Boxer Liam Smith spotted wearing a Hublot

Liam 'Beefy' Smith was photographed in fight-day preparation gear, WBO Super Welterweight belt in hand, with a substantial rose gold and ceramic Hublot King Power Unico GMT on his wrist — a fitting choice for a champion about to cross time zones of pressure in one of boxing's biggest matchups of that era.

The King Power Unico GMT ref. 771.OM.1170.RX is one of Hublot's most technically ambitious pieces from its King Power generation. The 48 mm case pairs a brushed and polished King Gold (Hublot's proprietary 18k rose gold alloy) mid-case with a black ceramic bezel ring engraved with 24 city names representing global time zones. That outer rotating GMT ring is functional, not decorative — it works in concert with the red and white dual-timezone disc visible through the open-worked dial. The black rubber strap with titanium deployant clasp keeps the package wearable despite the case's considerable footprint.

Powering it is Hublot's manufacture HUB1220 calibre — a skeletonised automatic movement offering flyback chronograph, GMT complication, and column-wheel construction, all visible through the dial's architectural openwork. Hublot developed the UNICO movement specifically to bring full manufacture credibility to the King Power line, which had previously relied on ETA or Valjoux ebauches. At 330 components and a 72-hour power reserve, HUB1220 marked a genuine step forward for the brand.

Collector reception to the King Power series has matured considerably since its discontinuation. What was once dismissed as oversized novelty is now regarded as a definitive expression of 2010s haute horology maximalism. The GMT variant, with its functional world-time complication and skeletonised architecture, represents the top of the King Power hierarchy and holds its value accordingly on secondary markets.

Smith wore the piece to one of the most high-profile fights of his career, a world title defence against Canelo Álvarez — a bout that attracted enormous global attention. Pairing a ~£37,000 Hublot ambassador piece with a championship belt moments before a title fight is exactly the kind of sighting that underscores how deeply luxury watchmaking has embedded itself in professional boxing culture.