Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Pelé spotted wearing Hublot

At what appears to be a Hublot brand event — the watchmaker's logo clearly visible on the backdrop — Pelé was photographed wearing the very timepiece bearing his name: the Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Pelé Limited Edition in 45mm black ceramic. The image captures the Brazilian legend relaxed and smiling, his wrist carrying one of the most personally significant ambassador watches Hublot has ever produced.

The watch is built around a 45mm case in black polished and satin-finished ceramic — a material Hublot has mastered over decades, prized for its scratch resistance and deep, light-absorbing matte finish. The open-worked skeleton dial exposes the HUB1155 automatic flyback chronograph movement, a column-wheel calibre offering 42 hours of power reserve, running at 28,800 vph. Yellow accents on the sub-registers and hands inject the chromatic identity of the Brazilian national team directly onto the dial. Water resistance is rated to 50 metres.

The strap is the watch's most narratively loaded element: black rubber overlaid with a suede-textured material embossed with hexagonal panels — unmistakably referencing the truncated icosahedron geometry of a traditional football — finished with bright yellow contrast stitching. It is not subtle, nor is it meant to be. This is a commemorative object as much as a horological instrument.

Produced as a limited edition, this reference sits firmly within Hublot's strategy of creating bespoke athlete editions that carry genuine personal endorsement rather than mere licensing. Pelé's relationship with Hublot was long-standing and substantive; the brand sponsored his personal foundation and he appeared at numerous global activations. The watch is consequently one of the more emotionally resonant pieces in the Hublot catalogue, collector interest heightened irreversibly following his passing in December 2022.

At an original retail of approximately $18,000 USD, the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Pelé occupied the upper-mid tier of Hublot's classic line. On the secondary market, provenance and the ambassador's legacy now exert upward pressure on pricing, with clean examples attracting meaningful premiums over issue price among football memorabilia collectors and serious Hublot enthusiasts alike.