How Hublot makes the most of its ambassadors, and 9 of the coolest from Olympians to K-pop stars

Buffy Acacia

Wherever you saw your first Hublot, chances are you saw it on the wrist of a celebrity. With bold, industrial designs that transcend both luxury and sports watch norms, Hublot’s brash attitude and unashamed price points draw a lot of hate from people who don’t get the appeal. However, for those who do, Hublot represents a pinnacle of the industry no matter where you are or what you do. It’s no wonder that the brand commands one of the liveliest sponsorship histories out there, so let’s take a look at some of its current ambassadors.

Usain Bolt

In every primary school around the world, the most popular kid is usually whoever can run the fastest. Although that might not carry through into adulthood, there’s a certain magic to the sport of sprinting that inspires pretty much every human being. Topped off with being a genuinely lovely person, Usain Bolt is undoubtedly one of the most famous people on Earth for his world record sprints. The most notable is his 100-metre time of 9.58 seconds, set at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin. From humble beginnings in the small town of Sherwood Content, the Jamaican legend now enjoys various entrepreneurial projects and producing music. His ambassador status with Hublot proves just how influential he is, even as a “retired” athlete.

Takashi Murakami

If you haven’t heard of Takashi Murakami, you’ve definitely seen his work. Whether it’s an album cover or a sculpture in one of the world’s most prestigious galleries, Murakami’s philosophy destroys the barriers between “high” and “low” art. He’s been able to infiltrate the haute luxury world with his pop-art designs and then offer the merchandise affordably, highlighting wealth disparity as well as the Westernisation of Japanese culture over the last century. It’s the playful nature which makes it into his collaborations with Hublot, depicting the trademark smiling flower in dazzling materials.

Kylian Mbappé

The first time I started to notice Hublot was when I worked at a company that frequently edited football interviews, and pretty much everyone was wearing one. Given the vast amount of football stars who wear Hublot and aren’t Hublot ambassadors, that Kylian Mbappé is the only official football player ambassador (though with numerous “friends of the brand”, more on which shortly) shows how Hublot reserves the best for the best. A born Parisian who cut his Ligue 1 teeth in Monaco, Mbappé was the centre of the world’s most expensive club transfer for a teenager at €180M in 2018. Since then, he has become generally regarded as one of the greatest forwards around and the all-time top goalscorer for Paris Saint-Germain, and is finally set to make his move to Real Madrid. He’s only 25 years old in 2024, and certainly has a lot more to give in his future career.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic has been a controversial figure at times, but his skill as a tennis legend is not up for debate. As if numbers alone weren’t enough to cement his place in tennis history, Djokovic recently took his 22nd Grand Slam title by winning the 2023 Australian Open with a 3cm tear in his hamstring, playing through the pain against Stefanos Tsitsipas. At the time of writing, he is listed at No.1 in the ATP rankings, bringing his record of spending the most weeks at that position up to 377. At 37, the Serbian remains at the top of his performance and hasn’t lost an ounce of ambition.

Daniel Arsham

For a while, Daniel Arsham was a Hublot ambassador without a watch to go with the partnership, unless you include a giant sundial carved into a Swiss snowbank. Best-known for his contemporary style blending elements of surrealism with Roman busts or classic pop culture references such as Pokémon cards, Arsham’s partnership with Hublot was made official with the release of the Arsham Droplet earlier this year.

Lay Zhang

Luxury watchmaking has been crossing over with K-pop more and more in recent years, with the global stardom of groups like BTS and Blackpink putting all eyes on South Korea. Lay Zhang is best known from his time in Exo, but the Chinese phenomenon has since expanded his influence into film and television, too. He’s drenched in endorsements from the likes of Chaumet and Valentino, with Hublot counting him among its ambassadors since 2022. He doesn’t yet have a collaborative model of his own, but he seems to opt for the tonneau cases of the Spirit of Big Bang range.

Shepard Fairey

Branching away from sports, Hublot being a Swiss watch company means it is naturally drawn to art, design and lifestyle. One of the most influential artists and Hublot ambassadors of the last few decades is Shepard Fairey, the American whose work you would recognise mostly from the Obey Giant design as well as Barack Obama’s 2008 Hope poster. Growing an ironic joke between some design students and skaters in the late ‘80s, Fairey’s stickers and prints developed a street art movement that resonated across the world.

Anne-Sophie Pic

It’s one thing to be a recipient of a Michelin star, and it’s another to receive multiple ones. On top of that, it’s even more impressive to have the most Michelin stars of any female chef considering how male-dominated the fine dining world can be. Also consider that Anne-Sophie Pic is self-taught, and the whole picture is one of pure talent and dedicated work. The Swiss brand is partnered with a number of celebrity chefs and restaurants around the world, but Anne-Sophie Pic deserves a special place amongst them for her individuality and fated success.

Depeche Mode

Hublot approaches the world of luxury watchmaking with a counterculture attitude, which often ends up meeting a lot of resistance. Its industrial leanings and lack of pretentiousness make it the perfect fit for the new wave and gothic icons Depeche Mode. There have been multiple collaborations between the Swiss brand and the English band, but the most recent Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode is absolutely begging to be worn in a dingy Berlin warehouse with electronic drums and synth bass pummelling your ear drums. Depeche Mode were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, and although founding member Andy Fletcher sadly passed away in 2022, the band is still going strong after 44 years.

Pretty much all football

If there was such a thing as a watch sponsorship monopoly, Hublot would be the closest to having one on the entire sport of football. We’ve already talked about Kylian Mbappé who rightfully deserves his own spot as Hublot’s only official player ambassador, but then we have to consider the organisations for whom Hublot is the official timekeeper. FIFA, UEFA, and the Premier League as a whole are sponsored by Hublot, plus the entire teams of Juventus and AFC Ajax. Throw in José Mourinho and other friends of the brand such as Alex Morgan, Marcel Desailly, and Ada Hegerberg, and you can see exactly how far Hublot’s influence reaches.