Hublot Classic Fusion Tributo Revisits the Original Gold and Rubber Idea

Hublot’s earliest provocation still feels central to the brand’s identity.

In 1980, Carlo Crocco paired gold with rubber at a time when that combination sat well outside conventional luxury watchmaking.

The new Classic Fusion Tributo brings that founding idea back into focus with two precious-metal versions that keep the silhouette familiar while moving the watch into a more contemporary mechanical setting.

At a glance

• Hublot has introduced two Classic Fusion Tributo models inspired by its 1980 gold-and-rubber debut.
• The watches use 38mm yellow gold or white gold cases, black dials, exposed bezel screws and ribbed black rubber straps.
• Both are powered by the self-winding HUB1711 calibre with approximately 50 hours of power reserve.

A founding Hublot idea returns

The Classic Fusion Tributo is less a nostalgia piece than a reminder of the move that gave Hublot its early distinction.

Gold and rubber may be an accepted pairing now, but in 1980 it challenged the usual language of precious watches.

Crocco’s concept put a noble case material against a utilitarian strap, creating a contrast that became one of Hublot’s most recognisable codes.

Forty-six years later, the Tributo models revisit that tension without trying to disguise it.

Gold, rubber and a stripped-back dial

The case measures 38mm, a small increase from the 36mm original, and keeps the characteristic profile associated with the early Hublot design.

A bezel with 12 exposed screws frames the dial, while the lugs are shaped to accommodate a ribbed black rubber strap.

The dial layout is deliberately spare, with no hour markers.

Instead, the screws around the bezel create the visual rhythm that marks the hours.

The yellow gold version uses a matte black dial with subtle anthracite undertones.

The white gold model takes a more reflective route with polished black onyx, setting a deeper surface against the cooler tone of the case.

Both watches include a discreet date window at 3 o’clock and the MDM initials at 6 o’clock, a direct nod to Hublot’s origins.

The mechanical update behind the tribute

The most important change sits behind the dial.

Where the 1980 watch used a quartz movement, the Classic Fusion Tributo is fitted with the self-winding HUB1711 calibre.

The movement offers approximately 50 hours of power reserve and can be seen through a sapphire caseback.

Depending on the model, the openworked H-shaped oscillating weight is made from either 22K yellow gold or black tungsten.

That shift from quartz to automatic power gives the design a different place in Hublot’s modern catalogue, one rooted in the same aesthetic idea but expressed through contemporary watchmaking.

Details & Specifications

The Classic Fusion Tributo should speak to collectors who appreciate Hublot before the era of oversized statements, when the brand’s most radical act was a simple and unlikely meeting of materials.