants, these 29mm cases are also 8mm thick and water-resistant to 50 meters. However, Hublot makes these versions in either titanium or 18k King Gold (the brand’s proprietary red gold alloy) and offers both diamond-set bezels and smooth, unadorned bezels. There’s also an ultra-lavish King Gold Pavé version that not only flaunts a diamond-set bezel but a diamond-set case, too — for a total of 158 diamonds.
Unlike the Originals, the time and date dials of the Classic Fusion 29mm variants do include hour markers, and to accommodate them, the logo under 12 o’clock is smaller. Dial colors include black, blue, Racing Gray, and Green Sunray, accompanied by color-coordinating grooved rubber straps with deployant clasps in either stainless steel or 18k gold. Driving the Classic Fusion 29mm watches is the same MHUB2915 quartz movement mentioned previously.
The Classic Fusion Original in titanium (ref. 591.NX.1270.RX.MDM) will retail for 6,800 USD and the yellow gold version (ref. 581.VX.1230.RX.MDM) is priced at 17,500 USD. The Classic Fusion 29mm watches in titanium will retail for 6,200 USD and the addition of diamond-set bezels bumps the price up to 8,200 USD. The price of the Classic Fusion 29mm watches in King Gold starts at 15,300 USD, moves up to 17,500 USD with diamond-set bezels, and tops out at 23,800 USD for the diamond pavé model. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
