Editor’s Note
This article details the groundbreaking of Eco Watch Co., Ltd.’s second factory in Gwangju, a strategic expansion for this key partner of luxury brand HUBLOT.
Eco Watch Co., Ltd., a key partner of the world-renowned luxury watch brand ‘HUBLOT’, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its second factory in Jik-dong 28-2, Gwangju City on the 17th, marking a full-scale move to strengthen its global competitiveness.
The ceremony was attended by approximately 30 people, including Mayor Bang Se-hwan, HUBLOT’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Christophe Barre, and Eco Watch CEO Ko Young-gon, who conducted the groundbreaking, ribbon-cutting, and commemorative photography.
The groundbreaking was prompted by Gwangju City’s swift processing of administrative procedures through inter-departmental collaboration in response to Eco Watch’s request for ‘rapid permit support for factory expansion’ made during Mayor Bang Se-hwan’s visit to the company site last July. The city provided proactive administrative support to ensure smooth investment and factory expansion for the company.
Established in 1999, Eco Watch Co., Ltd. started as a supplier of presidential and prime ministerial badge watches. From the mid-2000s, it focused on developing ceramic materials, expanding its business from manufacturing finished watches to becoming a specialized ceramic component company. After forming a relationship with the Swiss luxury watch brand HUBLOT in 2006, it began exporting ceramic components in 2007. Based on continuous technology investment and quality innovation, it established itself as a key global partner in the luxury watch industry. In 2023, HUBLOT acquired a 70% stake in Eco Watch Co., Ltd., integrating it into the LVMH group’s watch and jewelry division as a Korean production base.