Swiss watchmaker Hublot is no stranger to collaboration projects, having previously partnered with the likes of luxury carmaker Ferrari, sunglass manufacturer Italia Independent, as well as renowned personalities such as sprinter-turned-footballer Usain Bolt and concert pianist Lang Lang.
This time around, Hublot is partnering with former cricket star Kevin Pietersen and his non-profit organisation Save Our Rhinos Africa and India (SORAI) to do just that—save the rhinoceroses.
According to SORAI, a rhino is slaughtered every 8 hours by poachers hunting them for their horns, which are sold on the black market as ornaments or in traditional medicine. This, despite the fact that the horns are made of keratin—the same protein that makes up human hair and nails—and has no medicinal value. As a result of this illegal poaching, many species of rhino are now considered to be critically endangered, while others are threatened and vulnerable.
“There are around 28,000 rhinos remaining worldwide, 23 times fewer than there are African elephants!” So exclaimed Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. “Poaching is one of the main threats they face. Major steps have been taken by governments to introduce regulations but informing consumers and changing their behaviour remains a key challenge in the fight against poaching. If Hublot can play a role in raising awareness, then I would be delighted.”
Hublot has committed to supporting SORAI in their efforts to preserve the rhino populations. SORAI cares for abandoned, injured, or orphaned baby rhinos, before releasing them back into the wild once they are ready.
To commemorate this partnership, the Hublot manufacture is also in the midst of developing a special watch that will be unveiled sometime in the future.
The fact that Hublot is partnering with SORAI for a charitable cause is indeed laudable, and it just goes to show that the brand’s Art of Fusion philosophy—the spirit of innovation that enables it to meld seemingly differing worlds—allows the brand to have an impact on the world that reaches far beyond just making watches.