Hublot hires Kobe Bryant, releases Black Mamba timepiece

Swiss luxury watch brand Hublot, which signed on as the Lakers “official timekeeper� in January, took the relationship a step further this week, announcing Kobe Bryant as its newest brand ambassador on Wednesday and unveiled a limited-edition timepiece called the King Power Black Mamba.

The official announcement was made by Hublot Chief Executive Ricardo Guadalupe at a rooftop news conference at the London Hotel in West Hollywood and was followed by a celebrity-studded dinner co-hosted by GQ magazine that included Bryant and wife Vanessa, Jimmy Kimmel, Zac Efron, Jesse Williams, Garcelle Beauvais, Brad Goreski and Christos Garkinos.

Bryant joins a stable of Hublot brand ambassadors that includes Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, soccer player Diego Maradona and fellow NBA player, the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade.

Bryant accented his all-black ensemble (a Hugo Boss suit, black dress shirt and black necktie with a pop of pizazz in his black-and-polka-dot Calvin Klein socks) with one of the wristwatches named in honor of his “Black Mamba� on-court persona. The watch is packed full of Kobe-specific details, including the number 24 affixed at the 6 o’clock spot, a silver-colored snake curling around the counter at 9 o’clock, Lakers-appropriate gold-plated hands and purple number indicators, and a rubber strap accented with black python.

The King Power Black Mamba, which sells for $25,200, became available Thursday at Hublot’s retailers, but Bryant fans and watch collectors hoping to get their hands on one would be wise to strike with the speed and agility of the watch’s serpentine namesake.

Since only 250 of the limited-edition watch are being released worldwide, and one is already strapped to Bryant’s wrist, that means there are only 249 left.

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