Globally, around 62 billion coffee pods are used every day – and Nespresso has continuously made efforts to make recycling their pods easier. For the Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin, the case contains recycled aluminium, of which 28% are used Nespresso coffee pods. The aluminium is then anodised to a vibrant green colour that echoes Nespresso’s Master Origins Peru Organic capsule.

The crown and chronograph pushers also undergo the same treatment as the case, of anodisation, satin-finishing and polishing.

The straps included with the watch also incorporate coffee elements into them, and are easily interchangeable with Hublot’s unique One-Click system – the rubber strap fuses 8.2% recycled white rubber and 4.1% coffee grounds together with the usual Hublot blend that further upcycles these once unwanted materials.

Furthermore, the fabric strap is from one of Nespresso’s partners, SingTex, that produces a 100% recycled fabric that is 95% recycled polyester and 5% coffee grounds. Working together with Nespresso, the external elements of this watch are proof positive that upcycling materials can lead to massive increases in value when they are properly processed and worked.

The Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin measures in at 42mm with its verdant recycled anodised aluminium case. The colour itself is a remarkable achievement, with 7 different materials in this bright green colouration, requiring a year of research and development to ensure that they stand the test of time.

The skeletonised dial allows for a dive into the movement mechanics allowing a look into the chronograph mechanism that is positioned dial-side for an on-the-wrist look at the operation of this complication. The dial is also colour matching with the case, further accentuating the eco-friendliness of the watch. A running seconds subdial resides at 9 o’clock, and the 60 minutes counter is positioned at 3 o’clock, which is enlarged for better legibility, and also incorporates the date window. The hands, and markers are also contrasted in white for ease of reading. 

Powering the watch is the HUB1280, a manufacture movement by Hublot that was designed to be more reliable and fit smaller cases with ease. The movement features a 72 hour power reserve, and is automatically wound. 

The 200-piece limited edition will be delivered in the new Hublot Greenbox, that will be used for all watch collections in the future. Featuring an all-wood construction, including its hinges, in traceable wood, along with an interior that is 98% recycled materials, the brand has not only pushed the limits of what can be recycled, but how it should be packaged as well. In the case of this Hublot and Nespresso collaboration, the box features the two brands’ logos that are affixed using coffee grounds. 

Hublot and Nespresso have proven to all of us that recycled materials do indeed have a place in luxury watchmaking, and that materials destined for landfill can be upcycled to create more value in the supply chain. No matter your feelings about Hublot and their approach to watchmaking, it cannot be denied that this is a great achievement in the world of sustainability – a truly “green” watch that paves the way for other brands to be just as environmentally conscious as they are.

Big Bang Unico SORAI

Since 2019, Hublot has supported Save Our Rhinos Africa India (SORAI for short). Founded by Kevin Pietersen, a former English test cricketer and Hublot ambassador, the organisation plays an important role in the conservation of the rhinoceros, the number of which has dwindled by 90% over the last decade. Despite the ban on the trade of rhino horn, poachers continue to hunt the animal in the pursuit of opportunistic profit – the price of which is worth more per kilogram than gold. Proceeds of this model will go to supporting projects aimed at protecting the rhinoceros, including new technologies to prevent poaching, raising awareness and providing funding for more active ranger personnel on the ground to protect these animals.

The watch itself is executed in the colour scheme of sunset, representing the heightened danger of nightfall. The gradient of colour from yellow, orange, pink and purple represent the daybreak where the sun is a symbol of hope of a new dawn.  Its 44mm case is crafted from grey ceramic that echoes the colouring of the rhinoceros, featuring polished and brushed surfaces.

The watch comes with two strap options, a grey fabric with velcro fastening, or a black, purple and orange camouflage design that echo the colours of sunset and sunrise.

Within its grey ceramic case beats the Unico manufacture movement with chronograph, date, automatic winding and a 72 hour power reserve.

This watch is limited to 100 pieces worldwide, and proceeds will go to SORAI to support rhinoceros conservation efforts.

Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic SAXEM Yellow Neon

Looking to space for inspiration, the sapphire case of the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic SAXEM Yellow Neon appears to glow from within, with an intense fluorescent colouring. Utilised in high-performance lasers and in satellites, SAXEM stands for Sapphire Aluminium Oxide and Rare Earth Material. In essence, it is a form of sapphire (hence the use of Aluminium Oxide) with the inclusion of rare earth elements such as thulium and holmium as well as chromium.

The crystalline structure of SAXEM allows for colouring to be intense, no matter the viewing angle, whilst ensuring stability in the manufacturing process whilst it is being shaped. This was first seen in use by Hublot in 2019 for the Big Bang MP-11, and it has taken 3 years to perfect this material for its transparency and its resistance.

Powering this watch is the HUB6035 self-winding Manufacture calibre with Tourbillon. Interestingly, the watch is wound by a micro-rotor, specifically chosen to exhibit the movement from both sides of the case – a full rotor automatic would have greatly obscured the view.

This watch is limited to 50 pieces worldwide, a fitting number for such an alluring and haunting piece.

Big Bang Integrated King Gold Rainbow and Time Only King Gold Rainbow

What is watchmaking where you can’t have fun with the craft of gem setting? Both of these watches are a veritable explosion of colour, each set with over 800 gemstones – ruby, amethyst, blue topaz, tsavorites as well as an entire colour spectrum of sapphires (pink, orange, blue and yellow).

Both case and bracelet are crafted from Hublot’s King Gold, offering a warmer tone than traditional rose gold, and is also impervious to colour change over time. These two watches are the perfect fusion of modernity, the watchmaker’s craft and especially, the artistry of the jeweler who must match the colour gradient of the gemstones perfectly to create a perfect rainbow across bezel, case and bracelet.

The Big Bang Integrated King Gold Rainbow houses a Unico manufacture chronograph movement boasting a 72 hour power reserve, and the Big Bang Integrated Time Only King Gold Rainbow is also self-winding, with a power reserve of 50 hours.

Hublot continues to remind us that they are one of the most forward thinking and modern watch brands in the industry, pushing the boundaries of what can be done in materials science, the fusion of tradition and modernity, as well as supporting noble and worthy causes around the world.

No one will doubt however, this is a partnership that makes sense given how the brand’s mission right from the start has always been to make “racing machines for the wrist”, building in levels of real world performance to their watches that have shaken traditional notions of watchmaking to the core.

It was Richard Mille after all, that showed the world that it was possible for a top flight tennis player like Rafael Nadal to wear a watch with a tourbillon on the wrist during a tennis match, instead of only during the post match prize giving ceremony, and still have it functioning and working well. They continued the trend by building watches for others like F1 driver Felipe Massa and Olympic sprinter Yohan Blake to wear during competition, instead of only at the prize giving ceremony, and in the process, convincingly demonstrate how the watches more than live up to the original racing inspiration – being built to survive harsh treatment by elite athletes. 

While Richard Mille will begin their partnership with Ferrari starting with the 2021 F1 season, the brand is by no means a stranger to motorsport or Formula 1, since it has, from 2016, been the official timekeeper for the Mclaren F1 team. 

This partnership with Mclaren has resulted in notable watches such as the RM50-03 Split Second Tourbillon Chronograph that feature the futuristic wonder material, graphene, for its proprietary Graph TPT® case. This was the watch that was launched to coincide with the partnership and came as a 75 piece limited edition with a million dollar plus price tag. 

Curiously, the Mclaren partnership is still ongoing for 2021 as the team has released images of this year’s car with the Richard Mille branding still intact next to the cockpit. 

This seems to suggest that Richard Mille will be the official timekeeper for two Formula 1 teams, which is a state of affairs that I cannot ever recall has happened before. It’s certainly the type of status quo defying move that the brand is known for and the question is if it will continue long-term? We’ll wait and see, but I see no issue with it being this way.  

Of course, this announcement prompts another question, what happened to Hublot? 

Before Hublot, Ferrari had collaborated with watch brands before, but the resulting watches were lacklustre in their appeal, making it seem that while a watch and car brand partnership was something that made sense in theory, it didn’t seem to work out that well in practice. 

