QATAR. Hublot and Qatar Duty Free (QDF) have partnered to open a Hublot boutique at Hamad International Airport (HIA), a first in travel retail for the renowned LVMH-owned Swiss luxury watchmaking house.
The lavish boutique offers travelling shoppers a wide selection of technically impressive and aesthetically striking watches, while the 58sq m ‘city concept’ environment blends styles in a modern and innovative spirit. Its contemporary furnishings and pop-art paintings reflect Hublot’s hallmark fusion of traditional and modern materials.
Passengers can discover and shop from a wide range of the brand’s watches, including various famed Big Bang and Classic Fusion models as well as limited-edition timepieces.
“We are thrilled to offer all our watch enthusiasts some of the finest timepieces from one of the leading brands in the global watchmaking industry” – Thabet Musleh, Vice President Operations, Qatar Duty Free
The boutique is located at the heart of HIA in a boulevard of luxury brands. It is conveniently accessible to all passengers in the Plaza South duty free en route to the departures gates.
“Hamad International Airport is one of the key travel hubs of the region and we are very happy to partner with Qatar Duty Free and be present there with our new boutique,” said Hublot Regional Director Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East & Africa David Tedeschi.
“We are confident that travellers will be satisfied by the selection of Hublot timepieces on offer, especially with the constant growing demand for our watches.”
Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations Thabet Musleh said: “Qatar Duty Free is proud to launch the very first Hublot boutique in the travel retail industry, to complement our extensive selection of brands and retail concepts available at HIA.
“The lavish and contemporary style of the stunning boutique is a perfect fit for HIA and for our discerning passengers. We are thrilled to offer all our watch enthusiasts some of the finest timepieces from one of the leading brands in the global watchmaking industry.”
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report Chairman Martin Moodie visited the boutique on the day of its soft opening (28 July) in the company of Thabet Musleh (below). Click here for our on location report.
About Hublot
Founded in Switzerland in 1980, Hublot is defined by its innovative concept, which began with the distinctive combination of gold and rubber. This ‘Art of Fusion’ stemmed from the imagination of its Chairman, Jean-Claude Biver, the legendary watchmaking industry executive who rejuvenated the house in the years before its acquisition by LVMH in 2008. The company has been driven forward by CEO Ricardo Guadalupe since 2012.
The release of the renowned, multi-award-winning Big Bang in 2005 paved the way for new flagship collections (Classic Fusion, Spirit of Big Bang). These featured complications ranging from the simple to the highly sophisticated.
Keen to preserve its traditional and cutting-edge expertise, and guided by its philosophy to ‘Be First, Different and Unique’, the Swiss watchmaker aims to be consistently ahead of the curve. The house is renowned for innovations in materials (scratch-resistant Magic Gold, ceramics in vibrant colours, sapphire), and the creation of manufacture movements (Unico, Meca-10, Tourbillon).
About Qatar Duty Free
Qatar Duty Free, a Diamond Partner at the forthcoming Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo, boasts one of the world’s leading airport retail offers. It commands an impressive portfolio of over 90 stores, as well as more than 30 restaurants and cafés at HIA.
QDF is committed to constant innovation and to providing passengers with new shopping experiences, brands and products. Recent store openings and pop-ups include a new ultra-premium Perfumes and Cosmetics store, the L’Oréal Beauty Avenue, a Penhaligon’s ‘Made-to-Measure’ pop-up boutique (an airport world-exclusive) and the Harrods Tea Room, a first for an airport. It also staged the largest airport podium for Puig brands Paco Rabanne and Carolina Herrera.
As reported, Hamad International Airport (HIA) has revealed plans for its second expansion phase. The project will feature a spectacular 10,000sq m indoor tropical garden in a central concourse as well as a 268sq m water feature, which will be the focal point of the expansion. The airport’s passenger capacity will increase to 53 million passengers annually by 2022.
Underlining its commitment to innovation, QDF has also launched The QDF Factor, an unprecedented initiative to encourage and champion creativity at a time when travel retail needs it most.
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