Hublot loves football. It’s what they keep saying and, as I’m not much of a fan myself, I’m not about to argue with them. Of course, while the players themselves sport plenty of wrist candy ranging from the respectable to the dubious to the downright laughable, referees need something a touch more practical.
That led in the past to Hublot, official timekeeper of many a kickabout, launching limited edition versions of their Big Bang E for both the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League. Now they’ve completed the set with our own Premier League and a perhaps more than healthy dose of purple in the Big Bang E Premier League.
On the surface, this is just a colour-swapped Big Bang E, changing the black or blue of previous versions into the signature royal purple of the league. It’s eye-catching, that’s for sure, but then Hublot does love colour.
That purple is across both the fabric, Velcro strap and a new digital dial for the watch, both of which can be easily swapped if it’s just not your colour – the dial because it’s digital and the strap because it’s a nifty quick-change number.
The case, in line with both Hublot’s beloved proportions and the need for a lightweight watch, is 42mm of polished and satin-brushed titanium. It might be a smartwatch but it’s still a Big Bang and looks the part.
The main change though is actually inside. Well, in a digital sense. The Big Bang E Premier League will be the first of the watchmaker’s connected wearables to include the Hublot Loves Football Premier League app.
The app is everything you need to follow every fixture of the Premier league. It reminds you of upcoming matches 15 minutes before kickoff and will track the relevant stats throughout. It’ll switch to this mode automatically once a match starts and, if you want to keep up to date across matches, can switch between them at a tap.
The app has everything a budding referee could want. Which is great, as the Premier League referees will soon be wearing them, albeit a super-light composite version not available for sale equipped with goal-line technology.
Football’s not really my thing but even I have to admire the sheer dedication to football that Hublot is showing not just with the referee watches but by interrupting your dial to show you match stats. With only 200 of these available, I’ve no doubt they’ll find a home – and a home game or two – in no time.
Price & Specs:
Model: Hublot Big Bang E Premier League
Ref: 440.NX.1100.NR.PLW21
Case/Dial: 42mm diameter x 12.80mm height, satin-finished and polished titanium, sapphire crystal screen with a resolution of 390×390 pixels and 327 dpi
Water Resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Processor: Qualcomm® snapdragon wear™ 3100
Battery: Lithium-ion induction charging, battery life approximately 1 day, charging time approximately 2.5 hours to charge an empty battery
Functions: Time display (digital or analogue), animated notifications to alert to Premier League match kick-off times (15 minutes before the game starts), goals, penalties, substitutions, yellow and red cards, and time added on
Strap: Purple fabric with velcro and microblasted black ceramic buckle
Price/Availability: £4,300, limited to 200 pieces
More details at Hublot.
