Hublot’s commitment to conservation continues with another watch designed and made for SORAI (Save Our Rhinos Africa and India), an organisation set up by former England cricketer and brand ambassador Kevin Pietersen. This is the fourth limited edition watch to come out of the partnership that looks to add funds to help preserve the species and stop poachers needlessly killing the rhino for their horns.
England batsman Kevin Pietersen plays a shot, 3rd day of the 1st Test of the 2013 England v Australia Ashes series at Trent Bridge, Nottingham © Nick Redhead.
Kevin Pietersen is one of the most talented players to ever set foot on a cricket field. Born in South Africa to an English mother and a South African father, he grew up in Cape Town. As a youth player, he was already showing exceptional aptitude. However, dissatisfaction with the selection process in his native land led to his seeking representation in England.
As a cricketer, Pietersen divided opinion. Geoff Boycott, a former England player, called him “cocky and confident”; the captain of the national side in 2005, Michael Vaughn, thought him insecure. He was equally polarising to everyone else. Pietersen wasn’t only known for his cricket prowess, he was also weekly tabloid fodder with his idiosyncratic hair styles – most notably the half head peroxided style termed “the skunk” – model girlfriends, and various heated “discussions” with the English Cricket Board. Leaving this country and cricket, Pietersen stated he had tried too hard to be English. He admits that “I was trying fake it to try and make it, which gave rise to a whole array of emotion, and can present different set of opinions of what people perceive you to be.”
Kevin Pietersen, back in his native South Africa, founded SORAI to protect the rhino and stop the slaughter for their horns.
Arriving back in South Africa, he found tranquillity in his life and a commitment to being an agent for positive change in his birthplace. Saddened and appalled at the plight of the animals and of the people, Pietersen was determined to do something about it. Gone were the headlines, the histrionics in the media spotlight on and off the cricket field, replaced with a new determination to do what he could for the endangered rhino, and the communities that populated the lands inhabited by these majestic creatures.
The back of the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang SORAI, with the conservation organisation’s insignia, and inscriptions denoting this is a limited edition of only 30 pieces.
By turning SORAI into a business venture, and collaborating with brands such as Hublot, he reasoned that there was greater outreach in terms of individuals becoming interested and vested in the survival of the rhino. “We found that people want to associate their purchasing with the end goal of the product, with the partnership,” explains Pietersen. “We see ourselves as a vehicle to enable people to spend money in the right way, helping preserve the animal and their habitat.” The economics for SORAI, and the inherent conservation interest with those who acquire the Hublot watch, work in the same direction.
Pietersen adds, “This is not about being a brand ambassador or about a photo shoot and press releases. This is about the animal. How do we best suit the animal, and how do we best make sure that we target what needs to be targeted to make a difference.”
Detail of the dial side of the watch showing the intricate skeleton movement, the tourbillon escapement, and the small rhino at three o’clock.
With this goal in mind, Hublot has, over the years, released a series of watches, the fourth of which is the recently launched Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon SORAI. It is in this piece that Pietersen has had the most input, from the choice of design and colouring to the model itself and the small details that set the watch apart from all the others. He openly admitted that Hublot “Were patient enough for me to make changes on quite a few occasions”. The Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon SORAI is an open-worked watch with a microblasted and polished grey ceramic tonneau case, with interchangeable fabric and rubber camouflage straps. Inside, we find a Hublot proprietary skeleton manual wind tourbillon movement.
The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon SORAI on the fabric camouflage strap.
Pietersen no longer makes headlines in the tabloids; he never did care for them and is certainly happier about his quieter life. His energy is invested on getting results, on the number of rhinos he can save, the number of children he can educate, the difference he can make at ground level to his homeland. His purpose now is to make a difference and develop what he called the “human fence”, where everyone can become a ranger, to surround and protect the animals to stop needless slaughter. Thanks to Hublot and SORAI, time may be on the rhino’s side.
Find out more about the SORAI programme, HERE and about the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon SORAI, HERE.
Author: Dr Andrew Hildreth
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