Hublot

MichaelC
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I'm afraid some of Hublot's problems are in the design, some are indeed the QC.

Let me start by saying I really like Hublot.  I do not fault them for how they go about creating their product lines; it is a business and they run it very well.  And I like many of the models. 

However, the Big Bang and King Power cases have lots of pieces that fit together.  I always see variation in how the middle gasket fits against the case.  It never looks very clean to me.  The side walls, or part between the upper and lower case parts, sometimes does not fit perfectly tight.  Rubber coated bezels with gaps.  These are issues with having such a modular design and using materials that can not be made to perfect tolerances.  No big deal, IMO, it is just part of the Hublot way.

The QC, however, is indeed another story.  Perhaps two of the most aggravating issues on any watch that should never happen are the alignment of the hands and the alignment of the date disc.  On the hands, I have had numerous Hublots where the hour hand does not point directly at the hour when the minutes are at 60/0.  This is completely unacceptable.  On the date, I have owned or handled Hublots where the number is not even close to being centered in the window (and look at your photo, you did not circle that but same problem).  Or on an Aero Bang with a transparent date disc, it is supposed to align over a colored background for legibility and again, it frequently is not adjusted properly.  Crooked hour markers too.  I have experienced all of these issues on watches I have personally owned.

Let's point out the good too - Hublot's customer service is top notch.  Jean Claude Biver is an industry pioneer in this area.  They will get it fixed for you, but I still think it is horrible that the watches can leave the factory with these simple-to-fix flaws.  I personally do not hold Hublot in the same regard as the other brands I collect, so I typically overlook the issues.  I enjoy Hublot as a "fun to wear" sports watch that offers many different looks.  But they still cost a lot of money, and these issues reflect poorly upon the brand's image.  Hublot needs to push for tighter tolerances, and have a much better review of finished watches before letting them leave the factory.

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