In all honesty, there have been times when Hublot’s most innovative and challenging designs have left me baffled.
Who, I wondered, would choose a crazy Big Bang Unico over a classic Daytona or Royal Oak at a similar or lower price?
It has never surprised me that Hublot’s Classic Fusion watches, typically the most conservative and easily wearable pieces in the catalogue, are the watchmaker’s bestsellers.
However, too many of today’s industrial scale manufacturers are playing it safe and relying too much on re-treads of heritage models over risk-taking and creativity.
In a cooling market, this looks unlikely to excite the sort of irrational desire that will shift units.
This balancing act came to mind when I saw the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Magic Ceramic limited edition, which at first glance is so “out-there” it might struggle to sell the mere 20 units being made, particularly given its $33,000 price tag making it a considered purchase, even among the NFL and NBA stars most likely to go for it (especially if they can bag one in their own teams’ colors).
Then, on second thoughts, I realise the very creativity I have been calling for from the likes of Omega, Rolex and AP for many years is being delivered by Hublot, just as it is by Richard Mille, and both have rapidly climbed the league table of major Swiss watchmakers over the past decade.
The building blocks of the new Big Bang Unico Magic Ceramic are well-established: a 42mm black ceramic case with contrasting micro-blasted and polished facets; the HUB1280 UNICO Manufacture self-winding chronograph
flyback movement; an open-worked dial and an integrated rubber strap.
The excitement and innovation is in the watch’s bezel, which shows a new level of mastery from Hublot’s fêted ceramics foundry.
This foundry has for many years produced flawless ceramics in a far broader range of colors that rivals have created.
But, until today, it has not managed to consistently make multicolored ceramics to a repeatable pattern.
That changes with the creation of Magic Ceramic, which has been used to make a scratch-resistant grey bezel with a rash of blue blobs.
Forget the fact that it looks like a watch that has caught Smurf measles, it is correctly described by Hublot as nothing short of revolutionary. “This marks the beginning of a new world of creative possibilities and artistic expression and liberty,” the company suggests.
As Hublot describes, the achievement is more than just a simple layering of pigments.
Each pigment used for color must go through different temperatures during the baking and pressuring and moulding processes of the ceramic components.
The biggest challenge, which Hublot appears to have mastered, is to repeat this process over and over with consistent results.
“After more than four years of research, we have mastered the art of combining vivid, patented colors—a true technical feat. Thanks to the creativity and talent of our young engineers taking the lead, Hublot’s scientific approach and innovating spirit will continue to astonish,” says Hublot director of R&D Mathias Buttet.
“I feel an immense pride in seeing our team bring to life a material that perfectly embodies Hublot’s soul: a subtle blend of science, alchemy, and playful boldness.”
In an era dominated by reissues of classic mid-20th century watches, the world should welcome this playful boldness with an open mind.