Things could hardly be better for Chelsea football club at the moment. With club legend Frank Lampard at the helm and a team full of promising youngsters proving their worth, SW6 is a haven of excitement and positivity once again.

With nine wins in his last eleven games, Lampard’s first top flight season in management has exceeded many fans’ modest expectations, which were formed during a summer that saw Eden Hazard’s departure to Real Madrid and the beginning of a Fifa-mandated transfer ban. Yet, as we approach December Chelsea are sitting third in the Premier League table and playing some of the most entertaining and free-flowing football in the country.

So, naturally, GQ sat down with club captain César Azpilicueta at the Hublot x Chelsea FC watch launch last week (more on that later) to get his thoughts on how the season is progressing so far...

© Rob Newell - CameraSport

GQ: For you, César, as one of the more experienced players at the club – as the club captain – do you feel that you have any more responsibility playing in this team with the younger players around you?

César Azpilicueta: Obviously, as club captain, you have more responsibilities, but it’s a joy to watch a lot of the kids. It has been a long path for all the kids to be in the first team and now I think they are getting the rewards that they deserve. I think we are creating something very good and I am very pleased. Hopefully we can keep going because we are a young squad and we can keep improving.

Has the first few months of the season exceeded your expectations? At the beginning of the year, did you think you would be playing this well and be where you are in the table?

No, no, it doesn’t surprise me because I know the quality we have in the squad, even if for some of them it could be their debut in the Premier League, in the Champions League, with their quality and what they have shown until now I was obviously very excited and I knew that the results would come.

How much do you think that is down to Frank Lampard? And to Jody Morris, who has been involved with a lot of the youth teams?

Yeah, of course. Frank is giving a chance to a lot of the young lads – in his staff he has Jody, he has Joe [Edwards]... His way of playing, I think, is very clear and the way that he believes in and trusts the young players is something that also is [a] credit to all of the kids, their quality, their mentality. Some of them made their debuts a few years ago, but it’s true that we never had this moment where we could have [a] few of the young players from the academy playing in the first team or breaking into the first team, so I think this is very exciting and obviously Frank is playing a big part in it.

You played with him when he was a player at Chelsea – is that a strange dynamic now that he’s your manager?

I played with him for two years. Obviously, football goes on – it’s a cycle of the life. Now he became the manager and he’s my manager, so I think it’s quite natural. I have a great admiration and respect for him and I’m just trying to do my job to help the team to win.

© John Phillips/Getty Images for Hublot

Off the pitch too, the West London club has seen a return to form, linking up with long-time partner Hublot. The LVMH-owned luxury watch brand is the official timekeeper at Stamford Bridge and both sides have collaborated on two previous timepieces before, in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Now, however, football and horology meet again with the announcement of the Classic Fusion Chronograph Chelsea FC. With a power reserve of 42 hours and a blue ceramic case and bezel, the 45mm watch will be limited to only 100 pieces. Its most discerning features are undoubtedly the Chelsea lion at 12 o’clock and the “Pride of London” inscription on the case back.

The modern game is now dominated by such commercial ventures and Chelsea are one of a handful of clubs leading the way in off-the-field sponsorships. In the club’s last annual release of financial results (for the year ending 30 June 2018) their turnover grew to £443.4 million from £361.3m the year before, an increase of almost 25 per cent with revenues exceeding £400m for the first time.

But this collaboration isn’t designed to simply generate revenue for the club, it’s an endeavour that also looks to build Chelsea as a desirable brand – something many sides are attempting to replicate. And while Hublot might be just one of many partners now linked to the club, its continued association is increasingly important for both sides, as Chris Townsend, Chelsea's commercial director, affirms: “Each limited edition [watch] so far has held a unique story for the club and this piece is no different. The young, bold and vibrant blue design is a great reflection of the style of football we are currently playing. For our fans who are so proud to be a blue, this design demonstrates that pride perfectly.”

So, as Azpilicueta and the wider squad are thriving in a Chelsea side experiencing all the benefits of Lampard’s youthful revolution, that same approach is being applied to the club's commercial ventures outside of the game as well.

For fans who want to own a little piece of the football club they love, they now need only to turn to (and thank) Hublot once again. After all, has there been a better time to invest in Chelsea? We think not...

Classic Fusion Chronograph Chelsea FC, £11,700. hublot.com

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