This week’s Time and Place road test is a Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph in satin and polished titanium. I could think of no better place to wear and show this off than at my good friend Jake Mueser’s charming bespoke men’s shop in the West Village, surrounded by elegant Italian fabrics and fine tailoring. Why? Because this particular watch is a collaboration between Hublot and two of Italy’s style and design icons: well-dressed rogue Lapo Elkann, artistic director of Italia Independent (as well as Gianni Agnelli’s grandson), and famous Neapolitan tailors House of Rubinacci. Lapo has made customization one of his signatures and used vintage fabrics—in this case a houndstooth from the Rubinacci archives—to create the watch’s dial and covered strap. It has a 45mm case, and is also waterproof to 50 meters (presumably in case you fall off the boat in Capri, or get pushed into the pool at a cocktail party…).
I spent the afternoon sipping Campari at Jake’s shop, the Hublot on my wrist, flipping through books of Italian flannels and designing my fantasy wardrobe—all the time imagining I was some wealthy Italian industrialist in need of all this bespoke suiting, or better still, an Agnelli grandson myself.
'Time and Place' is Matt Hranek's regular dispatch on the latest watches from around the globe for Condé Nast Traveler. #watchwednesdays @wmbrownproject