BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Hublot’s Classic Fusion pays homage to the original watch that made the brand a success after its launch in 1980. Today, it’s generally regarded as the most affordable collection in Hublot’s range, and it often serves as the basis for their various collaborations with creators and artists. One of their newest offerings is reference 542.CI.6670.NR.YOY, better known as the Classic Fusion Yohji Yamamoto All Black Camo.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1943, Yohji Yamamoto initially considered a career in law but decided it wasn’t for him. Instead, he went to help his mother, who was a dressmaker, and it all took off from there. Yamamoto has worked with some very heavy hitters in the fashion world, including Hermès and Adidas. Now, his fashion style, which is focused on dark-coloured clothing and oversized silhouettes, is intertwined with Hublot’s iconic aesthetic.
Hublot’s latest piece features a micro-blasted ceramic case coloured in black and measuring 42mm x 10.4mm, the blackened treatment also extends to the ‘H’ screws on the bezel. Some folks have asked why the bezel screws don’t align when we’ve covered Hublots before, and the reason is that these are functional screws, unlike those on some other watches. Whereas those are decorative bolts, which can be aligned easily in their respective holes and then secured from the rear, the ‘H’ screws on the bezels of Hublot’s watches form part of the case’s structure. It’s not impossible to drill screw holes so the screws align, but with so many variables involved, it’s generally not worth it. Imagine having to cut every screw hole perfectly, then ensure every screw is perfectly threaded and that every single screw not only aligns properly but when tightened also applies the correct amount of pressure to keep the watch case sealed (to 50m, in this case). The cost of doing that on every single watch Hublot makes, which is a lot, would be astronomical and therefore passed onto you as the consumer, and it’s not like they’re the cheapest watches going.
The All Black Camo’s dial is cool, I like the camouflage pattern with Yohji Yamamoto’s signature applied. The blackened hands and markers are a nice touch, though they may come at the expense of legibility. Behind the dial is a Sellita SW300-1, which runs at 4Hz and provides 42 hours of power between windings, and is known in this guise as the calibre HUB1110. The movement is visible through a sapphire caseback, where we see the self-winding calibre with its openworked rotor spelling the Hublot name; all the finishing you see here is done by Hublot.
Presented on a black fabric/rubber strap this watch is limited to 300 pieces worldwide, which shouldn’t be a surprise as everything is a limited edition these days, and it has a price tag of USD $12,100.
