The Penult Grand Prix of the 2012 season will take place at the new “Circuit of The Americas” built in Austin, Texas between the 16th and the 18th of November. To mark the return of Formula One racing to America, the official watchmaker of Formula 1, Hublot, has introduced a special limited edition watch. The aptly-named F1 King Power Austin is produced in a limited quantity of only 250 numbered pieces.
The F1 King Power Austin is housed in a large titanium case with the diameter of 48 mm. Titanium was chosen for its lightness, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. This newcomer also boasts some unique elements and high-tech materials that are directly inspired by Formula One, such as a carbon and titanium bezel, a titanium case with a satin finish, featuring a perforated effect recalling the cutting-edge performance of an F1 brake disc and a 30 minute timer at the 3 o’clock position.
The case of the new Hublots is domed with scratch-resistant sapphire crystals with antireflective coatings and it is water resistant to 100 meters (330 feet).
On the right side of the case, at the 3 o’clock position, there is a titanuim crown with a black rubber on its tip (together with the brand’s logo). There are also two push-pieces: the upper one, at the 2 o’clock position is a start button with red rubber inserts and black text, while the lower one, at the 4 o’clock position is a reset button in black rubber with red text.
The dial also features an array of top notch elements inspired by Formula 1. The red and black dial surface comprises charcoal gray indexes with black SuperLuminova, while the same luminous material has been used for its skeletonized hands.
The brand’s name and logo, as well as Formula 1 logo are set on the upper part of the dial, at the 12 o’clock position. The gray-on-black date window is placed between 4 and 5 o’clock positions.
Hublot’s F1 King Power Austin is powered by the in-house manufactured HUB4100 mechanical chronograph movement. The automatically wound mechanism is built on 27 jewels and provides approximatelly 42 hours of power reserve. This limited edition timepiece has an openworked case back where you can enjoy the inner beauty of the watch.
The F1 King Power Austin comes with a black Hornback alligator leather strap with black PVD titanium “King Power” deployant buckle, a titanium cap and a decorative plate. The strap is sewn onto black rubber in order to make much more flexibility and comfortability.