Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic
Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic has been on the cutting edge of creating new materials for its watches for a while now. The brand, whose motto is The Art of Fusion, even has its own Metallurgy and Materials research laboratory on the premises in its Nyon, Switzerland workshops, where the team continually works with high-tech alloys. This year, Hublot unveils a world-first in the form of orange sapphire. The orange-tinted case of the new Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Sapphire Orange watch was challenging to accomplish due to the difficulty of achieving the depth of color. Hublot’s engineers incorporated titanium oxide and chromium to attain the final color. Thus far, no other watch brand has developed this bold hue.
As if the orange sapphire wasn’t enough, Hublot opted to power the watch with an all-new movement. While the orange sapphire was two years in the making, the 243-part movement was three years in research and development. The self-winding caliber boasts a tourbillon escapement at 6 o’clock (rarely do tourbillon escapements come in automatic watches). It also features a decorated micro-rotor that is visible on the dial side. The orange numerals and markers seemingly float on the dial, and the hands are tipped in orange. Just 50 pieces will be made.
With the new Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire, Hublot has once again achieved a world first by adding a completely new colour to its palette of through-tinted sapphires. This unprecedented technical and aesthetic feat is combined with an entirely new tourbillon movement not only equipped with self-winding (a rarity for a tourbillon), but also with a reinvented architecture with its micro-rotor visible on the dial side and three sapphire bridges. This exceptional timepiece is available in a limited edition of 50 pieces.
Over the years, the brand (which has its own Metallurgy & Materials laboratory) has already released numerous very illustrious watches where the sapphire cases and dials, available in novel colours, act as transparent settings for sophisticated mechanics – such as the Big Bang Unico Sapphire (transparent), All Black Sapphire, Big Bang Unico Red Sapphire and Blue Sapphire, and the recent Spirit of Big Bang Yellow Sapphire.
Today, Hublot continues to innovate with this extraordinary material by reinterpreting the Big Bang Sapphire Tourbillon in an entirely new orange shade – a world first for a through-tinted sapphire – achieved thanks to the incorporation of titanium and chromium in a skilful manufacturing process. This surprising and dynamic colour is a breath of fresh air for haute horlogerie, and is in perfect harmony with Hublot’s culture of excellence. The fascination of the translucent bezel and case in finely polished orange sapphire is enhanced by the technical tone of the six H-shape titanium screws that characterise the iconic Big Bang design. Hublot illustrates its unrivalled watchmaking expertise – and its mastery of the tourbillon, which has been constantly developed since 2007 – by accommodating an entirely new tourbillon movement at the heart of the orange sapphire, completely designed and produced by the brand. Unlike traditional tourbillon movements, equipped with manual winding, this exceptional calibre makes a name for itself thanks to its self-winding system ensuring a minimum power reserve of three days (72 hours) – a very noticeable improvement for the wearer. It is equipped with ceramic ball bearings and the latest Hublot technical advances in its winding system. The manufacture has also reasserted its uniqueness by reconstructing the movement in its entirety in order to make the micro-rotor visible from the dial side.
This innovative layout not only represents an additional technical challenge for the designers, but also breathes new life in aesthetic terms, by strengthening the spectacular appearance of the dial and its very contemporary design. The perpetual movements of the micro-rotor set at 12 o’clock echo the rotation of the tourbillon, its regulating organ, positioned in perfect symmetry at 6 o’clock. The grey 22-carat gold micro-rotor is set off by exquisite decoration (bevelling, sunray-brushing and sand-blasting), as well as by signature Hublot openwork in the precious metal.
Hublot has also continued in its quest for transparency by using more sapphire in the movement itself. The manufacture calibre on the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire is equipped for the first time with three sapphire bridges – a barrel bridge, an automatic bridge and a tourbillon barrette. The lightweight effect of the skeleton work is accentuated by heavily open-worked and sandblasted platinum.
The tourbillon cage at six o’clock, revolving on its axis every minute to compensate for the pull of the earth on the movement’s direction, is distinctive for its pure geometry affording a glimpse into the mechanical heart of the model. The legibility of the open dial is enhanced by hands and indices with a luminescent coating.
The transparent orange rubber strap with a lined relief – with a patented express One Click interchangeability system and titanium deployant buckle – completes the cutting-edge look of this limited edition release of 50 pieces.
Texalium and black ceramic versions
For those wanting technical style and audacity in other futuristic materials, Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic is offering the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic in a limited edition of 100 pieces with a case and bezel in Texalium, an exclusive lightweight and ergonomic material that combines carbon fibre and aluminium. The brand also reaffirms its unique mastery of high-tech ceramic in a Black Magic 100-piece limited edition made from black ceramic.