It is the morning in Switzerland during the summer

The story of Hublot is really only as interesting as Jean-Claude Biver’s (JCB) contribution to the Swiss watch brand. In 2004 the well-known captain of horology took charge of the failing brand. JCB saw Hublot as a challenge. Something with potential, but potential that only had a limited lifespan before it needed to be saved. Hublot was dying. Suffering annual losses at the time JCB stepped in, something seemingly so far in the past given what Hublot is today. Prior to Hublot, JBC led Blancpain, and also put it on the map. Before that, Omega. JCB is a lifetime watch industry man. He has been in the watch world since the 1970s. While other watch brands clamor to find talent from outside industries, Biver gives good fuel to the argument that to have success in the watch industry you really need to know the watch industry.

If JCB has one talent, it is how to make watches that people want to buy. The Big Bang should proof enough of that. He isn’t a watch maker, nor does he pretend to be. He is brand maker though. He knows how to connect with what I will refer to as “desirable auras.” You might see Hublot being advertised all over the place, but it isn’t exactly simply advertising. JCB is of the school of thought that when your name is connected to something, your name gets a part of that media, event, person, etc…, like osmosis. When JCB chooses to sponsor an event or select an Hublot brand ambassador, it is with the utmost of intent. If that person or thing is widely-known, respected, and gets people excited, it just might be a winner. For me, some of Hublot’s biggest successes have been to connect with Formula One and the FIFA World Cup. Imagine for a moment what an immensely big deal it was for Hublot to solidify a deal as the official timekeeper of the World Cup. Almost no one other than JCB could likely have swung such a deal. In addition to the incredible new level of brand notoriety, the awareness of the brand has sky rocketed. I got to see the website stats for Hublot.com during the month of June while the World Cup was going on. We are talking a traffic spike that looks like Mount Everest.

It is the morning in Switzerland during the summer. Whatever you may say about Switzerland, you can’t claim it isn’t a beautiful place. I am sitting next to Mr. Biver on the way to the office. Two of his boys are in the back seat of the Porsche. No worries, it is the sedan. JCB is bringing them to work as well. It is the summer, and as school is out, they are bringing skateboards and hanging out at Hublot. JCB describes Hublot as a family and explains his managements style. He wants a close level of connection between his employees and the perception that everyone is their own boss. He moves his hand in straight line to explain that there isn’t a hierarchy at the brand. People all have different roles, and the only boss is himself. He doesn’t say it, but I have feeling his personal management style doesn’t involve micro managing. He simply sets expectations from people, and for the most part, gives them the freedom to produce as they see fit. “We are a start-up,” JCB declares about Hublot. While the brand isn’t new, its success is. It has had about 5 years of boom, and as far as JCB seems to be concerned, the brand’s life before him doesn’t count.