Hublot has formally paid tribute to its brand ambassador Kobe Bryant following his death in a helicopter crash this week.
Mr Bryant, who was among nine people killed when the helicopter came down in fog near Calabasas, California, had been part of Hublot’s brand ambassador family for seven years.
Posting a black and white image of the basketball star on its official Twitter account on Monday, Hublot stated: “Words cannot express our sadness at the passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and the other victims in yesterday’s tragedy. May he and all those involved rest in peace. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of all of those affected.”
Hublot produced the first of several limited edition watches inspired by Mr Bryant back in 2013, when it signed him up as a brand ambassador just months after penning a similar deal with the LA Lakers, who he represented for more than 20 years.
At the time, Hublot’s CEO Ricardo Guadalupe said: “Bryant is the perfect choice for Hublot – a brand known for its precision and excellence, traits that have characterized the basketball icon’s celebrated career. We could not be more excited to add Kobe Bryant to our roster of brand ambassadors, all of whom are living testimonies to athletic superiority and perseverance. Kobe’s achievements are an inspiration to all of us here at Hublot and we look forward to a wonderful partnership.”
Hublot marked the start of its partnership with Mr Bryant by presenting him with the Hublot King Power ‘Black Mamba’.
The 250-piece limited edition watch, priced at $25,000, is driven by a split-seconds Foudroyante HUB 4248 mechanical self-winding chronograph movement and features a python snake strap which has been sowed on black rubber.
The complex dial is represented by a snake making a curve over the counter at 9 o’clock and around Mr Bryant’s jersey number 24, over 6 o’clock.
