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Hublot flexed its star power in San Francisco this week with a truly grand opening in Union Square. On Tuesday, pro-golfer and company ambassador Justin Rose rolled up at the store in a Ferrari to assist Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe in the ribbon cutting. (Rose also putted a golf ball into the 1500 square foot store. Naturally.) Wednesday, the company made a second splash in Northern California, inviting Kobe Bryant to unveil his new watch for Hublot in Napa.
Beyond the pageantry of opening week, what remains is the store, and it's a luxuriously masculine space. Finished with black stone, black and graphite-colored leather furniture, and metal fixtures, the bi-level boutique has a clubhouse vibe that screams classy watch joint.
"We had 11 stores in the US, and San Francisco is the 12th. For us, it was obvious that San Francisco should be on the map," Guadalupe tells Racked, adding that the company found the Geary location after an extensive search for a Bay Area flagship spot. "We believe a Union Square location is something not to miss because it's the best."
If you want to imagine what it would be like to shop for a watch that costs more than the median income in some states, click through the store gallery above. Hublot may be pricey, but —damn— they make nice watches.