New York--Olympic ski champion Bode Miller made a special appearance in New York recently to meet with Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver and officially renew his sponsorship contract with the luxury watchmaker.

Hublot is the first sponsor to re-sign Miller following his Olympic triumph at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, the company said in press release.

Known for its "Big Bang" watches, Hublot created the limited-edition  "Bode Bang" in homage to the skier after he revealed a fascination for the expertise of watchmakers. A portion of the watch's proceeds help support Bode's charity, The Turtle Ridge Foundation, which encourages children to live healthy lifestyles through participation in sports.

After the "Bode Bang" was launched, the ski champion won three medals at the Winter Olympics, becoming the most decorated U.S. skier in Olympic history. Following Bode's announcement of his commitment to pursue his career further and also to support key charitable events for his charity, Hublot has extended its relationship with Miller through the 2011 World Championships, for which Hublot will also be official timekeeper.

Model and current Hublot ambassador Veronica Varekova as well as supermodels Elena Kuletskaya, Kate Bock and Michelle McCallum were among the VIPs and friends who attended a press conference and private luncheon last Friday at Cipriani Wall Street, where Hublot and Miller celebrated the renewed sponsorship.

In 2008 Hublot was bought by the LVMH group (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) with Biver continuing on as chief executive officer of the brand. Through its design principal of "fusion," Hublot is known for combining unusual materials such as gold with ceramic, tantalum, magnesium and titanium on modern versions of Hublot's rubber strap.