On April 23rd, Olympic skier Bode Miller and Swiss watchmaker Hublot officially announced their renewed partnership. Hublot becomes the first sponsor to renew with Miller since his success at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Earlier this year, the company released the watch nicknamed the “Bode Bang.” A simplistic yet sophisticated design, the newest take on the Big Bang line features Microblasted black ceramic bezel and case-back. The dial is the only white part of the watch, also features black nickel appliques. With a mechanical chronograph with automatic winding, the “Bode Bang” clips to the wrist with an adjustable black rubber strap. Limited to 250 pieces, each will be numbered from 01/250 to 250/250.

This partnership was born out of a mutual interest: passion. According Hublot CEO and President Jean-Claude Biver, this partnership made sense to him because he appreciates the life lessons that sport can teach. “Sport is the best education concept for children, it teaches them how to manage failure,” said Biver. Arguing that one must first experience failure before success, Biver quipped “I’ve never seen a baby walk.” More importantly, Biver understands that his clientèle is interested in the sporting arena. By attaching his company with a notable athlete such as Miller, Biver lets them know Hublot “belongs to the same world.”

Bode Miller, who was close to retirement prior to the Winter Olympics, said that the reason he went into business with Hublot was because Biver’s passion for watchmaking rivaled that same feeling athletes have, “I’ve never met a CEO like Jean-Claude,” said Miller. While he played a key role in the design of the watch, after visiting the factory he knew he could trust Biver to deliver the goods. “With a company like this, you don’t have to put too many stipulations on it,” said Miller.

A portion of the sales from the “Bode Bang” will go towards Miller’s charity, the Turtle Ridge Foundation, which aims at helping out those who suffer from paralysis.

-Affluent Page

[Hublot]