Hublot Names New U.S. Boss

By William George Shuster, Senior Editor -- JCK Online, March 1, 2005

Hublot, the innovative Swiss luxury watch brand, has new top executives for its U.S. and worldwide operations. They were announced in January by Jean-Claude Biver, chief executive officer of Hublot S.A, in Nyon, Switzerland.

Fabrizio Cocchiano, who has a background in high-end watch and jewelry brands, is the new president of Hublot of America, effective Dec. 1. He replaces Pascal Savoy. Hublot of America, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., covers the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. (A story on Hublot's plans for the United States will appear in the April issue of JCK.)

Cocchiano has been with Hublot of America since 2003, initially responsible for the East Coast and the Caribbean markets. Before that, he was a consultant to Damiani and Technomarine and earlier helped develop the southern U.S. and Caribbean markets for Baume & Mercier, A. Dunhill, Montblanc, Chopard, and David Yurman.

Yvan Arpa, vice president of sales and marketing for Hublot worldwide since 2002, is the new general manager of Hublot S.A., making him second-in-command of its worldwide operations. He was previously with the watch brands Baume & Mercier and Sector.