The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon

From the brand with the most explosive named collection in watch history comes the loud, eye-popping Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon. Upholding the brand’s preference for fusing disparate materials on board its bold, shaped cases, Hublot offered Chinese artist Chen Fenwan the Spirit of Big Bang as a blank canvas to exercise her creativity. Using the millenary Chinese art form of paper cutting, Chen Fenwan’s original paper design has been interpreted on the multi-layered dial and snaking marquetry bracelet that come to life with the dynamic forms of the dragon.

In the Chinese Zodiac, 2024 marks the Year of the Dragon; to be precise, the Year of the Wood Dragon. Unlike the fire-breathing and destructive dragons of Western mythology, Chinese dragons were originally revered as imperial icons and are associated with wisdom, strength, prosperity and immortality. Another difference with Western dragons is the more snake-like contours of Eastern dragons’ bodies, known as loongs.

The 42mm tonneau-shaped case of the Spirit of Big Bang crafted in titanium is the canvas for Chen Fenwan’s colourful and dynamic interpretation of the loong. Retaining its signature characteristics – 6 H-shaped screws on the bezel, rubber lateral bumpers and contrasting satin-brushed, polished and sandblasted finishing – the 13.8mm thickness of the case is tempered by its curving, ergonomic construction.

Invading the multi-layered sandwich dial are the impressive flowing forms of the dragon. According to tradition, the loong embodies the features of nine different animals: the eyes of a prawn, the horns of a deer, the mouth of a bull, the nose of a dog, the whiskers of a catfish, the mane of a lion, the tail of a snake, the tail of a fish and the claws of an eagle.

Coinciding with the invention of paper, the art of paper cutting originated in China around 2,000 years ago. And since 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon, the choice of paper and the natural wooden fibres from which it is composed were a fitting choice. Chen Fenwan is famous for taking the ancient Chinese art of paper cutting in new and more contemporary directions.

Artfully integrating components of the dial and movement into her composition, including the cogs and the H-shaped screws that now double up as the dragon’s eyes and form part of his flowing mane, Chen’s vision is interpreted using five different layers of appliqués. Picked out in bright pink, blue and frosted grey, the dragon’s head rises in 3D relief.

The dragon’s snake-like tail is represented on the black rubber strap with colourful marquetry scales matching those on the dial. Marking a first for Hublot, each of the dragon’s scales is coloured by hand and then nano-vulcanised onto the strap – an operation that takes up to eight hours. For a more toned-down look, a second grey Velcro strap with a black ceramic buckle is provided with the watch.

The movement powering the watch, the automatic HUB1710, is based on the Zenith Elite calibre 670 (a sister brand also owned by LVMH). A reliable, modular and thin automatic calibre, it beats at 28,800vph and offers a 50-hour power reserve.

Availability & Price

The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon is a limited edition of 88 pieces and retails for CHF 28,000, EUR 30,800, USD 29,500 or GBP 25,400. For more information, please consult Hublot.com.