Hublot continues its exploration of materials and colours this year, starting with the Big Bang MP-11 14-Day Power Reserve in pale blue sapphire crystal, a new colour for the brand that it calls “water blue”. The light blue colour has been developed through a new chemical formula but retains the luminosity and scratch resistance that sapphire crystal is capable of, and gives the HUB 9011 manual-winding skeleton movement and its seven barrels the appearance of being frozen in glacial ice. The 35mm watch is limited to 50 pieces.
Also getting the sapphire treatment is the Big Bang Unico in translucent pink sapphire crystal, powered by the MHUB1280 Unico 2 manufacture self-winding flyback chronograph movement, with 72 hours of power reserve, and in a limited run of 100 pieces; as well as the Maxime Plescia-Büchi–designed Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu now crafted in colourless sapphire crystal, limited to 100 pieces, running on the MHUB4700 self-winding skeleton chronograph movement with 50 hours of power reserve.
Orange popped up in two places this year at Hublot: in the 42mm Big Bang Unico in orange ceramic (also available in green ceramic) and the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon, crafted from carbon fibre with orange micro-glass fibres. The latter is limited to 50 pieces.