The New black

Ten years ago when Hublot premiered their All Black concept, the catchphrase was “invisible visibility.” An all-black watch was seen as eschewing the basic functionality of time reading in favor of an iconic design. This year, the creative watch company turned that notion around with a new concept, “visible invisibility,” which materialized in the Big Bang Unico Sapphire pieces. While the first transparent model favors the clarity of sapphire crystal, the star of the new All Black collection is the black version made of black smoked sapphire crystal. This see-through property is extended to many parts of the movement— including the chronograph complication—and down to the strap itself. Transparency, as it seems, is the new black.