Hublot celebrates Samuel Ross in London and more from around the watch world
Russell SheldrakeWe may not have opened any more Studios this week, and it we may have begun the run up to Watches and Wonders 2026, but that doesn’t mean it was a quiet week in the watch world. We have the first Grand Prix of the 2026 season around the corner in Melbourne, and we continue to roll through awards shows on our way to the Oscars. But we still had two events held here in London, one hosted by Hublot and Samuel Ross, and the other was our very own, with the next instalment of our Tudor fireside chats, this time with Adrian Barker. So let’s catch you up on what went down this week.
Hublot parties with Samuel Ross and friends
Earlier this week, Hublot threw a star-studded bash for one of its most creative ambassadors, design extraordinaire, Samuel Ross. A man who has worked with some of the biggest brands around, and everything he seems to touch turns to zeitgeist gold. Earlier this week, the brand celebrated the man with whom they have been working for close to seven years now in a swanky London bar that overlooked most of the city from the 18th floor. In attendance were not only big names in music like Tine Tempah, Tallia Storm, Headie One, and even Premier League footballers Eddie Nketiah and Destiny Udogie, who came to show their support. But the star of the show was the Hublox Big Bang Unico SR_A.
I was lucky enough to sit down with Samuel before the event really got going, where he shared a lot of the details that go into this new chronograph, and what it has been like to work with Hublot for so long. But once the party was in full swing, you could see him going around the entire crowd proudly showing off his newest creation. Never have I seen an ambassador do this, but I think it was due to two reasons. Firstly, he is genuinely proud of what he has helped to create with Hublot; the watch speaks to a lot of his design philosophies and fits into his core aesthetics. Secondly, he was truly among friends; it seems like Hublot gave him free rein on the guest list, and he just invited all the people he wanted to be around. A rarity at corporate events like this.
Of course, Samuel Ross is a London boy, and this is very much his home turf, and so seeing him surrounded by friends only makes sense. What was fantastic to see from my perspective was the number of people from outside the watch industry who were there to admire, appreciate, and maybe even learn about a high-end watch.
Adrian Barker brings the chat with Tudor
The very next night we were treated to the company of none other than Adrian Barker, as we hosted our second fireside chat with Tudor, with the first obviously being with the incredible James Dowling aka, Mr. Rolex. Just like last time, this was a more intimate affair, with around 30-40 people in attendance, including some top brass from Tudor. This discussion was all based around a challenge Andrew and Adrian had set themselves: to pick the ultimate three watch collection from what we had on display in our Tudor Library and Lounge. Although Andrew did throw a curveball that may have given him an advantage, more on that later.
As they were going through their collections, the conversation naturally moved to different areas and topics to do with Tudor, whether it was what their hopes and dreams were for what we might see at Watches and Wonders this year, to discussing the incredible process that goes on behind the scenes in making a Tudor watch, as Adrian was on the same trip as me a couple of weeks ago where we toured a lot of the Tudor suppliers.
Anyway, let’s get to the good stuff, the three watches there chose were, the Pelagos Ultra, Black Bay Monchrome, and the Black Bay Chrono with a panda dial for Adrian, while Andrew went for the Pelagos LHD, Black Bay 58 burgundy, and then his small it of skullduggery, he pulled out from his pocket the Ranger Dune in 36mm which he had quietly slipped off a staff member’s wrist which Adrian has no idea was going to be in play. There was, of course, much roasting and rating of each other’s collections and big cheers at the end to decide who won. But I’ll let you decide whose collection was better.
For those of you who celebrate, I hope you enjoy the first Grand Prix of the year in our spiritual homeland, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Russell and the Time+Tide team
Watch meme of the week: Inheritance isn’t always fair
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TBH, I think my grandchildren will be lucky if they even get a Scuba!
Wrist shot of the week: Wedding day wrist shot
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Who can hate a wrist shot on a wedding day, especially when it includes a dog in a tux. (scroll to slide 8 to see the shot we love)
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
Rolex Sub, Studio Underd0g x Fears, & a rare Japanese grail — Erika’s 3-WATCH THROW DOWN
We’re back at The Jeffrey Craft Beer & Bites, a bar that sounds like someone named their dog after it, in the heart of Manhattan, and sat down with Erika Ratini (@watchmissgmt), one of the most compelling new voices in watch collecting, for a 3-Watch Throw Down.
You might not be able to buy a Rolex, but you can now bet on the future price of one
This week, we learnt of a new and unexpected partnership in the watch world, and that is between second-hand marketplace Bezel and the predictions market platform Kalshi, which now allows you to wager on the future of the watch market. Is the price of a certain model rising or falling? Will Rolex be releasing the new Coke GMT this year? All open now to bet on with live odds on Kalshi. Read Zach’s full breakdown here.
What does Morgan Stanley’s top 50 Swiss watch brands list mean for the average enthusiast? (And Swatch Group’s two cents considered)
Speaking of rising and falling, the latest Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult report came out recently with some fairly big shifts in the league table we are now all very used to seeing. But what does it mean for the average consumer, and why has Swatch Group (and now Tudor) made statements about its validity? Check it all out in Andrew’s recent article.