At the forthcoming Baselworld, Hublot is presenting an absolute novelty in the world of watchmaking. Transferring the know-how acquired by working with very hard materials such as Magic Gold, the Swiss Maison has created a limited series of 500 Big Bang Unico Sapphire sculpted in sapphire, a material that Hublot makes more usable without compromising its uniqueness and rarity. "After the art of suggesting skeleton movements, Hublot unveils everything. A transparent case that consecrates the soul of the watch, the Unique movement. An absolute transparency pushed through to the strap, which has also become invisible. Beyond symbols and puns, the Big Bang lays itself bare. It has nothing to hide,' said Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot. Extremely difficult to work with, sapphire has until now been reserved for unique pieces or very exclusive collections. After the ambitious project of the MP05 "LaFerrari" Sapphire, Hublot confirms its savoir-faire and mastery in working with this material by interpreting it in a limited series of just 500 pieces. This is an absolute first: sapphire had never before been sculpted "on such a large scale". The case middle, bezel and back of the Big Bang Unico Sapphire are cut from blocks of sapphire, a material that is almost as scratch-resistant as diamond (9 on the Mohs scale, compared with diamond's 10): for its manufacture, Hublot has called on the expertise of a Swiss specialist in this field, signing an exclusive partnership. Only a few parts that make up the watch's 'backbone' are made of titanium, namely the screws, the crown moulded in silicone and the folding clasp. The skeleton dial in transparent resin reveals all the gears of the Unico manufacture HUB1242 movement and its finishing. The strap, also transparent, reveals the leather, further enhancing the ethereal appearance of the chronograph. Produced in 500 pieces, the Big Bang Unico Sapphire is water-resistant to 50 metres.
Big Bang Unico Sapphire
Technical Specifications
Reference 411.JX.4802.RT - Limited to 500 pieces
Case - Diameter 45mm, made of polished sapphire crystal
Bezel - Polished sapphire crystal, secured with 6 H-shaped, countersunk, mirror-polished titanium screws
Glass - Sapphire with interior/exterior anti-reflective treatment and Hublot logo
Bezel and lugs - Glossy transparent composite resin
Crown - Transparent silicone and satin-finished titanium
Buttons - Satin-finished titanium
Back - Polished sapphire crystal
Water resistance - 5 atmospheres
Dial - Glossy transparent composite resin skeleton dial
White luminescent applied hour markers and hands
Movement - HUB 1242 UNICO PVD anthracite movement developed and produced by Hublot. Self-winding flyback chronograph with column wheel and double coupling visible from the dial side
Date - Finestrella at 3 o'clock
Power reserve - Approx. 72 hours
Strap - Structured transparent strap
Clasp - Titanium folding clasp
