by Elizabeth Lowry

If you have ever eaten Tutti Frutti gelato, you will have an idea of what Hublot was aiming for with his Tutti Frutti series. A Tutti Frutti Hublot offers up as much a mélange of flavor as the gelato of the same name…and in my opinion, a Tutti Frutti watch is as unisex as gelato, too. Tutti Frutti wearers tend to be influenced by preference rather than social convention. Further, the 341.PL.5190.LR.1104 is an unusual size. In Hublot Land, most men’s watches are 44mm while women’s are 38mm. At 41 mm this watch is somewhere in between, suggesting that it would rather not commit to either gender category.

The red-gold bezel on this watch is encrusted with 114 tiny diamonds and the matte blue dial contains three smaller subdials marking hours, minutes and seconds. The hands are red-gold, and only four numerals are marked (2, 4, 8, 10) while the others are indicated by gold tabs. The Tutti Frutti watch comes in four different colors: Camel, Brown, Dark Blue, and Dark Green. However, the dark green looked to me to be more of an olive hue, and the blue is brighter than I expected it to be. Diamonds, however, are diamonds—and they will glitter on any watch strap. That said, the rubberized alligator strap helps to mitigate some of the more jarring (albeit charming) aspects of the fusion of diamond and rubber. Hublot’s “gummy alligator strap” has also gotten some positive feedback—not least of which is that it is considered to be a bit more comfortable than the standard Hublot rubber strap—although apparently there is still the problem of perspiration and moisture gathering between the skin and a non-absorbent rubber surface. While I am unsure as to whether or not this watch could be considered attractive (at least not in the conventional sense), it certainly is unique–which seems to be Hublot’s goal: to produce items that have a distinctive “voice” and that depart from our traditional concept of a watch.

This watch draws attention. It twinkles and gleams. However, because of the abundance of diamonds on this model the Gold Tutti Frutti is not a watch that can easily be dressed up or dressed down. Simply put, this is a watch that takes charge. It seems as if you would have to dress around it—and build your wardrobe according to its terms–rather than consider it an accessory. Since this timepiece carries a $38,300 price tag it is probably worth taking the wardrobe factor into consideration before making an investment.