Hublot and The Hour Glass Release a Set of Limited Edition Stone Dial Classic Fusions

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: Worn & Wound writes about one Hublot, and now the floodgates are open. Look, we know that this brand isn’t a core tentpole for the enthusiast community, but when any brand makes something cool, we think it’s worth sharing, and Hublot, over the last few years, especially, has done a lot of interesting things. This particular release is a bit under the radar, and sold exclusively through Singapore based retailer The Hour Glass, but there’s something charming and fun about them that I felt was worth sharing. 

The Classic Fusion 42mm Elements Special Edition watches are a series of five Classic Fusions, each with an exotic stone dial. In this batch, we’ve got Tiger’s Eye, Red Jasper, Malachite, Turquoise, and Lapis Lazuli. The Classic Fusion is Hublot’s most classic case shape (hard for me to believe I just used the c-word to describe a Hublot, but here we are), using a porthole design in a sporty way, that has more than in a little in common with certain integrated bracelet sports watches from brands that are generally a little more easily accepted in many collector and enthusiast circles. Maybe we’ll discuss why that is in a future post. Or maybe not? 

Anyway, sometimes watches are appealing for their particular use case, sometimes it’s their history, and sometimes we’re just gobsmacked by their beauty and elegance. Sometimes, though, like small children, we’re just struck by bright colors. The Elements Special Edition watches are the equivalent of sitting a toddler down in front of an iPad – you just kind of get transfixed. These are confections, completely unnecessary and maybe even a little ridiculous, but we’re drawn to them. 

Stone dials are nothing new, and that is also part of the appeal here, because it gives these watches a foothold in a watch culture that’s rooted deeply in the 1980s, which was a strange and difficult time for watch design. Stone dials can have beautiful depth and striking tones, and they are indeed fairly rare and difficult to produce in large numbers, but they are also quite dated. This isn’t a look that seems primed for a comeback. But that just makes me like them even more. You’re really making a choice with one of these. It’s a watch that’s profoundly not an everyday wear candidate, and seems like it’s designed to sit alongside other oddities in an expansive watchbox, that’s probably lined with snake skin or something. Let me put it another way: if you have one of these, or plan to get one, I’m much more curious about the other watches in your collection than I am about the guy who just collected a new Submariner from the authorized dealer. 

Let’s go through the technical details really quickly, not that they’re going to be deal breakers for anyone making a purchasing decision on one of these, but it’s a thing we do here. The watches are cased in titanium that’s been given a combination of satin and polished finishing. There are gold accents (bezel screws and case flanks), and the watches have a water resistance rating of 50 meters. The movement (get ready) is the Caliber Hublot HUB1100, which is, you guessed it: a rebranded Sellita SW300-1. Ahh yes, that’s the Hublot the community loves to meme about. The one putting stock movements in their ::checks notes and SGD conversion rates:: $20,000 stone dial sports watches.

It goes without saying these are very much not for everybody. It’s possible, in fact, this is the most niche watch I’ve ever written about on Worn & Wound. But what can I say? This is pure aesthetic appeal, even if the pricing and movement are head scratching and head pounding in equal measure. For more information, check them out over on The Hour Glass. Each piece is a limited edition of just ten watches, and sold exclusively at boutiques in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Hublot