20 Years of fusing art and science
One can hardly believe it, with a blink of an eye, Big Bang is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. At the recent Watches & Wonders in Geneva, Hublot unveiled a series of five Big Bangs to commemorate the auspicious occasion. Each one is different from the other as night and day, and they represent their strong personalities at their best when playing with materials, from the Big Bang Original to the Big Bang Unico. They have all been aesthetically updated while retaining some original elements to enhance their new aesthetics. The couple of elements they all share is the engraved ‘20’ on the crown and “20 years” engraved on the skeleton rotor, and they share the same heart, the Hublot in-house manufacture automatic Calibre MHUB1280.20YEARS: UNICO, and they all measure 43mm. Let’s explore the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Collection together.
Big Bang 20th Anniversary Titanium Ceramic
The first feature that greets you in the Titanium Ceramic is the black polished ceramic bezel with a fluted side and, of course, the glaringly obvious iconic six titanium ‘H’ screws. Additionally, a pair of black polished ceramic brackets with titanium screws are on each side. They frame a stamped chequered-pattern dial, a nod to the motor racing element, decorated with large SuperLuminova-filled rhodium-plated Arabic hour markers and indexes, similarly featuring on the central hour and minute hands, alongside a red lacquered central chrono seconds hand with Hublot’s ‘H’ in ruthenium-plated counterbalance. The Chrono seconds' indicator is located at the three o’clock marker with Superluminova transfer Arabic and red markers, and the continuous seconds' indicator with a rhodium-plated Superluminova-filled marker indicates the Cardinal points. The inner bezel contains the minute chapter in white and red markers. They sit above the satin-finished titanium case with satin-polished rubber-tipped pushers and sapphire back. It is complete with the “one-click” strap change, a later innovation, and a threaded rubber strap. This piece is limited to 500 units.
Big Bang 20th Anniversary King Gold Ceramic
The aesthetics of the King Gold Ceramic version are very similar to the titanium version, except for where there is the titanium it is now in Hublot’s proprietary alloy of gold and platinum, hence making it quite invincible to scratches and robust, making it worry free of ‘losing’ gold and paired with ceramic. The iconic ‘H’ screws and the screws on the bezels and case are in bare titanium. Even the markers and hands are in gold. This is a luxurious take on the titanium version. And boy, do they look different! Each holds their ground and personality firmly. And it’s limited to 250 pieces.
Big Bang 20th Anniversary Red Magic
O La La! This red-hot number is all out to have fun with its irresistible allure. Once again the basic footprint is similar to the others. In its place instead is a red ceramic bezel and case but with black polished ceramic side brackets and individualised with black icno0ic ‘H’ screws on the bezel and screws on the brackets and case. The chequered-pattern dial remains carbon-like black and grey but the hours’ makers and hands remain red. The pushers are in rubber-tipped black ceramic and a black rubber crown It is further complimented with a matching threaded red rubber strap. This sizzling number stands out from the rest, and it’s limited to 100 pieces.
Big Bang 20th Anniversary All Black
There is something je ne sais quoi and powerful about black watches, and no one does it better than the propagator and creator of all-black watches. Hublot first introduced the Big Bang All Black watch in 2006, and it started a trend; to this day, almost every watch brand has one in its inventory. Needless to say, the entire watch case, bezel, dial, and brackets are in black. Even the markers and hands are blackened. The only element that isn’t black or blackened is the red-gold skeleton rotor on the back. This watch was indeed an icon and a historical piece in the world of watches, with the All Black appeal spreading like wildfire among modern and daring watch enthusiasts and connoisseurs; even a few classicists have fallen under its dark and mysterious spell. It’s limited to 500 pieces.
Big Bang 20th Anniversary Full Magic Gold
This is another proprietary metal belonging to Hublot, an alloy of gold and ceramic- one might call it a cermet. This Magic Gold is remarkable; its demeanour is different from that of its alluring and mysterious siblings, being cold yet seductively unique. The new alloy, with its blend of ceramic and gold, not only changed the metal's colour but also enhanced its robustness, making it much more resistant to scratches and thereby more durable than gold. The rich yet discreet tone draws you in unexpectedly and wantonly. It shares all the same aesthetic traits as its King Gold sibling, except for using Magic Gold instead. All the screws are black PVD-coated titanium, and there is no SuperLuminova to illuminate it in the dark. It has a distinct appeal, meant for discreet and restrained individuals who prefer to admire their Big Bang Magic Gold silently and catches the eye of those in the know. Has it captured your heart yet? It’s limited to 100 pieces.
Finally, they are powered by a manufactured in-house developed automatic calibre MHUB1280.20YEARS: UNICO. The flyback chronograph movement adopted a column wheel construction, which is more sophisticated and a silicon lever escapement to boot that certainly enhances the longevity of the movement. The movements in the Titanium and King Gold Ceramic editions are given an anthracite ruthenium plating on their main plate and bridges to brighten their soul and a contrasting King Gold skeleton rotor. At the same time, the Red Ceramic, All Black and Magic Gold have their main plate and bridges plated in black, they share the King Gold skeleton rotor, except for Magic Gold, which gets a yellow gold rotor.
That’s the proper way to celebrate one’s prolific 20th Anniversary in the art of fusion Limited But Timeless. They come in a case measuring 43mm in diameter with a “One-Click” quick change strap system.
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