Born in San Francisco, California in 1940, Bruce Lee — real name was Lee Jun-fan— was the most legendary and influential martial artist and martial arts actor of all time. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of his birth, at the end of 2015, Hublot and the Bruce Lee Foundation joined hands to setup a “Legend Never Dies: Bruce Lee 75th anniversary Memorial Exhibition” at the Ocean Terminal in Hong Kong in conjunction with the launch of the Spirit of Big Bang Bruce Lee Limited Edition timepiece. As the most influential legend and superstar, Bruce Lee was the best embodiment of fusion of East and West. As a pioneer, he was the first Chinese martial artist that promoted Chinese Kung Fu to the world. He was active his entire life in East-West cultural communication. Bruce Lee first broke the traditional sectarianism in the world of martial arts by boldly combining the Taoist philosophy from the East with Wing Chun, Western boxing, karate and Tae Kwon Do to create Jeet Kune Do, which is exactly the 'Art of Fusion' that Hublot also embodies.
The Case
Inspired by the dragon pattern on Bruce Lee’s desk, the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Bruce Lee Limited Edition clearly combines the spirit of this martial arts legend with the DNA of Hublot. This 75-piece limited edition is equipped with a 45 mm all black microblasted ceramic case with a tonneau shape that unfortunately is extremely similar in design to the cases on Richard Mille timepieces. While both brands couldn't be more apart in terms of pricing, design and positioning, this is not a comparison that we enjoy doing and a design flaw that is clearly perceived by collectors as a bad 'copycat' of Richard Mille watches. The watch is water resistant to 100 meters and is fitted with a black ceramic screw-down crown and ceramic rectangular pushers.
The Dial
The black dial features the dragon pattern on Bruce Lee’s desk and is partially skeletonized featuring a golden dragon with rubies on its eyes, a 12-hour chronograph and a date aperture at 4:30. The dial layout is somewhat busy and difficult to read with 12-hour chrono register at 6 o'clock, running seconds at 9 and 30-minute chrono register at 3 o'clock. One thing we do love about this dial is that it is very Chinese looking and flawlessly designed to celebrate the master of all masters.
The Strap
The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Bruce Lee Limited Edition is fitted with a gold and black calf metallic finished strap with rubber lining and deployant folding clasp. The color combination of the strap is inspired by the iconic outfit worn by Bruce Lee in the movie 'Game of Death'.
The Movement
The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Bruce Lee Limited Edition is fitted with the automatic chronograph movement HUB4700. This movement based off of the Zenith El Primero Chronograph is composed of 278 parts and 31 jewels and beats at a frequency of 36,600 vph to provide a power reserve of 50 hours. The movement is fully visible via the display case back that bears a Bruce Lee 75th anniversary logo imprinted on the sapphire crystal.
On the Wrist & Pricing
On the wrist, the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Bruce Lee Limited Edition wears true to its size and very comfortably. The uniqueness of this watch will definitely be a conversation starter among watch collectors and watchlifestylers. If growing up you were a big fan of Kato in The Green Hornet or the legendary movie 'Game of Death', this timepiece will pair nicely with your nunchaku and your golden and black Tai Ji Fu. This watch is exclusively available in a 75-piece limited edition that is almost sold out by now.
Sticker Price $29,800 USD. For more info on Hublot click here.
