Close-Up: Hublot’s Tonneau-Shaped “Spirit of Big Bang” Collection


First glimpsed during last year’s SIHH week in Geneva, The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang watches are a bit of a departure for the brand in that they are all in tonneau cases — a style Hublot has previously used only for its special-edition Masterpiece watches. The collection, according to Hublot’s U.S. regional director Vincent Vuillaume, becomes the fourth pillar of the Hublot brand portfolio, along with the Big Bang, King Power, and Classic Fusion families.

Also in the manner of other recently released Hublot lines, such as the Big Bang Ferrari, the Spirit of Big Bang debuts with four case variation: titanium, titanium with ceramic bezel, King gold (Hublot’s proprietary gold alloy), and King gold with ceramic bezel. Here are the product shots:

Hublot Spirit of Big Bang - titanium
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang - titanium-ceramic bezel
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang -King Gold-ceramicHublot Spirit of Big Bang -King Gold

Of note to watch cognoscenti is the movement in the Spirit of Big Bang watches, which uses the famous Zenith El Primero chronograph caliber as its base. (Zenith and Hublot are both brands within the LVMH luxury group.) While much of its El Primero heritage is still recognizable, the movement has some significant and noticeable modifications, such as the date wheel and the Hublot-branded rotor. The reason for using the modified El Primero rather than Hublot’s own in-house Unico base caliber? Simple, according to Vuillaume: the Unico was too thick to fit the slimmer dimensions of the Spirit of Big Bang’s tonneau case. Prices will start at $24,000. Here’s how it looks on the wrist.

Hublot Spirit of Big Bang - wrist

 

This article was originally published on April 29, 2015.

No Responses to “Close-Up: Hublot’s Tonneau-Shaped “Spirit of Big Bang” Collection”

Show all responses
  1. BadgerHeel

    Well the original BB is really a copy of the AP Royal Oak so this one looking like a Richard Mille isn’t surprising.
    It looks goofy on that wrist shot to me. Huge

    Reply
    • Daniel Spanchis

      Badger! I was thinking exactly the same! unbelievable but true man! Daniel Spanchis.

      Reply
  2. Steve Cseplo

    Nice to see Hublot branching out. Pretty watch, though I suppose it is best on larger wrists.

    Reply
Leave a Reply