As the rain comes down on dreary old Britain, Hublot have an altogether more desirable image of winter in their heads with the launch of the Big Bang Unico Winter Sapphire and Winter Titanium Ceramic editions. The sort of winter with crisp white snows, skating on frozen rivers and an open fire to warm your feet by in the evening. With their clean white and ice blue designs they’re also some of the nicest interpretations of the Big Bang I’ve seen all year.
While there are two versions of the watch in this winter collection, the only difference between them are the case materials. The first is made from transparent sapphire, the ultra-hard scratch resistant material traditionally used for a watch’s glass. It allows you to look through the case and see the inner workings of the movement from every angle. The other edition is the Titanium Ceramic and unsurprisingly it’s made from Grade 5 titanium with a white ceramic bezel.
Both measure 42mm in diameter with a thickness of 14.5mm, giving that usual Hublot level of wrist presence. They feature the well established Big Bang design with visible screws giving it that characteristic industrial vibe. I think it works really well with the grey and white of the Titanium Ceramic edition, making it seem cold and chilled – appropriate for a winter edition. The cases on both lead into a hybrid leather and rubber strap in matching shades of grey, white and blue.
Speaking of blue, the familiar Big Bang Unico display with its big-eye, bicompax chronograph layout is presented in ice blue. It’s a light tone that works in harmony with the pale colour palette of the rest of the watches. Plus the way that it has been skeletonised makes each of its bridges look like the spidery whisp of a snowflake, which is again appropriate as they are fitted with snowflake shaped rotors, visible through the exhibition casebacks.
The movement on display is the HUB1280 manufacture calibre with 72-hour power reserve. It features central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds, as well as small seconds and a 60-minute chronograph counter. A classic Hublot movement for a nice aesthetic special edition of one of their core models. In terms of pricing and availability, the Big Bang Unico Winter Sapphire is limited to 30 pieces at £66,100 while the Titanium Ceramic is limited to 200 pieces at £21,600.
Price and Specs:
More details at Hublot.
