Hublot was also the Official Timekeeper, and sponsor, of the 2008 Championships in Switzerland and Austria. Part of the sponsorship package included prominent advertising which Jean-Claude Biver (Hublot chairman since 2004) surprisingly turned down. Instead, he gave away the allocated advertising space to the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) campaign – a gesture which thoroughly impressed the organisers.
No surprise, then, that Hublot was once again selected for the EURO 2012 tournament as sponsor and Official Timekeeper. As a result, when the players and spectators look to the officials' boards to see how long remains before ecstasy or heartbreak, they will be met by the Swiss watchmaker's familiar logo.
To commemorate this, Hublot has announced two limited-edition watches based on its King Power model. Each of the host countries receives its own special colours; Poland's version has a titanium and ceramic body with red and white accents, while the Ukrainian model has yellow and blue detailing with a gold and ceramic casing.
To reinforce the footballing message, both 48mm-diameter chronographs have a 45-minute subdial to reflect the duration of one half of a match. The sapphire crystal case-back is engraved with 'UEFA EURO 2012'.
The Ukraine edition is limited to 250 pieces and, due to its heavy gold content, costs 25,000 euros. Produced in a limited edition of 500, the Polish version costs 14,000 euros.
Photos: Hublot
