Famed for their unique aesthetics and wild designs, Hublot are a brand that have driven the watchmaking industry’s ever-evolving expectations of what a watch should look like. While it began with their “Art of Fusion” movement in the 1980s by combining precious metals with rubber straps, their modern day watches continue to be aesthetically and visually unique. Rooted in the brand’s early DNA are watches like the ref. 1810.1 that we have here, the MDM Chronograph. Launched in the late 1990s, the MDM Chronograph combines the brand’s early aesthetic with an innovative rubber strap and soft lines to create a model that formed a part of a rather varied catalog at the time. As the brand has leaned into the porthole-style case shape, watches like the MDM Geneve Chronograph exist as an interesting neo-vintage window into what the brand was once like. Measuring 40mm in diameter and made of stainless steel, the MDM Geneva Chronograoh ref. 1810.1 boast an automatic movement, a silver dial with blued applied indices, H logo at 12 o’clock, and hands, which provide a bright burst of color to the display. Still retaining plenty of Hublot’s design language, the MDM Geneva Chronograph’s integrated rubber strap and bezel ‘ears’ at 3 and 9 o’clock give it a look rooted in Hublot’s aesthetic that collectors will surely appreciate.

An early Hublot from before the Jean-Claude Biver era gave rise to the brand that we know today, the MDM Geneva Chronograph and its fellow neo-vintage Hublot offerings paint the picture of what the brand was like to own and wear when they were still just a relatively young brand.