Over the years, Hublot has promoted aesthetic and chromatic codes and materials to the ranks of distinctive benchmarks. The Big Bang Unico Magic Sapphire brings together several of these, as evoked by its very name: an iconic watch, a Hublot movement, a historic signature and an acclaimed innovative material. Drawing on the mastery and expertise acquired in machining sapphire, it is pushing the boundaries even further by optimising the components while simplifying the construction of the case. Invisible visibility or visible invisibility, no concept can exist without its own opposite, and Hublot confirms the adage by blending the visible and the invisible.

In 2016, Hublot wrote a new page of its history, a first in terms of the machining of sapphire that it made more ‘widespread’ by successfully shaping it for more than just very limited series. Capitalising on this unique savoir-faire, it cut 500 new Big Bang cases out of this material that is almost as hard as a diamond. A complex material, the most scratch-resistant and the most crystalline that exists, sculpted into the form of the iconic Big Bang case. In its ongoing quest for excellence, Hublot combined all the experience it had acquired from the Big Bang Unico Sapphire and Big Bang Unico Sapphire All Black models onto the development of this new edition. A watch in ‘less is more’ mode featuring a simplified construction that is easier to assemble and, in addition, offers greater transparency and resistance. A greater visibility inside the case which no longer has titanium inserts for the bezel and the back. A greater shock resistance with one-piece components for the bezel and the back.

Game of opposites

A fusion of the visible and the invisible, the Big Bang Unico Magic Sapphire, a watch that makes the complex simple, and the ordinary extraordinary, and yet seems to be of a completely natural obviousness. The middle, bezel and back of the case display total transparency and contrast with the finishing and textures of the dial which have assumed the emblematic aesthetic ‘Black Magic’ codes— a black skeleton dial sporting the iconic red second hand. As for the strap, it comes in natural black rubber, the historic material of the brand. The duality between the visible and the invisible sets the tone for this piece. Under the effect of the transparency and the skeletal aspect, the mechanics of Unico HUB124 manufacture movement and its column wheel positioned on the dial side come into play. In terms of water resistance, this new edition can be used for diving up to 50 metres.

A piece that confirms Hublot’s pioneering and audacious spirit, having punctuated its history with innovations and firsts, the driving force behind its achievements nourished by its experience, curiosity and furious desire to always move forward. After months of developments, investments of several million and without making it lose its unique nature and rarity, Hublot has now raised sapphire to the ranks of its distinctive and exclusives ‘basic pieces’.

Which boundary will be challenged next?