Usually, an event recap refers to one single event. This one, however, details a week-long bash during Melbourne’s Motorclassica that saw the town literally painted red when the Royal Exhibition Building was lit up in a bold Italian red, with Hublot and Ferrari copy watches logo stamping the iconic site. It also included the largest ever convoy of Ferraris ever assembled in Australia, and a hell of a party to reveal the new LaFerrari Aperta in the Melbourne Docklands. Last, but certainly not least, was a new watch co-designed by Ferrari and Hublot, the extremely limited Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph.
Remember, this was a 70th. If this is what the two brands mustered for a birthday party, just imagine what they would have done for a buck’s night. Hublot has a long-standing global alignment with Ferrari and it’s as perfect a match as any between watch and vehicle, with both marques striving to change their respective niches with technology and flair.
The Drive
What is the collective noun for a group of Ferraris? May we suggest a ‘growl’? That’s exactly what the idyllic lake and seaside suburb of Albert Park heard when more than 100 Ferraris took to the M1 on course for the late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch’s Cruden Farm in Langwarrin for the Concours d’Elegance judging of best in show.
Leading the convoy was Australia’s only ever Ferrari factory driver Tim Schenken OAM. His whip was the $12 million limited edition LaFerrari Aperta, which travelled from Italy for the occasion, and was to be the star of the show at the Red Party later in the week.
The Watch
The tagline for the the new replica Hublot Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph is “Designed by Ferrari, crafted by Hublot”, meaning that it started as a blueprint under the leadership of Head of Ferrari Design Flavio Manzoni in Maranello and was built in Nyon by Hublot.
The starting point for the designers was the Hublot movement — the “engine” of the watch — around which they freely designed a high performance chassis. Like that of a Ferrari, its lattice structure — unique in the world of watchmaking — offers maximum strength for minimal weight.
“The styling … underlines the performances of the watch and no component is there by chance,” Manzoni explains. Going into detail, the black structure on the dial holds the chronograph counters and offers maximal legibility. The crown at 4 o’clock is raised by a black PVD Titanium insert decorated with Ferrari’s Prancing Horse. The red chrono stop-start lever is easily accessible while driving, though using it for a 0-100 trial in this animal would not be recommended.