Transparent, black, yellow, blue, red —Hublot has mastered the creation and machining of sapphires with exclusive shades for its watch cases. With the new Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire, the brand has once again achieved a world first by adding a completely new color to its palette of through-tinted sapphires. This unprecedented technical and aesthetic feat is combined with an entirely new tourbillon movement not only equipped with self-winding —a rarity for a tourbillon—, but also with a reinvented architecture with its micro-rotor visible on the dial side and three sapphire bridges. A new fusion of daring and transparency, in a limited edition of 50 pieces.
In line with its winning spirit, today, Hublot continues to innovate with this extraordinary material by reinterpreting the Big Bang Sapphire Tourbillon in an entirely new orange shade —a world first for a through-tinted sapphire— achieved thanks to the incorporation of titanium and chromium in a skilful manufacturing process. The fascination of the translucent bezel and 45 mm case in finely polished orange sapphire is enhanced by the technical tone of the six H-shape titanium screws that characterise the iconic Big Bang design.
By accommodating an entirely new tourbillon movement at the heart of the orange sapphire, completely designed and produced by the brand. Unlike traditional tourbillon movements, equipped with manual winding, this exceptional calibre makes a name for itself thanks to its self-winding system ensuring a minimum power reserve of three days —72 hours— a very noticeable improvement for the wearer. It is equipped with ceramic ball bearings and the latest Hublot technical advances in its winding system.
The manufacture has also reasserted its uniqueness by reconstructing the movement in its entirety in order to make the micro-rotor visible from the dial side. This innovative layout not only represents an additional technical challenge for the designers, but also breathes new life in aesthetic terms, by strengthening the spectacular appearance of the dial and its very contemporary design. The perpetual movements of the micro-rotor set at 12 o'clock echo the rotation of the tourbillon, its regulating organ, positioned in perfect symmetry at 6 o'clock. The grey 22K gold micro-rotor is set off by exquisite decoration as well as by signature Hublot openwork in the precious metal.
Hublot has also continued in its quest for transparency by using more sapphire in the movement itself. The manufacture calibre on the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire is equipped for the first time with three clear sapphire bridges —a barrel bridge, an automatic bridge and a tourbillon barrette. The lightweight effect of the skeleton work is accentuated by heavily open-worked and sandblasted platinum. The tourbillon cage at six o'clock, revolving on its axis every minute to compensate for the pull of the earth on the movement's direction, is distinctive for its pure geometry affording a glimpse into the mechanical heart of the model. The legibility of the open dial is enhanced by hands and indices with a luminescent coating. The transparent orange rubber strap with a lined relief with a patented express ‘One Click’ interchangeability system and titanium deployant buckle completes the cutting-edge look of this limited edition release of 50 pieces.
For those wanting technical style and audacity in other futuristic materials, Hublot is also offering the new Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic in a limited edition of 100 pieces with a case and bezel in Texalium —an exclusive lightweight and ergonomic material that combines carbon fiber and aluminum— and in high-tech ceramic Black Magic 100-piece limited edition made from black ceramic.
Sticker Price $169,000 USD. For more info on Hublot click here.
