In a colorful watch atmosphere, we chat with Jean-Claude Biver, Head of watches at LVMH, and Ricardo Guadalupe, the new CEO.
Guadalupe informs us Hublot will be presenting two main novelties during SIHH, ahead of BaselWorld 2014 which is the most important yearly event in the watch industry.
Biver explains more about Spirit of Big Bang, a tonneau (barrel) shaped watch that holds all the DNA of Hublot and which has received positive feedback st the Geneva fair.
Hublot is working with Arturo Fuente on something intresting linked to cigars, and without revealing much, Guadalupe only mentions the new watch will contain some tobacco material.
Talking about what we can expect at Basel now that a new line has already been introduced at SIHH, Guadalupe announces that in addition to football legend Pele being a Hublot ambassador, another ambassador will be presented, as well as a new chronograph that will tell “football time”.
We are intrigued!
One of the great new pieces announced for the start of 2014: Hublot unveils a BIG BANG with a tonneau case.
It is the aptly named “Spirit of Big Bang”.
And indeed, it embodies the spirit of BIG BANG. It features the BIG BANG codes with its 6 H-shaped titanium screws through the watch bezel, the lugs on either side, the two strap attachments, Hublot’s famous hands and the SuperLuminova™-filled baton indices offering superb legibility, and the overmoulded rubber screw-down crown with the iconic letter H adorning its profile.
It is a BIG BANG which has been designed with a unique case construction employing an intelligent “sandwich” principle which – playing with materials and colours – enables an unlimited number of combinations; the design of the case middle with its satin-finished sides and micro-blasted areas gives the timepiece a sophisticated look, making it one of a kind in the Big Bang range.
It also employs the same principle of the fusion of materials with titanium, ceramic, King Gold (18 K gold with 5% platinum which gives it a deeper red colour, and which is, in fact, more precious), along with rubber and alligator skin.
Here we find Hublot’s pure DNA, but in a different, brand new form. This is the aptly named SPIRIT OF BIG BANG: Hublot has unveiled a brand-new BIG BANG with a tonneau case.
The beating heart of the piece is the new Hublot HUB4700 movement, redesigned through close collaboration between Hublot and Zénith teams; based on a Zénith El Primero chronograph “chassis” with date (frequency 5 Hz, 36,000 beats per hour, 278 components, 31 jewels), this movement has historically been regarded by purists as one of the best Swiss chronographs ever developed.
As part of its year-end celebrations, Hublot has unveiled the CLASSIC FUSION TOURBILLON NIGHT-OUT An exquisitely refined evening watch
On red carpets and at prestigious events around the world, black always exudes classic elegance. Traditionally reserved for the big occasions, it symbolises simplicity in its purest form. All the top fashion designers have poured their energy and creativity into reinterpretations of this timeless classic. Hublot is leading the way in its Haute Horlogerie collections with an evening watch designed as an extension of this iconic garment.
45 mm in diameter, made from black polished ceramic, with a black lacquered dial set with 10 baguette diamonds for an exceptional lustre, two polished, rhodium-plated hands and an opening at 6 o’clock revealing the magic of a flying tourbillon, this watch also features a sapphire case-back through which the HUB6010 movement (155 components, 5-day power reserve) can be seen. The movement is entirely developed and produced in-house by the engineers and watchmakers of the Hublot manufacture. The watch sits on a strap of shiny black calfskin sewn onto rubber, for comfort and flexibility, making it the perfect accessory for the gentleman in evening wear.
The tuxedo was originally an inner jacket, worn by British gentlemen, which allowed them to smoke cigars outside so as not to inconvenience the ladies. Popularised by the Prince of Wales, the tuxedo has become the essential elegant evening wear for gentlemen, so much so that “Black Tie” events now stipulate it. Combined with a bow tie, cufflinks, a cummerbund and patent shoes, the effect is completed by the sober, elegant Classic Fusion Tourbillon Nigh-Out, for a flawlessly contemporary look.
Following the launch of the first Big Bang Unico last year, the BIG BANG UNICO “ALL BLACK” has finally arrived!
Totally black, totally matt and totally faithful to Hublot’s signature concept, it is the perfect fusion between the 100% manufacture movement and the iconic Big Bang design.
And it’s finally here. Launched last year, the hotly anticipated Big Bang Unico is now available in an All Black version as a limited edition of just 500 numbered pieces, in line with all of Hublot’s All Black series.
The watch is a perfect fusion of Hublot’s very own unique “invisible visibility” concept, the iconic Big Bang design and the in-house movement – the UNICO, a chronograph movement with a column wheel and double clutch visible on the dial side, completely designed, developed and produced in the Hublot manufacture workshops.
