Big Moves From "Big Bang" Watchmaker Hublot As They Launch "Hublot Loves Football Metaverse Stadium"

In case you’re unfamiliar, Hublot is a Swiss watch brand that puts the swank in swanky. Since 1980, these guys have been making watches with price tags higher than many people’s annual salaries.

Aside from making smoking hot watches, Hublot has a few hobbies up its sleeve. For one, the brand freakin’ loves football or “soccer” as it’s known in the states.

And as it turns out, they’re also into Web3-style innovation. So with a slogan like “Be First, Unique and Different,” it’s probably no surprise that Hublot has launched campaigns around everything from crypto to the metaverse.

The brand’s latest venture is a mash-up of all their loves combined. So get ready to check out the Hublot Loves Football Metaverse Stadium.

Inside Hublot Loves Football Stadium

Hublot went all out when designing their 90,000-seat 1 KM Metaverse masterpiece. But, given their understandable lack of expertise in building a stadium, they turned to MEIS architects.

Led by the legendary Dan Meis, these guys can design a killer stadium quicker than you can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Regarding virtual real estate, Hublot decided to go with the Spatial metaverse.

These days metaverses are popping up everywhere, each with its own offerings. However, one perk that sets Spatial apart is that it incorporates NFTs.

(Oh, and by the way, Hublot loves NFTs. We’ll explore that in a moment.)

It’s also a great place for collaboration and virtual meetings and lets you do things like:

Design your realistic avatar
Customized your virtual room
Write 3D notes
Teleport to multi-user meeting spaces
Move 3D objects and NFTs

Hublot Has a History of Blockchain-Based Projects

When it comes to Web3 tech, this isn’t Hublot’s first rodeo.

In 2018, Hublot decided to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Bitcoin with the release of the Big Bang Blockchain watch. Limited to just 210 pieces (to coincide with BTC’s 21 million cap), the watch became the first ever that could only be purchased using Bitcoin.

Then, in early 2022, the brand partnered with the crypto platform Ledger to release the Big Bang Unico Ledger. Hublot released just 50 of these bad boys into the world, each of which came with a Ledger Nano digital asset wallet.

Hublot has also dipped into the NFT space with the release of NFT versions of two limited edition watches they created with artist Takashi Murakami in 2021.

Hublot’s Football Fandom

Not only does Hublot love football, but it’s also positioned itself as the sport’s official timekeeper. The brand recently scored a gig timekeeping the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

So thrilled was Hublot with the partnership that they released a watch called the Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ to mark the occasion. With all the swag of Hublot’s trademark, Big Bang watches, the new release comes with an even bigger screen and a dedicated football app.

The football-centric Big Bang e watch also served as the design inspiration for Hublot’s metaverse stadium. Upon rolling up to the stadium, your avatar will see a bigass virtual version of the watch hovering above the playing field.

But why design a huge metaverse stadium? Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe had this to say,

“Continuing our legacy as the trusted timekeeper of world football, this initiative allows us to place a timestamp in metaverse history when the intersection of luxury, fashion, sport, and virtual worlds is beginning to take off. Football provides a place for us to unite and celebrate our shared dreams, and we are extending football into a new realm.”

Right on.

What Can You Do in the Stadium?

We don’t know much about what Hublot has planned for the venue. It’s supposed to be a hybrid space for sports, art, and digital events. But when precisely any of these things come about, only time will tell.

The Hublot Loves Football stadium feels more like a really good idea than an actual venue.

Nonetheless, Hublot has launched a series of VR campaigns at their physical stores in several countries to encourage users to visit the stadium. One of the pros of Spatial is that you can access it not only from a VR headset but also from your phone or computer.

When you decide to visit the stadium for yourself, you’ll wander down a long, winding pathway that will take you up to the roof garden. But don’t expect to find any world-class virtual games on the field below.

While you might bump into a few other curious avatars along your journey, the stadium is still widely empty. You can also teleport down to the field, surrounded by several little portals in the wall.

Each leads to a room dedicated to photos of one of the brand’s ambassadors. As you can imagine, the whole experience isn’t thrilling just yet.

It seems more like Hublot is positioning itself on the ground floor to ensure it’s ready for the wonders that the metaverse will hopefully bring in the future. Want to check out the stadium for yourself?

Click here to set out on your virtual visit.