Hublot introduced its first watch combining a gold case with a natural-rubber strap in 1980.
Carlo Crocco founded Hublot in Switzerland and launched the brand’s debut watch at Baselworld in 1980. The design paired a precious-metal case with a black natural-rubber strap, an unusual combination in a market strongly associated with leather and metal bracelets.
The nautical porthole inspired the watch’s name and case styling. “Hublot” is French for porthole, and the bezel’s visible screws reinforced that maritime visual language. The rubber strap also supported the brand’s marine-oriented identity and gave the watch a distinctive tactile feature.
This 1980 launch predates the later Big Bang, which became Hublot’s most recognizable collection after Jean-Claude Biver joined the company in the 2000s. The original innovation is often summarized as the fusion of gold and rubber, not as the invention of rubber watch straps generally.