Pushing Limits
Hublot shows off its expertise in material innovations and movements. Dewi Irma writes
Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot is no stranger to pushing the limits of innovation and outstanding creativity, and at Baselworld 2018 the brand continued to shake things up by debuting the first-ever football-themed smartwatch. With Hublot the official timekeeper of the FIFA World Cup, the new watch is named the Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia watch, and it is packed with powerful punches that will have football lovers cheering.
Designed with these fans in mind, the watch will send a notification 15 minutes before each of the matches begins, and it will also alert users to goals and red or yellow cards. During games, the watchface will display match statistics, and if a team scores, it will vibrate and show the word “goal”. In collaboration with Intel and Google, it’s also designed to be worn by referees at the World Cup in Russia this June to keep pace with games in real time.
In terms of size, the 49mm case is what makes the first difference, followed by its motor, which is driven by technology connected to digital intelligence, and the lightness of titanium, all issued in a limited collection of 2018 pieces. Hublot also has a history of employing a variety of interesting materials, and this year it announced the first watch made of brightly coloured ceramic—it boasts a vibrant-red hue. This Big Bang Unico Red Magic definitely caught our attention at Baselworld. The brand’s in-house R&D team worked for four years to come up with a formula that allows the creation of vibrantly coloured ceramics. With a bold red rubber strap linked with a black and Pvd-coated titanium buckle with ceramic inserts and water resistant up to 100m, this watch is truly a showstopper. Still with an avant-garde approach to design, this year Hublot is also taking the mastery of sapphires to the next level with the Big Bang Sapphire Tourbillon. Forged from sapphire to create absolute transparency, this includes the case, dial, and tourbillon movement—even the strap is translucent. It’s what Hublot proudly calls the Magic of the Invisible. Hublot also left its mark with the new Classic Fusion Chronograph Berluti Scritto, which fuses the beautiful leather of Berluti with the contemporary designs of Hublot, and there’s also the amazing Big Bang MP-11 showcased in 3D carbon.
Let’s not forget the Big Bang One Click Sapphire made in sweet soft hues with a diamond-studded sapphire crystal case, which is a highly feminine showcase in sapphire.
There is also the Big Bang watch with a Unico manufacture movement that has now been redesigned on a smaller scale—its diameter has gone from 45mm to 42mm, and the thickness of its case has been reduced from 15.45mm to 14.5mm—making the unisex Big Bang 42mm the perfect choice for gentlemen to downsize and for ladies’ wrists.
Last, but not least, the Big Bang Tourbillon Croco High Jewellery, consisting of a timepiece set with 13.5ct of diamonds that comes with its own bulletproof crocodile skin jacket, is the ultimate in exclusive luxury.
All these design and movement innovations practically illustrate just how much the principle of “The Art of Fusion”, which is so dear to Hublot, is implemented. Regardless of whether we like or will use the products or not, we nonetheless have to give Hublot credit for always pushing boundaries in relation to aesthetics, mechanics, and materials.