MASTERS OF ILLUSION
If there is just one watch that deserves to be made in sapphire crystal, it is the Hublot MP-05 Laferrari. This timepiece, which debuted in 2013, is as avant-garde as the supercars that inspired it. Completely revolutionary, it comes with 11 seriescoupled barrels set in a spine formation down the centre of the watch, providing the tourbillon regulator with 50 days of power reserve, which is just utterly insane. Calibre HUB9005.H1.PN.1 comprises a total of 637 parts. Without overstatement, there is nothing like it on the market today. Designed in collaboration with Ferrari design director Flavio Manzoni, this timepiece reappeared in 2016 fully dressed in a sapphire crystal case that covers none of the threedimensional movement within—everything is laid bare for all to see. As only the case is made of sapphire crystal, the movement appears to be suspended mid-air within the sculpted transparent bodywork. Only 20 MP-05 Laferrari Sapphire timepieces were made, each boasting a seven-part sapphire crystal case that took more than 600 hours to realise. Following the MP-05 Laferrari Sapphire, Hublot directed all of its crystal working know-how to the iconic Big Bang Unico, and the most amazing thing about this is not so much that the new watch is made in sapphire crystal, but the sheer numbers Hublot was able to produce. There were 500 pieces manufactured—hundreds more than the MP-05 Laferrari. And so for the very first time, this lustrous material was not restricted to only the most exclusive realms; this was the largest production volume for sapphire crystal watches ever achieved by any company. Even though it’s made of a transparent material, the distinctive architecture of the Big Bang Unico Sapphire has never been more tangible. The case middle, bezel, and back are all cut from entire blocks of sapphire for Hublot by a Swiss crystal specialist. Taking minimalism to a new level, this watch also exposes the movement from all directions, and the only other parts that are not see-through are the titanium screws, the crown that is moulded-over with silicon, and the deployant buckle. Rounding off