The Hublot Classic, originally sold under the MDM name, was the first watch from the brand founded in 1980 by Carlo Crocco. It is a porthole-shaped watch in 18 kt gold with a visible screw-fastened bezel, powered by a quartz movement. Its key feature was the strap: it was made of natural rubber, which in 1980 was unheard of on a luxury watch. I could not find a reliable official source for the case size or movement, so they are not stated here.

Pairing precious metal with rubber was Crocco’s idea, and it later became the “Art of Fusion” that defines the brand. The porthole case was Hublot’s own, and the name itself means porthole in French.

Collectors see the original as the start of the Hublot story and an early example of a luxury sports watch on rubber. The 1980 model is long out of production, though Hublot has reportedly revisited it with a Classic Fusion re-edition.