Heat-seeking Hublot: Luxury watchmaker takes its branding to South Beach

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Just as my piece about the NBA’s ramped-up style quotient was going to press, Swiss watch brand announced its first-ever U.S. team sponsorship -- signing on as the official watch brand of the Miami Heat.

Part of the deal, which includes assorted Hublot arena signage, a game-day countdown clock at the team’s website and the brand’s designation as the franchise’s official timekeeper, is the commitment for Hublot to raise a minimum of $750,000 for various causes designated by the Miami Heat Charitable Fund over the next three years.

This follows the February announcement that the watchmaker had tapped the Miami Heat co-captain Dwayne Wade as a brand ambassador, adding him to a stable of professional athletes that includes Jet Li, Diego Maradona, Maria Riesch, Bode Miller, Dario Cologna and Facundo Pieres.

-- Adam Tschorn

Left photo: Miami Heat co-captain and Hublot ambassador Dwayne Wade during warmups before a playoff game Sunday. Credit: Camden Courier-Post / AP Photo

Right photo: A Hublot watch. The Swss luxury brand has signed on to be the official timekeeper of the Miami Heat for the next three years.