Masterpiece Theatre

With a bold new store concept and a slew of horological blockbusters, Hublot continues to push the boundaries even as the broader watch market softens. CEO RICARDO GUADALUPE gives us the lowdown.

- LYNETTE KOH

If you are a watch buyer who's tired of having to peer at timepieces through glass cases while shopping, the new Hublot store concept was created with you in mind. Called the Free Access Display, the concept places many of the Swiss luxury brand's timepieces in the open, nestled in nooks atop display cases. This allows customers to look and feel the watches freely.

First introduced in Hublot's Omotesando boutique, this setup now makes its Southeast Asian debut at the brand's store at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Here in June for the reopening of the boutique, Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe shared in an interview with Prestige, "A boutique should represent what the brand is about: the art of fusion, innovation with tradition, luxury... We believe that to have glass counters is something of the past, and the new way of showing watches is giving the customer direct physical access to the watch. It also represents how we always want our customers to have a unique experience with us."

Not all timepieces, unsurprisingly, will be openly displayed. One of the novelties visitors should not expect to find within easy reach at the store is the Arsham Droplet, a pocket watch designed in collaboration with celebrated American contemporary artist Daniel Arsham. It's not just because of its six-digit price tag, but because of its relative scarcity: just 99 pieces of this water droplet-shaped horological object will be made, with probably just a handful eventually making its way to collectors here.