Hublot changed that for me when they entered into the partnership with Ferrari in 2011, with synergy that hit all the right notes, with cool watches that ranged from a standard Big Bang Chronograph to the Hublot Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph, and all the way to the MP-05 LaFerrari, and overall was a masterclass in how to conduct such a partnership successfully.

So now it has ended after 9 years, one year short of the proclamation at the Baselworld 2016 event that I attended, that was held to celebrate and reaffirm another 5 year partnership deal.

Well, at least it comes shortly after LVMH stablemate brand TAG Heuer announced their partnership with Porsche just last month. Though I have to say for Hublot, it’s a pity that it didn’t continue. 

Ferrari’s new partnership with Richard Mille will certainly result in interesting watches that I assume will be more technology, rather than designed focused. Afterall,  it’s not so easy to span a large price range with Richard Mille than with Hublot. While fit in terms of exclusivity will be better, it does deny more F1 fans the hope of being able to support the team with a Ferrari logoed watch on the wrist in a meaningful mechanical way. Another question that I would pose is how the technological innovation that Richard Mille produces will be divvied up among the two F1 teams. 

More recently, we have see Hublot partner with artists on a very collaborative scale, joining forces with the likes of Yohji Yamamoto (of Y-3 Streetwear fame), Richard Orlinski (renowned for sculptures of wildlife in a “faceted” fashion) and Maxime Buchi (a tattoo artist known for his geometric patterns). These watches incorporate much of their motifs and design language, creating watches that truly embody the artist. In 2021, Hublot collaborated with Takashi Murakami for the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black – it is a watch that brings Murakami’s aesthetic to the wrist, and cannot help but make you smile when you glance at it.

The works of Takashi Murakami have been an example of blurring the lines between “high” and “low” art, with much of his inspiration taken from the Otaku subculture of Japan that includes anime and manga. His Superflat style of art has drawn many people to his work for its colourful and easy-on-the-eye effects, and a hugely successful collaboration with Louis Vuitton helped to cement the blurring of lines between high art and consumerism – akin to how Andy Warhol combined pop culture and high art.

In this fashion, Murakami has brought much acclaim to Japanese art through his Neo-Pop movement, producing prints and sculptures alongside highly consumer-centric goods that demonstrate the appeal of his artistic style. It is through this widespread appeal that brings us to the new watch unveiled at LVMH Watch Week, highlighting the popularity of Murakami’s artistic movement, and the fusion of Haute Horlogerie.

The new Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black combines Murakami’s signature Superflat Smiling Flower motif with a mechanical animation. A special ball-bearing system developed by Hublot’s engineers, the twelve petals of the flower inside of the watch rotate as the wrist is moved, with the petals being weighted on one side – much like the way that automatic winding rotors operate.

The face of the flower is three dimensional, and is actually mounted onto the sapphire crystal glass of the watch. The hands of watch come up behind the flower’s face, and are only really present when you are searching for the time – bringing the flower motif front and centre of attention. The face and petals are set with an amazing amount of brilliant-cut black diamonds – 107 for the face, and 456 for the petals. With the All Black motif being a signature of both Hublot and Murakami, the case is in black ceramic measuring at 45mm, with contrasting brushed and polished finishes. To top it all off, a black rubber strap and a deployant clasp secure the watch to the wrist.

Housed inside of the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black is the HUB1214 Unico movement. This is essentially a version of the Unico movement found within the Big Bang Unico chronographs, but with the chronograph module removed. The movement also has a higher cannon pinion in order to provide clearance for the hands to tell the time above the petals.

The Hublot Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black is a watch that, without fail, evokes a smile for every instance you check the time, and is truly a watch that embodies Hublot’s collaborative spirit when partnering with artists. With Murakami’s flower taking centre stage, the watch is unmistakably bold. Despite its monochromatic look and name, it appears that the watch has incredible depth and playfulness that comes with a Murakami piece. Combining Murakami’s Superflat flower and Hublot’s modern Classic Fusion aesthetic, it is almost a certainty that the 200 pieces produced of this watch will go to a wide audience of people who appreciate this artistic partnership – each for their own reasons.

The Golden Goose (Baselworld) is finally dead

In a press release sent out by the LVMH group, they, the only significant group of brands that includes Hublot, Zenith, TAG Heuer and Bvlgari, have confirmed their departure as well.

