There’s a saying that one should quit while one’s ahead and Usain Bolt took that advice. As the only holder of a 100m world record (9.58 seconds!), Bolt retired on his own terms after his 2016 Olympics showing. Years later, the  mythology around him still endures.

Another enduring facet in his life? His partnership with Hublot. Started in 2010, after his world record, Bolt’s ambassadorship is one of the longest with the brand at 15 years. The first watch born from this collaboration was the King Power Usain Bolt, which had Bolt’s signature pose on the caseback and green numbers and indices in the 12-hour chronograph subdial that are reminiscent of the Jamaican flag.

The latest chapter of the partnership arrives in the form of the Big Bang Reloaded Usain Bolt. This is a 44mm limited-edition that’s capped at 200 pieces. Powered by the Hublot’s in-house HUB1280 Unico self-winding flyback chronograph movement, and offers a 72-hour power reserve.

Cast in black ceramic and carbon fibre, the watch sports Jamaican green and yellow accents, while on the side of the bezel is Bolt’s mantra: “Anything is Possible, Don’t Think Limits”. On the caseback, there sits a lightning bolt that is made out of the soil from Bolt’s training ground.

But it is this feature that really ties it together: between 6 and 8 o’clock, you’ll find the numerals “856”. It won’t make sense unless you view them from another perspective: “9.58”—Bolt’s 100m world record. It’s such a fun, subtle aspect that adds to the watch’s personality.

We talked to Usain Bolt at this year’s Watches and Wonders Geneva on a comfortable sofa at Hublot’s booth.

ESQUIRE SINGAPORE: You’ve been a Hublot ambassador for 15 years. That’s quite a long time.

USAIN BOLT: We’ve built a relationship over the years. I mean, this is my fourth watch, and it has been a great partnership. I got to be a part of the company that went through so many changes and under different CEOs. It’s been wonderful.

ESQ: How does a partnership with Hublot begin?

UB: When they approached me [to be their ambassador], we had to see if they were the right fit. We always do our research. We found out that they were an upcoming brand, that was doing infusion and dabbling with different materials. Hublot had an energy that we liked, and for me, it was perfect; that was how I decided that Hublot is the one.

ESQ: It must be a good relationship, given how long you’ve been with the brand.

UB: I love that Hublot do many collaborations that are different from the other brands. To me, the other brands, most of the time, would produce almost the same things. But Hublot… they stand out. Their watches use different materials, different styles. Just the creativity is outstanding. These watches come with a story, you know?

I talked with Julien [Tornare; CEO of Hublot], and he explained about [Novak] Djokovic’s watch collection. He said the number of watches in the collection is based on how many Grand Slam Djokovic would win. So if Djokovic wins another tournament on a clay court, Hublot will add another timepiece to that collection. 

ESQ: For your collaboration with Hublot, it seems that this particular piece is more personal.

UB: Now that I’m retired, we’re like, what should we do for the next collaboration? Because we don’t want to be similar to the previous watches I’ve done. You know what, let’s focus on my journey and where it all started; that’s how we decided on the story.

We tell them stories of my youth, and they came up with ideas, certain traits, for the watch. One of the initial ideas was whether we could get a band that was green with flower prints on it. And they said, Yeah, we can do a camouflage. Because if you come to where I live, it’s just bush, the place is pretty much rural and green. Nice and rustic. Then, we decided to add dirt to the watch. Let’s take some dirt from the place where I trained, and put it in the [caseback]. That’s how it started: stories and conversations.

ESQ: The one that I’m most intrigued by is the numbers.

UB: Yeah, I can’t take credit for that. When they told me about it, I was like, “That’s very creative.” I’m impressed with whoever came up with that idea. It’s a nice touch, you know? That’s what I mean by having a story in the watches. It’s not just, oh, we made a watch, and it has diamonds. This is a true-blue collaborative piece that has my story.

ESQ: Do you also dictate what the watch should look like?

UB: I let them determine these things because they understand watches. They know exactly what they can and cannot do.

ESQ: What do you like about this latest collab timepiece?

UB: This is one of my preferred timepieces. The dirt from my homeland, now that is my favourite feature. But, if you had asked which of the collabs with Hublot was my number one choice, it would my first watch with them; that watch would always have a special place in my heart.

ESQ: What do you think your next collab with Hublot would be like?

UB: You never know. We didn’t know what direction we were headed when we started the conversation so, you’ll never know. It’s always just sitting around and talking about what’s next. What should we do? And then we bounce ideas off of one another to see what might stick.

ESQ: You’re a football fan as well.

UB: Manchester United, yeah. How I started supporting Man U was very random. Where I am from, we didn’t get a lot of Premier League games. Then, one Sunday, I happened to watch a match, and it was Manchester United playing- I don’t remember who they were playing against, but they caught my attention.

It was just spectacular. From then on, that’s how I became a Manchester United supporter.

ESQ: Was this during your time as a runner?

UB: No, I was young; still coming up. It was just before I made it big in running.

ESQ: I’d assume that you aspired to play football professionally.

UB: Yeah, that was something that I wanted to do, but it didn’t work out. I tried out for it. The experience was good, though, and I’m happy that I tried.

ESQ: Do you still play recreationally? 

UB: Yeah, of course, I don’t play it as much as I want to now, because, like, a year and a half… almost two years ago, I ruptured my Achilles at the charity game. Since then, I haven’t really played much.

ESQ: As an athlete, you see time as something to overcome. Now that you’re retired, what’s your relationship with time now?

UB: I was the type of person who want to get things done quickly, but now that I have kids, I’ve learnt that it’s not going to be like that. It’s more about having patience with them. But now I savour our time [together]. I try to enjoy as much as I can.

ESQ: As a retiree, what do you do for fun?

UB: I’m a massive domino player. I often play with my friends. I’m also into LEGOs, and that really calms my mind.

ESQ: What do you like to build? 

UB: I built mostly cars. I love cars; I put together two Formula One cars and other different ones.

ESQ: Do you try to do it as fast as possible?

UB: When I started, yes. I’d try to be as quick as possible, but then, you start making mistakes. And when you make a mistake, you have to pull the blocks apart, and that’s not easy to do. Sometimes, halfway through the build, I’d miss out on something, and then I’d have to dismantle everything.

Really, LEGOs are meant for you to take your time, and enjoy the moment. Now, when I’m building, I’ll either watch a TV series or put some music on… some nice chill music. That’s peaceful for me.

ESQ: As a celebrity, do you feel like you still owe the public a photo when they ask for it, or do you just want to be left alone with your LEGOs.

UB: [laughs] I understand why fans would want to take a picture with me. I’ve accepted that. I’ll try to give them the same energy and love that they deserve, because at the end of the day, these are the ones who have cheered me on for years and helped to build me up into who I am today.

Now, it’s easier. Since I’m retired, I can stay in Jamaica for months, if I want to, and just relax. Or I can just go on vacation. I’m not on a schedule that’s not of my own choosing; I can choose what I want now.

ESQ: Do you have pressure to maintain an image?

UB: Yeah, if you want to continue making money. [laughs]. For me, it’s easy to be this person that you see, because I was brought up a certain way. So that’s okay for me.

ESQ: Do you think today’s athletes need to think about legacy beyond the sport?

UB: I think when I was running, I didn’t understand that. I wished I knew a lot more about how to manage my money when I started. It was only midway in my career, when I mingled with different people and talked to them that I had an understanding of where my money comes and goes. Especially, when you work with different brands.

So, I feel it’s important for an athlete to at least, learn about investing, saving and building a legacy for themselves so that they don’t have to work until they are 70 years old.