Page 70 - Sharp November 2024

TRUE COLOURS
HUBLOT’S NEW BIG BANG UNICO CARBON CANADA OFFERS A DISTINCTLY CANADIAN TAKE ON SWISS WATCHMAKING
By Jeremy Freed
A T TIMES, “CANADIAN-NESS” CAN BE A HARD QUALITY TO
pin down. Sure, many Canadians are generally united by a love of the great outdoors, hockey, and a certain treasured homegrown coffee chain, but beyond those well-worn tropes, what is it that makes us who we are? Part of the difficulty is the fact that — thanks to our country’s proud commitment to diversity — there’s no such thing as a typical Canadian. Yet capturing our country’s spirit was the challenge accepted by Hublot in creating the new Big Bang Unico Carbon Canada, the brand’s first-ever watch designed specifically for watch-loving Canadians. The result is a watch that pays subtle yet stylish tribute to the colours of the Canadian flag while delivering the refinement you’d expect from a Swiss luxury timepiece.
In creating the newest addition to the brand’s best-selling Big Bang family, Hublot could have stopped at simply integrating a maple leaf and leaving the rest of the model without much identity, similar to other Canadian-themed releases we’ve seen. Fortunately for Canadian watch collectors, however, the Big Bang Unico Carbon Canada delves far deeper, with a dynamic red and white colour scheme
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(white for our famous snowy landscapes and red for our autumn foliage, according to Hublot) on its dial, case, bezel, and strap. The result is a cohensive design that runs through the entire model.
Housed in a 42 mm matte black frosted carbon case, a set of punchy red subdials and hands complement a mix of red and white numerals on the skeletonized dial, while a matte red and white frosted carbon bezel provides visual contrast and texture. With a set of two straps (Hublot’s classic black rubber strap and a black calf strap with red and white stitching) to complete the look, the Big Bang Unico Carbon Canada has an undeniably Canadian feel. Like every Hublot Big Bang chronograph, the Big Bang Unico Carbon Canada is equipped with the brand’s famed automatic Unico chronograph movement. Featuring a column wheel and dual-clutch mechanism visible through its cutaway dial and a 72-hour power reserve, it boasts exceptional perfor-