Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Hublot Drops Two Winter Editions of the Big Bang Unico
Capturing the beauty of the winter season, the Big Bang Unico returns in ice-cold sapphire or titanium paired with chilly white ceramic.
As temperatures drop and the snow-covered slopes beckon, Hublot gets into the winter spirit with two limited editions of its Big Bang Unico, the first model to host the brand’s in-house Unico chronograph movement. Capturing the beauty of the winter season, the Big Bang Unico returns in wintry attire, cloaked in ice-cold sapphire and a second edition pairing titanium with chilly white ceramic.
Hublot introduced the Big Bang Unico in 2013, a modified sibling of the extroverted Big Bang designed to house the brand’s first in-house movement, the Unico chronograph. A sophisticated flyback chronograph with a 3-day power reserve, the Unico movement is always showcased on the dial. Faithful to its lineage, the Big Bang Unico features the porthole bezel with screws and a robust sandwich case construction.
As a brand that has toyed with materials since its inception in 1980, spearheaded by Carlo Crocco’s daring combination of gold and rubber, Hublot enjoys developing innovative materials – think of the tennis racquets and Lacoste shirts that were fused to create a featherlight Big Bang Unico in honour of Novak Djokovic. While ceramic cases are now more prevalent, Hublot got a head start in 2005 with its high-tech ceramic bezels, culminating in a surprising red ceramic case in 2019. With a rich repertoire of ceramic colours, Hublot has no qualms about mixing bold colours like those found on this loud orange Big Bang Unico. Without forgetting Hublot’s mastery of sapphire crystal cases, some tinged with colours, like this evocative translucent glacier blue case or the spectacular green Saxem case.
Cool as an ice cube, the 42mm Big Bang Unico Winter Sapphire edition, with a thickness of 14.5mm, is cloaked in transparent, polished sapphire crystal. Used for the entire case, including the lugs, the sapphire windows on the case middle, the caseback and the dial, offer an unimpeded view of every last nut and bolt and, as a result, reduce the water-resistance to 50 metres. Obviously, the pushers, the screws and the patented One Click interchangeable strap system are titanium.
Sharing identical dimensions, the Big Band Unico Winter Titanium Ceramic edition has a microblasted titanium case with the signature protective bumpers and rounded pushers of the BBU, but features a microblasted polar white ceramic bezel. Viewed from the side, you can appreciate the sandwich construction of the case with shock-absorbing white ceramic inserts on the flanks, coupled with the screw-down crown to ensure the 100m depth rating.
Powering the winter Big Bang Unico watches is the HUB1280 Unico Manufacture flyback column-wheel chronograph protected by five patents. This 354-piece movement has 43 jewels, a silicon escapement, beats at 28,800vph (4Hz) and offers a 72-hour power reserve. Seen from the caseback, light blue bridges partially shield the movement, and the grey ruthenium-plated tungsten rotor is shaped like a snowflake.
Both references share identical openworked dials with light blue accents revealing the column wheel in an aperture at 6 o’clock and the exposed date wheel. The date window is featured in the 60-minute chronograph register at 3 o’clock with its translucent disc, and the hands, Arabic numerals and indices suspended over the movement are filled with Super-LumiNova. Both models are paired with white rubber and white calfskin straps, with an additional white rubber and blue calfskin strap in the box.
The Big Band Unico Winter Sapphire is a limited edition of 30 pieces and retails for CHF 70,000 or EUR 80,000. The Big Band Unico Winter Titanium Ceramic is limited to 200 pieces and retails for CHF 22,900 or EUR 26,200. More information at hublot.com.