The most telling part of the press release states: 

“Within the context of clearly weakened representation of the Swiss watch industry and hence inevitably lower participation, it appears clear to the brands composing the Division and the House of Bvlgari that they must also withdraw to preserve their image and their relations with their clients as well as the media.” 

Jean Claude Biver, who famously declared that the brands under his charge would never leave Baselworld, said: “Grouping the entire Swiss watch industry in a single location, Geneva – the historical capital of watchmaking – and around a single date, is a major opportunity to ast last revive a sector that all too many divisions and divergent interests have weakened compared to the rest of the luxury sector in which Bvlgari is active and that is making much faster progress. We are looking forward to Geneva in April 2021, even though we still need to define the terms of our participation, which we will specify in the coming weeks.”

It’s a sad day, and the final nail in the coffin of the venerable fair that has been a mainstay in the world of Swiss watchmaking for over one hundred years. Great empires crumble all the time throughout history, and one of the main reasons is corrupt, weak and ineffective leadership. 

MCH Group (owner of the Baselworld fair) publishes the worst press release ever

How will Baselworld ever recover from this?

I get it, it’s the whole “Art of Fusion” thing that was the initial fame catapulting concept with the brand – mixing materials not usually seen together in one watch. The brand’s claim to fame in the early days was to have a gold case on a rubber strap, and so to keep constant with this, at the time, sacrilegious practice in the watch industry, Hublot has typically stayed away from bracelets, preferring to play up its preference for rubber. 

And what a shame that it has been, for a bracelet guy like myself. It’s only this year in 2020, or 15 years after the launch of the Big Bang that we finally get a Big Bang on an integrated bracelet. It certainly should have happened earlier, since the Big Bang has a case design that practically begs it to be on one. 

How would you know? Well with many brands over the course of 2019 introducing new collections on integrated bracelets, all Hublot had to do was to redesign the Big Bang a little and make a new collection. The best thing is, unlike the other brands that had to introduce new case designs and undergo all manner of controversy, no one is complaining about the new Big Bang Integral because it feels so natural that it just has to be accepted. 

Perhaps it took the many brands jumping into the fray to convince them that it had to be done, and thank goodness for that.

The name of the collection – the Big Bang Integral is descriptive enough, and it comes with five new references. The materials used are the signature ones of Hublot – ceramic, titanium and King Gold, with nary a whiff of stainless steel. Also, the King Gold and Titanium models come with diamond encrusted options, and the aforementioned ceramic model is a 500 piece limited edition that is in black, or to put it another way, is part of the All Black collection. This is the  “invisible visibility” concept from 2006 that Hublot has successfully turned into a series of limited editions that have garnered wide-spread appeal because nothing is cooler than black, and when you can’t read the time properly because everything is all the same colour. I’m joking of course with the particular watch All Black watch from the Big Bang Integral collection – the reflective hands and indices, as with the contrasting white for the date does make this watch relatively easy to read. 

A word on the bracelet design, it is a typical three link bracelet, with a central and two lateral links. The finishing however takes its cue from the case, with the polished and brushed surfaces extending downward to the bracelet. Not only that, it’s the same sharp edges, bevelling and chamfering that also flows downwards, making the whole watch feel like one integrated(!) unit.There are also some other changes. The Arabic numerals on the standard 42mm Big Bang model have been replaced in the Big Bang Integral with indices. Also, the signature “sandwich” construction of the Big Bang case is retained, but in the new collection, the watch is made only on one material, with the composite resin insert. The only exception to this is the black composite resin lugs on its bezel and the crown over-moulded with rubber. The movement is the same in-house HUB1280 – UNICO proprietary manufacture movement, with the column wheel visible on the dial, so no surprises there. 

Lastly, on the bracelet, you can’t swap it out for a rubber strap when you feel like it, like the uncommon older models that did allow that possibility. The solution – wear it as is and buy another Big Bang on rubber.

So that’s the Big Bang Integral, a collection that will certainly expand with more innovation, and more references. As it is, there is nothing to really complain about, it had to be done, and now it is.   

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