You know the old philosophical question about the tree falling in the forest without anyone there to hear it? The new release from Hublot, a pair of Classic Fusions that make up the third installment of their “Essential Grey” collection, has me thinking of a similar question that could be aimed at the watch community: if a Hublot is reserved and muted, is it still a Hublot? Obviously, of course it is. But my personal interest in the brand is so geared toward their more experimental side, a release like this really flies under the radar. As a point of fact, however, the Essential Grey releases are a very big deal in the Hublot collector community, and this one ought to prove every bit as popular as the prior two. 

For the uninitiated, the Essential Grey watches in Hublot’s catalog are an annual release of a watch in a simple grey colorway, always sold through a single channel and always focusing on a single model. It only happens once a year, so it’s a drop that Hublot fans eagerly anticipate. Previous Essential Grey releases included versions of Big Bang Unico and Spirit of Big Bang. This year, Hublot steps away from the bombast of those watches, opting for a watch that is meant to remind collectors of the brand’s origins. 

The Classic Fusion is Hublot’s most straightforward watch, and the watch most closely in tune with the brand’s past. It’s a model that’s often used to explicitly connect the Hublot of the 1980s to the Hublot of today, as it did with last year’s Classic Fusion Original releases. With the Essential Grey release seen here, Hublot seems to be saying that form is the essential component of their design language, and that even if you strip out all of the color you’re still left with something that is quintessentially Hublot. 

For this release, and fittingly for a model where “grey” is the main draw, Hublot has gone with a titanium case in either 45mm or 42mm. The dial, of course, is grey, and has a subtle sun-ray pattern emanating from the center, and each is fitted to a grey rubber strap that matches the tone of the dial. In a nice touch, Hublot is using different (but similar) automatic calibers for each sized case, so that the movement size is a better fit for each. The 45mm reference runs on the HUB1112, while the 42mm version runs on the HUB1110. Both are derived from Sellita movements and have power reserves of 42 hours. 

The Classic Fusion Essential Grey is an online exclusive and will only be sold via Hublot’s e-commerce site. The retail price (in either size case) is $8,500. Hublot