Jean-Claude Biver, one of the watch industry's most successful and charismatic figures, has stepped down as CEO of Hublot. He will continue to serve as Hublot's Chairman of the Board.

Hublot's Official Statement:

All of us at Hublot are very pleased to inform you that Mr. Ricardo Guadalupe, former Managing Director of the Company, and personal friend of Mr. Jean Claude Biver with whom he has been working since nearly 20 years, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer effective January 1st 2012.

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The Managing Editor of WatchTime magazine, Mark Bernardo, was recently granted an exclusive interview with Hublot ambassador and NBA superstar, Dwyane Wade.

Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot (left) Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, President de Ferrari S.p.A (right)

Hublot and Ferrari have just announced a new long-term partnership.

According to Hublot, "This is no simple agreement for creating a tie-in product, for licensing or sponsorship. It is a comprehensive agreement covering all the activities of Ferrari and Hublot, both in terms of brand image and the commercial activities of both companies."

Hublot will be the "Official Watch" of Ferrari, "Official Timekeeper" of Ferrari, "Official Timekeeper" of Scuderia Ferrari, "Official Watch" of Scuderia Ferrari, "Official Timekeeper" of the Ferrari Challenge, and partners in Ferrari special events.

Will Hublot be more successful with the coveted Ferrari partnership than those before them: Girard-Perregaux, Panerai or Cabestan? The answer to that question, will more than likely be decided by Ferrari owners.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Monaco Classic Week, Hublot has created the Classic Fusion Chronograph Yacht Club de Monaco. Hublot has a natural link with the Yacht Club de Monaco, having been appointed the official timekeeper for this prestigious site and its activities in 2005.

The Classic Fusion Chronograph is available in a titanium case, which was chosen for its lightness, shock resistance and corrosion resistance. The classic 45 mm Hublot case features a mixture of brush, satin and polished surfaces, including 10 titanium H-shaped countersunk polished and locked screws.

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Hublot has unveiled a 500 piece limited edition timepiece for their NBA basketball ambassador Dwayne Wade. The Hublot King Power Dwayne Wade Limited Edition features a 48 mm ceramic case, automatic movement and a hybrid leather/rubber strap. Dwayne Wade's jersey #3 is printed on the dial at 3 o'clock inside of the minutes register. The color scheme of the watch is red, white and black - a homage to D-Wade's team, the Miami Heat.

Hublot has just announced the opening of their first boutique in the Western United States. The Hublot Beverly Hills boutique is located in Beverly Hills, California on Brighton Drive at Rodeo Drive. The Beverly Hills boutique is operated in partnership with John and Greg Simonian, who are the founder and president, respectively, of Westime with two boutiques, and a third on coming soon (they also run the Richard Mille Beverly Hills boutique).

(Click image for gallery - 3 photos)

These are three close-up photographs of the Hublot Gold King Power Tourbillon GMT, taken by photographer Peter Chong. The King Power Tourbillon was originally unveiled last year during Baselworld 2010.

As usual for Hublot, the King Power is made of a "fusion" of different materials, such as: titanium, ceramic, gold, platinum, silver, rubber and composite. The 48 mm King Gold case is made of a special 18K alloy that has 24% copper, as opposed to the typical 20% copper than is used to give red gold its red hue. A small amount of platinum and silver is used to stabilize the alloy.

The dial features hours, minutes and tourbillon seconds, plus a GMT 24-hour display in the upper right quadrant of the dial. In the lower left quadrant of the dial is a retrograde date display.

Limited to 28 pieces worldwide.

Retail TBD

Source: Hublot

D-Wade (Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat), who will be playing in the NBA All-Star game this Sunday, recently signed a deal with Hublot and is now their new NBA ambassador. Prior to signing with Hublot, he has been spotted numerous times wearing a Hublot Big Bang watch, but he has also been spotted wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore on occasion as well (that will, of course, now be prohibited until the end of his contract with Hublot).