Continuing its tradition of watchmaking firsts, Hublot reveals all by introducing the Big Bang Unico Sapphire, a timepiece that fuses watchmaking excellence and materials expertise with an inspired design cut straight from sapphire.
By continuously transforming ‘savoir-faire,’ Hublot has developed a reputation for combining traditional watchmaking skills with innovation in both materials and design. The latest in a long line of innovative Hublot timepieces, the Big Bang Unico Sapphire is crafted of sapphire, a material of rare and unique character.
Sapphire is almost as hard and scratch-resistant as diamond (9 on the Mohs scale as opposed to 10 for diamond) and is therefore an extremely difficult material to machine. Until now, its use has been reserved for one-of-a-kind pieces or very private collections. Building on its expertise in the manufacturing of unique materials, and capitalising on the sapphire cutting expertise acquired in its ambitious MP05 “LaFerrari” project, Hublot is now extending its use to a of 500-piece limited edition, a scale never previously attempted.
The iconic 45mm diameter Big Bang is reimagined in polished sapphire crystal, its transparency revealing the soul of the watch: Hublot’s exceptional manufacture chronograph movement, the Unico. To complement its ethereal silhouette, the transparency extends to the strap, which has become practically invisible so that the skin can be seen through it. In this very light interpretation, the Big Bang timepiece is water-resistant to 5 ATM (approximately 50 metres).
Available as a limited edition of 500 pieces, the absolute transparency of the Big Bang Unico Sapphire celebrates both the architecture of the Big Bang and the performances of the Unico movement. The case middle, bezel and back are cut from blocks of sapphire, with only a few pieces forming the spine of the watch (the screws, the crown – over-molded with silicone – and the deployant buckle) made from titanium. Its skeleton dial, made from transparent resin, reveals all the gears and finishes of the proprietary Unico movement, with its the famous column wheel and double clutch visible on the dial side. Developed and manufactured in-house by Hublot, the automatic flyback chronograph of the HUB 1242 Unico movement provides a power reserve of 72 hours.
Within the minimalist style of the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sapphire the Unico mechanism is – literally and metaphorically – laid completely bare, proving it has nothing to hide and everything to show.
Get yours here: http://www.hublot.com
