Fergus Nash
When I first came across the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu in white ceramic, I was blown away by both its concept and its execution. When we talk about artistry in watchmaking, we're usually discussing traditional methods such as enamel, laqcuer, stone marquetry etc. In a more contemporary setting, we take into account the sculptural forms of the case and perhaps some kind of elaborate skeletonisation. Sang Bleu's collaboration with Hublot evokes a sense of occult hedonism, experimenting with sharp geometry and pulling from Maxime Plescia-Buchi's decades of cultural influence. The new Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu transfers that approach into their tonneau-shaped catalogue in a series of limited editions.Rendering the Spirit of Big Bang tonneau case in Maxime Plescia-Buchi's geometric tattoo style has completely transformed the appearance, not least for the bezel which has been drawn out into more acute points that slope down over the wrist. In fact, with the central hour and minute “hands” enclosed within an elaborate diamond-shaped cage, the whole watch doesn't look too dissimilar to the Eye of Sauron. Perhaps more impressive than the case, with its deep ridges and facets almost giving you the manufacturing template, is the sapphire crystal that conforms with the case's extreme low-resolution curvature. The face of the crystal has four slopes angling down from the centre, as well as sharplybevelled sides that distort the view of the dial in a hypnotic way.The dial itself is like a puzzle itching to be solved, simultaneously simplistic and ornate with diamond markers on each subdial. Despite its visual explosion of interesting points to look at, the watch can still be read and operated as you would expect from a functional timepiece. It's tricky to spot in the press photography when everything is set to 12 o'clock, but the minute hand is a larger diamond with more generous lume applied, while the hour hand is smaller with lume in just the tip. The subdial at 9 o'clock is for the running seconds, while the one at 3 o'clock is used for the chronograph minutes counter. Making use of limited space, the double-sided hand of the minutes counter has two printed registers for counting up to 60.Below the geometric displays is the skeletonised view of the HUB4700, based on the high-beat Zenith El Primero 400. This column-wheel chronograph has integrated automatic winding, which you can also see through sapphire display caseback has been given a Sang Bleu style winding rotor. It provides 50 hours of power reserve with a 36,000vph beat rate, giving a luxuriously smooth sweep of the seconds hand. The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu is available in several configurations, with the titanium and black ceramic versions limited to 200 pieces, and the King Gold version limited to 100. There are also titanium and King Gold references with 180 pave diamonds set into the bezel and case.The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu pricing and availability:The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu is limited to 200 pieces in titanium and black ceramic, while the King Gold variety is limited to 100 pieces. They are available from Hublot boutiques and online now. Price: US$28,300 (Titanium) / US$30,400 (Black Ceramic) / US$48,300 (Titanium Pave) / US$50,400 (King Gold) / US$70,400 (King Gold Pave)BrandHublotModelSpirit of Big Bang Sang BleuCase Dimensions42mm x 15.7mmCase MaterialTitanium / Ceramic / King GoldWater Resistance100mCrystal(s)SapphireDialSkeletonLug WidthIntegratedStrapBlack rubberMovementHUB4700 (Zenith El Primero 400)Power Reserve50 hoursAvailabilityLimited to 200 peices (Titanium and Ceramic) / Limited to 100 pieces (King Gold)PriceUS$28,300 (Titanium) / US$30,400 (Black Ceramic) / US$48,300 (Titanium Pave) / US$50,400 (King Gold) / US$70,400 (King Gold Pave)
27.04.23