Hublot replica takes matching your watch to your suit to the next level with the Classic Fusion Italia Independent,Aside from Big Bangs, Hublot is likely best known for their abundant, and occasionally surprising, partnerships. One of the most interesting, from a design and technique perspective, is Hublot’s relationship between Italia Independent and their famous frontman – Lapo Elkann.
If you pay even the slightest a little attention to the world of men’s style, you’re possibly all too aware of Elkann. If you’re not down on the difference between spritz and sprezzatura, Elkann – grandson of billionaire industrialist and sartorial icon Gianni Agnelli – is a staple of the style and society pages. He’s the founder and driving force behind Italia Independent as well, which is best known for producing high-fashion eyewear, but is a fully-fledged design agency in its own right too. 
It is not surprising to say that Hublot’s Italia Independent collaboration focuses on unusual materials. While we’ve previously seen Texalium-infused timepieces, this time around they’ve chose to play with more traditional textures – the classic cloth of fine tailoring.
The full collection includes six different Classic Fusion replica watches, each incorporating a different woollen cloth – tartan, Prince-of-Wales check or houndstooth – on the dial and strap. It’s a bold look, but one entirely in keeping with both Hublot’s ‘art of fusion’ philosophy and Elkann’s fashion focus. The fabrics themselves have been sourced from Rubinacci, a well-known family-run tailor that has been dressing the rich, famous and royal (including Elkann’s relatives) for three generations. Luca Rubinacci chose these particular cloths with Elkann’s sporty-but-elegant style in mind, and Hublot adapted the raw, fibrous material into watch components, a feat of material transformation that shouldn’t be underestimated.
We were particularly drawn to the King Gold chronograph in houndstooth (or pieds-de-poule in French). The texture of the fabric is apparent, but not as attention-grabbing as the tartan or Prince-of-Wales versions. The contrast between the black and white wool, rich gold of the case and blue details is especially pleasing. The real wonder though is the dial itself – that the fake Hublot has succeeded to transform the soft folds and fibres of the wool into a precisely machined dial is astounding, and results in a texturally rich watch that’s refreshingly fun to wear. Though is it too much to pair it with a houndstooth jacket?