Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A by Samuel Ross
Multimedia: Presenting the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A by Samuel Ross
The brand takes its “Art of Fusion” philosophy literally with its latest collaboration with the famous British designer Samuel Ross, releasing a mini sculpture made from multiple materials and colors.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
At long last, Hublot and Samuel Ross are back in business with a new, chromatic blue masterwork, the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A by Samuel Ross. The timepiece, presented during Miami Art Week, continues Ross’ explorations into what could be called body sculpture (and we don’t mean making your biceps pop or your abdominals ripple).
In art school, we were taught that for a painting, poem, or piece of music to be successful, there had to be tension. More specifically, a piece of art needs a balance between opposing forces or elements to be interesting.
Well, in the case of their latest collaboration, Hublot and Ross have embraced the inherent push and pull that comes with exploring new technologies while also paying tribute to the classic Big Bang.
Contemporary Art
As is the case for many modern artists, for Dr. Samuel Ross, MBE, the process of making things is just as important as the finished product. Ross is specifically intrigued by developing an architecture for the body.
Thus, through his companies, A-COLD-WALL* and SR_A, the British polymath has developed a signature design language that he has used in his creations and collaborations with companies such as Apple, LVMH, and Nike.
In 2019, Ross won the Hublot Design Prize. Then, he teamed up with the brand in 2020 to celebrate the watchmaker’s 40th anniversary, marking the occasion by unveiling the REFORM sculpture. This sculpture inspired the design of the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross, their first collaboration on a timepiece.
Then, in 2023, they teamed up again for the Big Bang Tourbillon SR_A by Samuel Ross.
With each iteration, Ross wanted to use color to show how the Big Bang could look and feel radically different by reframing the materials. However, the bright palette of these models also created another avenue of expression, which, in turn, led to the new Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A by Samuel Ross.
Expressionism
One thing people often overlook when discussing Hublot’s partnerships with artists is how they evolve. For Ross, incremental changes sustained over time allow him to communicate the ever-changing way society looks at luxury and technology.
Having previously worked with pops of orange and green, Ross chose to integrate the materials he used into a chromatic palette based on the color blue, with most of the specs for this bold blue watch the same as the non-carbon version.
The signature Big Bang case is still sized at 44mm in diameter and 13.75mm thick. The dial has retained a honeycomb pattern, but now it has a grey finish that extends to the movement. Meanwhile, the frosted grey carbon bezel lugs and flanks at 3 and 9 o’clock segue nicely into a two-tone finish on the bezel – a satin finish on the top and a shiny microblasted finish on the side.
These colder grey tones are then electrified by blue hands and hour markers rendered in varying light-to-dark tones as a pale blue adorns the crown molding. Plus, the flexible rubber strap is finished in the same dark hue featured on the minute hand and hour markers and is perforated with the collaboration’s signature honeycomb pattern. Lastly, the clasp of this 2024 edition has been redesigned for easier adjustments.
As Sweet as Honey
Like a beehive, this timepiece has secrets. But peering through the honeycombs and beneath the clear sapphire dial, one can still examine the complexity of Carbon SR_A core architecture.
The Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A by Samuel Ross is, like its predecessors, powered by the Manufacture calibre HUB6035, whose 264 components include a self-winding micro-rotor and, naturally, a skeleton tourbillon visible at 6 o’clock. The power reserve is 72 hours.
Pricing & Availability
Presented in a specially designed collector’s box, the Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon SR_A by Samuel Ross is limited to 50 examples and is priced at $143,000. For more information, check out Hublot’s website.