Hublot is revisiting the watch that started it all: the 1980 MDM Genève, the brand’s very first model, with the new Classic Fusion Tributo. Signed by founder Carlo Crocco — whose choice of the French word for porthole gave the brand its name — the original was shaped by designer Francesco Maria Vimercati, case-maker Eric Bonnet, and engineer Guido Gamberini, who spent two years developing its rubber strap. The Tributo reinterprets that heritage with the same spirit, built to today’s manufacturing standards.
The new model’s case measures 38mm, two millimetres larger than the original. Its bezel restores all twelve H-shaped titanium screws, after two earlier reissues reduced that number to six. The watch comes either in 18k yellow gold with a black lacquered dial and a gold rotor, or in 18k white gold with a black onyx dial, black-plated titanium bezel screws and a black tungsten rotor; both versions are completed with an integrated black rubber strap and a folding clasp.
Beneath the dial beats Hublot’s in-house automatic Calibre HUB1711, built on Zenith’s Elite 670 base. Running at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz), the 185-component movement delivers a 60-hour power reserve, and the watch is water-resistant to 100 metres.
The Classic Fusion Tributo is not a limited edition; it will be available at select Hublot boutiques and through the brand’s own online channels. Forty-six years after introducing the very idea of ‘fusion’ to watchmaking, Hublot brings that first design back to today’s collectors with modern materials and manufacturing.
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