Hublot Classic Fusion Tributo: The 1980 Gold-and-Rubber Original Returns

A return to the beginning can be more revealing than another leap forward. With the Classic Fusion Tributo, Hublot revisits the combination that gave the house its identity: a gold case on a black rubber strap. Announced in Milan on 15 October 2026, the release looks back to Carlo Crocco's original watch without pretending that nothing has changed. Its appeal lies in the dialogue between an unmistakable design idea and a contemporary mechanical interpretation.

The details here follow Hublot's official press release, “Classic Fusion Tributo: A Golden Return to the 1980 Origin,” dated 15 October 2026, and its product specifications, alongside Revolution Watch's “Last Week in Watches” by Matthew De Jesus, published 19 October 2026, and Hodinkee's “Introducing” coverage by Jack Shepherdson, published 15 October 2026. Together, they frame a release whose significance is historical as much as visual.

The 1980 origin: gold meets rubber

According to Hublot, Carlo Crocco unveiled a watch called Hublot at the Basel Fair in 1980 under the MDM Genève name. It combined an 18k gold case with a rubber strap for the first time, establishing what the house calls the Art of Fusion. The original was a quartz watch: its founding gesture concerned the meeting of materials rather than the display of mechanical complexity.

That distinction matters. Gold and rubber can now seem a natural pairing, yet the original proposition placed precious metal beside a material with an entirely different character. The Tributo asks collectors to consider that contrast again, without the distraction of an elaborate dial. As Crocco says in Hublot's release: “Today, seeing the very first design and the origins of the Art of Fusion brought back to life is deeply emotional.”

Familiar codes, carefully reconsidered

The Tributo retains the gold case, black rubber strap and twelve slightly domed bezel screws that give the design its porthole character. There are no dial indices, while the date remains at 3 o'clock. MDM pad-printing at 6 o'clock connects the new watch to Crocco's original MDM Genève signature. These are not incidental decorations; they establish the vocabulary through which the tribute is meant to be read.

Other details mark the distance between the two generations. Hublot gives the original diameter as 36mm, while the Tributo measures 38mm. It has a screwed crown, 100m water resistance, a sapphire crystal and a sapphire case back. Exposed lugs remain part of the composition. The house deliberately omitted its One Click strap system to preserve the original DNA, favouring continuity over that particular convenience.

The resulting question for a buyer is not simply whether the watch is smaller or larger than another Hublot. A case, its lugs and the way a strap meets the wrist should be considered together. Our luxury watch size guide offers a useful starting point; trying a watch on remains the most personal way to judge its proportions.

Yellow gold: closest to the first Hublot

The yellow-gold version, reference 262.VX.1130.RX.MDM, stays closest to the first Hublot. Its black lacquered dial has a subtle charcoal effect, and a yellow-gold oscillating mass continues the material story through the case back. Against the black rubber strap, the warmth of the case makes the founding contrast immediately apparent.

For collectors who value a tribute's proximity to its source, this is the more direct reading. The uncluttered dial leaves the bezel, case and strap to carry the composition. Rather than adding another layer of ornament, the watch invites attention to the relationship that made the original distinctive.

White gold: a more formal interpretation

The white-gold version, reference 262.WX.6870.RX.MDM, changes the atmosphere while retaining the same framework. Hublot specifies a polished black onyx dial, black screws and a black tungsten oscillating mass. The house describes this interpretation as more formal, inspired by Italian tailoring. Its differences are therefore about both material and mood.

Both watches have a black lined rubber strap with a deployant buckle incorporating 18k gold, black-plated steel and black-plated titanium. According to Revolution Watch, either version costs CHF 25,000. With the reported price the same, the choice rests on which expression speaks more clearly to the wearer: the yellow-gold connection to the beginning, or white gold's quieter formality.

A mechanical chapter in a quartz story

The original was quartz; the Tributo is self-winding. Hublot equips it with its Manufacture caliber HUB1711, which the house says is based on the Zenith Elite architecture. An open-worked, H-shaped rotor is visible through the sapphire case back, giving the new watch a mechanical identity without crowding the front. Power reserve is approximately 50 hours, per Hublot's specifications.

This is where the tribute becomes an interpretation rather than a reproduction. The dial preserves the restraint of the original, while the reverse reveals a different approach to timekeeping. Neither fact diminishes the other: understanding both allows a collector to appreciate what has been carried forward and what belongs specifically to this release.

Heritage, philanthropy and the collector's perspective

MDM has another connection in the launch: the Main Dans la Main Foundation, founded in 1998. Revolution Watch reports that Hublot is donating CHF 100,000 to the foundation to mark the release. The Milan announcement also arrived in the same week as New York Watch Week and WatchTime New York, held at Gotham Hall on 16–18 October 2026. Amid that calendar, Hublot chose its own origin as the subject.

For the wider Hublot market, a heritage release provides a useful lens, not evidence of future prices. Collectors can compare how different watches express the house's material contrasts without treating a new launch as a guarantee of value. LuxyVerse offers Pre-Loved (Certified) Hublot and other luxury watches; explore the Hublot collection and our wider watches collection with condition and personal preference in mind.

The most rewarding choice is one whose proportions, materials and history continue to hold your attention. Begin with verification through the LuxyVerse Authenticity Promise, then let the watch earn its place on your wrist. The Tributo's enduring point is beautifully simple: a familiar combination can still offer something worth looking at closely.

Featured image: an original AI-generated, brand-neutral gold watch on a black rubber strap; it does not depict Hublot products or the Classic Fusion Tributo.