The Hublot Big Bang Unico Orange and Dark Green Ceramic
Marking a first in Hublot's rich palette of ceramic colours, Hublot introduces the first-ever orange ceramic case.
The Big Bang exploded on the watch scene in 2005, converting Hublot into a major-league player. Even bigger news for the brand came in 2009 with the launch of Hublot’s first manufacture movement. Known as the Unico, this in-house flyback chronograph movement was first used for the King Power collection and then inside a new line of Big Bang Unico models. Similar to the original Big Bang, their cases were larger, the chronograph pushers were round, and they featured a push-button mechanism to swap straps. For 2024, two new Big Bang Unico ceramic models join the collection. Alongside a dark green version and marking a first for the brand, the case of one model is crafted in vibrant orange ceramic, a colour rarely seen in the gamut of ceramic watches.
Over the years, the Big Bang Unico has appeared in countless case materials, including a recent version made from recycled Nespresso capsules and coffee grounds (!) and comes in 44mm and 42mm case sizes. Renowned for its fusion of different materials, Hublot started using high-tech ceramic bezels in 2005, followed by ceramic cases in conventional black and white colours. Then, in 2019, it startled the watch world with a red ceramic case, followed by a yellow one in 2021, colours rarely seen in this material due to the difficulty involved in creating a uniform colour. Apart from the technical challenge, the benefits of high-tech ceramic are its resilience and resistance to scratches.
The new Big Bang Unico orange and dark green ceramic models have 42mm case diameters, a thickness of 14.5mm and are water-resistant to 100m. Using the signature sandwich construction of this family, the case is reinforced with protective lateral bumpers. The hand-mirror-polished round bezel has 6 H-shaped, black-plated titanium screws matching the colour of the pushers and crown.
Like all Big Bang Unico models, the dial is openworked to reveal parts of the in-house HUB1280 Unico manufacture movement, a rare breed of chronograph movements featuring its column wheel on the dial side. The skeletonised dial reveals the column wheel at 6 o’clock, parts of the gear train and the exposed date wheel that circles the dial beneath the suspended numerals and two counters. The small seconds are at 9, and the 60-minute chronograph register at 3 o’clock has an integrated date window. The hour and minute hands and the hour markers are filled with black Super-LumiNova.
Fitted with orange or green integrated rubber straps, which give the watch its homogenous burst of colour, the Unico features the brand’s patented One-Click system to change the strap without tools in a flash. The curved ergonomic caseback reveals the black-plated openworked tungsten rotor of the HUB1280 calibre. It beats at 4Hz and has a robust 72-hour power reserve.
Availability & Price
Both Big Bang Unico models in orange and green ceramic are limited editions of 250 pieces. The retail price is CHF 26,900 / EUR 30,800 / USD 29,600 / GBP 25,400. For more information, please consult hublot.com.