Cover Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot (Photo: Fady Younis)
Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot (Photo: Fady Younis)
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Julien Tornare outlines his vision for the Swiss manufacture renowned for its bold risks
Julien Tornare isn’t easing into his new role—he’s charging ahead. Appointed CEO of Hublot in September 2024 after a brief stint at Tag Heuer, Tornare brings a sharp sense of direction and a deep understanding of the luxury market to one of Swiss watchmaking’s most disruptive manufactures. Known for its unapologetically bold designs and unconventional collaborations, Hublot has never been afraid to challenge tradition—and under Tornare’s leadership, the brand seems poised to push these boundaries even further. Right before Watches and Wonders in Geneva, Tornare visited Kuala Lumpur, during which Tatler GMT snagged a one-on-one with the former Zenith CEO on how he planned to bring Hublot to greater heights.
Read more: CEO Reshuffle: What it means for the watch industry?
Above Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot (Photo: Fady Younis)
Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot (Photo: Fady Younis)
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What was your impression of Hublot before becoming CEO?
Hublot is a young brand. It is not a brand that leans on heritage—it has always relied on creativity and innovation, which I’m extremely excited about.
What is Hublot’s greatest strength?
Clearly, its creative and innovative spirit in terms of product development and material development. We’re always bringing something new to the scene. I also want to highlight that, despite being only 45 years old, Hublot has accumulated quite a formidable wealth of high watchmaking knowledge. Our biggest challenge is to continuously come up with new ideas.
How does Hublot meet this challenge?
The team at Hublot is incredibly dynamic and creative. We have some amazing talents in our team, not the least of which Matthias Buttet, our R&D director. Innovation connects us — it's the passion that defines our community. (Ed note: Buttet is instrumental in giving credibility to Hublot’s Art of Fusion tagline with several material breakthroughs like Magic Gold. He was also the brains behind the extraordinary Meca-10 movement.)
Above The Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary Collection combines emblematic details from the original Big Bang and the newer BIg Bang Unico: (from left) Red Ceramic, King Gold Ceramic, Titanium Ceramic, All Black Ceramic, and Full Magic Gold
The Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary Collection combines emblematic details from the original Big Bang and the newer BIg Bang Unico: (from left) Red Ceramic, King Gold Ceramic, Titanium Ceramic, All Black Ceramic, and Full Magic Gold
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Big Bang turns 20 this year and the model will be the focus at Watches and Wonders. How will you celebrate this milestone?
When you’re working on an icon like the Big Bang, you have to be very careful. An icon means you have created something unprecedented, and with the Big Bang, we want to celebrate what we have achieved with the model in the last 20 years. What you’ll see in two weeks' time will be a fusion of the original Big Bang and all the elements that we had incorporated into it since. As for the future, the Big Bang will continue to evolve like any icon. You can expect to see some strong development.
How do you view the Art of Fusion at Hublot?
It’s the DNA of the brand. (Hublot's founder) Carlo Crocco had the brilliant idea and the audacity to pair rubber strap with a gold case back in the 1980s. It was a totally crazy notion back then as rubber was seen as a cheap material. The Art of Fusion will always remain a key component at Hublot as it opens up many interpretations of creativity. It fuels us with creative energy.
Read more: Watches and Wonders 2025: Tatler GMT editors pick their favourite watches
Above Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 in King Gold. In the 1980s, the brand had the audacity to pair “cheap” rubber with gold and sold it as a luxury watch.
Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 in King Gold. In the 1980s, the brand had the audacity to pair “cheap” rubber with gold and sold it as a luxury watch.
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Hublot is known for its wide-ranging collaborations. Are there any partners you’d like to work with?
With watches, we’re not selling something you need. We’re selling emotions—when you wear a nice piece of watch, you feel special. While the function of the watch has to be perfect, the emotional dimension is also very important. And our ambassadors and partners are strong emotional drivers.
We have Takashi Murakami and Richard Orlinski from the art world. Whether you like or hate a piece of art, it elicits emotions—we feel something. We feel emotional when we watch sports, hence Hublot is also a huge supporter of football. I’m currently looking at establishing our presence in music because music also evokes strong emotions. I'm working on a couple of projects now—one in Asia and another with a global scope.
Above Japanese artist Takashi Murakami is one of Hublot’s closest collaborators
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami is one of Hublot’s closest collaborators
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Brian Cheong leads the watch (Tatler GMT) and jewellery content at Tatler Malaysia, combining sharp editorial insight with years of luxury lifestyle experience. A seasoned journalist in luxury watches based in Kuala Lumpur, Brian had previously helmed World of Watches, Men's Folio and Prestige Malaysia.