The design of the Big Bang Unico features a powerful 45.5 mm diameter case for a stylish mechanical look, and a bezel secured by 6 H-shaped screws with a new, subtle and more technical design (the head of each screw is now in relief, allowing the application of alternating polished and matt finishes). A notable feature is the design of the crown, which is screw-down with overmoulded rubber and decorated on the end with the famous Hublot screw “H”. For the very first time since the creation of the Big Bang in 2005, the push-buttons are round. Each one is protected by a push-button guard integrated in the middle and finished like an engine piston. The sharp angles and intelligent sandwich system have been retained in the case design, but the strap attachment has been optimised: it features the now famous “One click” system which allows the wearer to switch between a wide choice of straps – each watch is supplied with a structured and ribbed natural rubber strap (also new) which perfectly matches the endpieces of the middle. Finally, the movement is revealed thanks to a skeleton dial featuring the famous indexes and Arabic numerals, redesigned to give them more volume (and hollowed out and filled with black SuperLuminova™ on the All Black version), as well as two counters “encircled” by a polished ring, one for the minutes positioned at 3 o’clock and the other at 9 o’clock for the small second; the date window is positioned at 3 o’clock. The hands have also been reworked, facetted on two levels and filled with black Superluminova™.
BIG BANG DARK JEANS CERAMIC 44 MM
The men now have their own Big Bang Jeans! … or it’s time to get out your dark blue denim!
The tremendous success – a commercial sensation – of the Big Bang Jeans for women, launched by Hublot in early 2013, and the urgent need to launch the new Jeans series for men internationally have led us to this point!
In 2014, thanks to a cutting-edge technical development, genuine dark blue denim will be used as a covering on the dial of an iconic Big Bang Chronograph 44 mm model, after having undergone a complex process to harden the denim and make it easier to work. Made entirely from micro-blasted black ceramic, the model is completed by a strap in denim sewn onto black rubber (orange saddle stitches) for comfort, flexibility and strength.
Goodbye destroyed denim, hello dark blue denim. Its raw, night-blue colour is one of this year’s hottest trends on the men’s runways. The season’s essential denim accessory for men, tailored to suit the mood: chic, rock’n’roll, sexy, boho, vintage, urban, authentic, tie-dye… The Big Bang Dark Jeans can be whatever you want it to be, and is set to become an enduring wardrobe accessory.
Equipped with an HUB4100 self-winding chronograph movement with 252 components (28,800 vib/h). Water resistant to 100 metres for all types of swimming activity, this watch is available in a limited edition of just 250.
BIG BANG POP ART for Ladies only!
An ultra-feminine series inspired by the famous art movement. Long live fun, vibrant colours. Long live Pop Art and long live life!
Pop Art. An artistic movement which had its heyday in the 70s. American culture. Playful use of colour. Flashy, joyful, upbeat. Everything was questioned. Dare… Reinterpret… Subvert… Andy Warhol and his famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe immediately spring to mind. How has it influenced the Big Bang?
Pink, blue, purple, apple green: an explosion of colour in 4 watches, all 100% Pop Art reinterpretations. Seriously vibrant. And a first in the world of Haute Horlogerie.
Two models in gold and two in steel. These are playful watches, and yet their design is that of the iconic Big Bang 41 mm, featuring a bezel set with 48 baguette precious stones: topazes for the blue, amethysts for the purple, sapphires for the pink and tsavorites for the green, and dials with multi-coloured counters reminiscent of a painter’s palette. The ensemble is completed by a strap in coloured alligator sewn onto tone-on-tone rubber for comfort and flexibility. Inside beats the HUB 4300 movement, a self-winding mechanicalchronograph with a date window at 4 o’clock which is sure to catch the eye of connoisseurs. Power reserve of over 40 hours. Water resistant to 100 m for year-round durability.
Developed with the best: Marcus Marienfeld AG & Zeiss. Handmade in Switzerland.
Following on from the All Black skis developed with Zai, the carbon racing bike developed with BMC, the sledge made from wood, carbon and leather developed with ECAL, the soundboard developed with JMC Lutherie and the High Fidelity headphones developed with Monster, Hublot is now launching its sunglasses designed and developed in the same spirit: collaborate with the best to create a product which is different, unique and pioneering.
Hublot’s sunglasses have been developed with companies who are experts in their field: Marcus Marienfeld AG based in Ried-Brig, in the Swiss Canton of Valais and Zeiss (inventor of the anti-reflective coating).
Handmade in Switzerland, these sunglasses benefit from the highest level of expertise. They are the fusion of a unique, pure, elegant and contemporary design – exclusive to Hublot, with high-performance adaptable lenses and a high-tech titanium frame – a remarkable technical feat.
The blue-grey CR-39 lenses bearing the Zeiss signature offer a very high sun protection factor and excellent optical performance. Their inner surface benefits from Zeiss’ famous anti-reflective coating which gives it exceptional properties, for example preventing internal reflections and making it water repellent. On the outer surface, the Tri-Flection™ coating, with its unique design, means that the sunglasses require less cleaning, as fingerprints, marks and dust adhere less to the surface.
In summary, these sunglasses offer unbeatable results in terms of optical quality, purity, adhesion, scratch resistance and durability. No other lens, tint or coating could achieve this result. They can be adapted to the customer’s vision on request.
The adjustable frame features a unique and different design specially developed with the Hublot teams. Pure, elegant, contemporary, fine and streamlined, these sunglasses also feature Hublot’s famous codes such as the H-shaped screws and the brand logo on each arm, with a rubber insert at the end for comfort.
In short, the entire product has been conceived, developed and designed to reflect Hublot’s pure DNA: sport, performance and technology.
Hublot sunglasses are available in two versions: Titanium Black and Titanium. Each pair of sunglasses is numbered.
