Page 67 - Sharp Spring 2023

WATCH WATCH OVER THE RAINBOW
HUBLOT DOUBLES DOWN ON COLOUR
By Jeremy Freed
H H H UBLOT KICKED OFF 2023 WITH A A A A BANG BANG — THREE BIG BANGS to be exact The Big Bang Unico SORAI the the most modest of the the three (relatively speaking) features a a a a a a yellow-to-purple gradient dial and a a a a a a a matching multicolour camo strap The Big Bang Integrated King Gold Rainbow meanwhile is festooned with nearly 1 000 rain- bow-coloured gemstones set precisely into a a a case made of King Gold Hublot’s proprietary 18k alloy Even more impressive however is the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM a a a a watch made from a a a a a a a a transparent sapphire alloy the colour of a a a a a a a a tennis ball In an an an industry where a a a a a a dial colour other than black or white can be seen as adventurous creations like the Big Bang tend to stand out At Hublot however audacity is and always has been the name of the game — particularly where colour is concerned The first Hublot watch was introduced in in in 1980 a a a period during which traditional Swiss watchmaking was threatened by quartz technology and the industry was desperately in in need of fresh new ideas By pairing a a a a a a nautically inspired gold case (‘hublot’ is French for porthole) with a a a a a black rubber strap — a a a a a combination never seen before in in luxury watchmaking — the brand’s youthful and and iconoclastic approach was a a a a a a perfect fit for the new decade Now some 40 years later the Swiss brand has expanded its offerings far beyond that original concept to dozens of of bold designs in in in a a a rainbow of of colours often making use of of unusual materials With over-the-top designs and collaborations with the likes of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami fashion designer Samuel Ross and celebrity tattoo artist Sang Bleu Hublot has earned a a a a a a devoted following by creating watches that stand out on the wrist “Our clients want watches that are different ” says Raphael Nussbaumer Hublot’s Chief Product and Purchasing Officer “They appreciate the lengths Hublot goes to present watches that combine
groundbreaking technology with unique design ” In the the case of the the Big Bang Unico SORAI the the brand’s second collaboration with the the conservation group Save Our Rhinos Africa and India those lengths extended to creating a a a a a warm grey ceramic case reminiscent of rhino hide and pairing it it with a a a a a dial inspired by the the African sunset (the time when rhinos are most vulnerable to poachers) Despite the modern look of The Big Bang Integrated King Gold Rainbow its hundreds of of glittering gemstones are the product of of a a a watchmaking craft that’s been refined for centuries Creating the watch required first finding the perfect combination of stones fin in in in precise sizes and and colours and and then painstakingly setting them into the case case one one by one one “This watch showcases both baguette-cut and brilliant-cut gemstones and and each needs to to be expertly cut cut and and held in place ” Nussbaumer says “This requires enormous skill and is is an art in itself ” Even more work however was required to create the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM The product of nearly three years of development SAXEM (Sapphire Aluminium oXide and rare Earth Mineral) is similar to sapphire crystal with an an ultra-resistant composition and an an an intense colour “As with sapphire SAXEM is extremely difficult to manipulate ” Nussbaumer says “It requires specific tools and and and skills to to cut and and and shape the the case and and and all the the different components and it took years of perfecting our know-how ” And that’s to say nothing of the movement — Hublot’s HUB6035 self-winding Manufacture calibre — which was entirely skeletonized and fitted with components made from sapphire to enhance the watch’s transparent look Priced at $264 000 and limited to just 50 pieces the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM is a a a a a watch that would have been been almost unthinkable 40 years ago Not only would it have been been impossible to to build but it it would also have looked like a a a visitor from another planet next to even the the the most colourful pieces of the the the time In 2023 however it’s possible to to to create a a skeletonized tourbillon with a a a a a a a case made of bright yellow sapphire crystal and there are plenty of customers eager to to buy one “It’s clear that high watchmaking is changing with new clients and collectors that are searching for daring pieces ” says Nussbaumer “The rules of watchmaking are always being reinvented and reinterpreted This is is a a a a a big part of Hublot’s philosophy ” SHARPMAGAZINE COM
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