Green Smoke: Hublot And Fuente Release New OpusX Watch
Today, longtime partners Hublot and Arturo Fuente Cigar Co. celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Fuente Fuente OpusX brand with a special-edition Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Arturo Fuente King Gold watch.
Hublot and Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr. unveiled their latest collaborative watch on Tuesday at the Arturo Fuente Cigar Factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic, where the Fuente family has handcrafted some of the world’s most sought-after cigars for decades, including the reigning Cigar of the Year.
Limited to only 50 pieces, this is the sixth special edition from the brands. It’s available through Hublot boutiques and authorized dealers worldwide, and follows the same green-and-gold color scheme found on other 25th Anniversary OpusX products. It also marks the first time that a Fuente edition has been offered in a 42-mm Classic Fusion Chronograph case. And it’s the first instance where both the case and bezel are rendered in the brand’s proprietary King Gold, an alloy of mainly platinum that produces a warmer shade than traditional 5N 18-karat rose gold. The case combines satin and polished finishes, while the bezel is decorated with a laser-engraved motif of tobacco leaves.
The watch’s vibrant emerald-green dial radiates with a sunray pattern combined with a gradient fumé (smoked) effect that grows darker around the perimeter. The constant-seconds chronograph counter at 3 o’clock features the 25th Anniversary version of the OpusX logo in gold and green, and a matching green alligator-leather-and-rubber strap completes the look.
Turn it over to discover an engraved and lacquered solid King Gold case back emblazoned with special OpusX 25th Anniversary artwork. Inside beats the HUB1153 automatic chronograph caliber, with a power reserve of 48 hours and water resistance down to 50 meters.
The Classic Fusion Chronograph Arturo Fuente King Gold ($40,500) is delivered in a grand, green lacquered watch box that doubles as a cigar humidor.
Previous Hublot/Fuente watches have included one marking the 20th anniversary of OpusX, and the King Power, the first of the line, released in 2012.
Fine watches, like fine cigars, take time to create, and the 25th Anniversary of the OpusX brand was actually a few years ago, in November 2020. The launch of the new watch was also an occasion to officially inaugurate the Art Academy, which is part of Fuente’s Cigar Family Charitable Foundation. The charity provides much-needed educational and health programs for the local community in the mountainous Bonao region of the Dominican Republic, where Fuente grows wrapper leaves for its OpusX brand. Hublot took part in the 2019 foundation laying for the Art Academy, which has been operational for some time.
“The honor and privilege of building such a wonderful relationship with Hublot, which I consider family, has been one of my greatest lifetime achievements,” says Fuente. “Over these many years of incredible success, we have been able to spread love all over the world.”
