In partnership with Hublot
The world’s greatest international sporting event is back and we are pumped, if not still a bit confused by the timing of it all. First, doesn’t this thing usually happen in the summer? Secondly, what time is it in Qatar? Third, the game clock just runs? No TV timeouts? And how does this whole stoppage time thing work? Fortunately for casual viewers and obsessed footy fanatics alike, Hublot is holding down all things timing at this year’s tournament.
For the fourth consecutive time, the luxury watchmaker is the official timekeeper of the World Cup. Hublot will time all 64 games, including the final, and all 129 official referees will keep time with a special, on-pitch version of Hublot’s brand new Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
This connected watch evokes Hublot’s iconic mechanical watch, the Big Bang, with a 44mm case in polished black ceramic and black titanium. But it is instead powered by a Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 4100 processor with the latest version of Wear OS by Google™ and includes an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a microphone, a speaker, GPS and a heart-rate monitor, along with a full suite of preloaded health and activity tracking apps.
It delivers all-day battery life with a two-hour charge to full from empty and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. The Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ will also be highly customizable. The official version has a burgundy dial and a black and burgundy lined rubber strap inspired by the flag of the hosts, but fans can choose dial and strap designs in the colors of each of the 32 participating nations.
And because “Hublot Loves Football,” the watch is designed to help keep fans in sync with every second of the tournament. “Countdown mode” initiates 15 minutes prior to each match, when the watch displays lineups and player profiles. When the game kicks off, the watch automatically enters “match mode” and activates “timeline,” an exclusive feature designed specifically to help fans capture the most epic moments in soccer. The dial displays sections for timing both halves, additional time in each half, and halftime itself. Goals are marked by animations mentioning the player’s name and noted at the appropriate minute mark in each section. Same goes for yellow cards, red cards and penalties. If a match goes beyond normal time, the display automatically switches to extra time mode and then into shootout mode. A final animation notes the completion of the game and final score. Wearers can replay these events any time by scrolling around the dial with the watch’s crown.
The Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is limited to 1,000 pieces, so as the field continues to narrow towards this year’s champion, you can be sure these will sell out.
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