If there’s one thing Hublot has always been known for, its forging its own path. For more than 40 years, the watchmaker has continuously found ways to integrate Italian design with Swiss craftsmanship, creating timepieces that are true showstoppers. For its 2024 novelties, the Maison has continued this legacy, emphasising a dedicated commitment to enhancing Hublot’s existing collections through new colours, materials and finishes.
As is true to the watchmaker’s DNA, colour reigned supreme in this year’s offerings. The Big Bang Unico in both orange and dark green ceramic were favourites from the fair, proving that the material doesn’t need to be limited to its historical shades of black, grey and white. The vivid orange colour is the latest iteration in a lineup that has previously seen the watch imagined in both red and yellow – all of which have been developed as original ceramic colours by the Maison. Yes, you read that correctly, these shades are made entirely from scratch to achieve a completely unique, uniform colour. Beyond the striking colourway, the new releases of the Big Bang Unico collection still encompass all the features we’ve come to love from the series – the Unico Chronograph Manufacture calibre, offering a three-day power reserve, a bicompax layout (a chronograph featuring a pair of sub dials) and of course, the visually incredible skeleton architecture.
Moving onto the Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu Sapphire – a mouthful of a name, but potentially one of the most interesting ongoing collaborations in the world of modern horology. The piece is the result of an eight-year collaboration between Hublot and Maxime Plescia-Buchi – a celebrated typographer, tattooist, artist, and founder of the 360-degree design studio and brand consultancy Sang Bleu – bringing the remarkable three-dimensional geometry of the creation to life in polished sapphire crystal. Now in its third iteration, Plescia-Buchi's inspiration for the geometric watch was to create the illusion of being tattooed on your wrist – combining intensity and softness, strength and subtlety to create a timepiece like no other.
If the Spirit of Big Bang’s design complexity is not quite your speed, or the vibrancy of the Big Bang Unico is more adventurous than your day-to-day wardrobe, the return of the Big Bang Integrated Time Only will undoubtedly catch your eye. A piece that embodies the original DNA of the Big Bang, with a solid dial and integrated bracelet, this year’s sleek addition to the collection has been presented in a new, 38mm iteration – exuding a classic elegance reminiscent of the simplicity and efficiency of the original creation.
Editor's notes:
Incorporating 3D machining and over 100 hours of work, the Spirit of Big Bang Sapphire Sang Bleu is almost as hard and scratch-resistant as a diamond (rating nine and 10 respectively on the Mohs scale).
