Watches should not be viewed through a seasonal lens, if you ask me, even if marketing campaigns are shaped by such trends. But who am I to question the infinite wisdom of Hublot, who are releasing two new Big Bang watches themed around the coming winter season? While this is generally a move that would elicit a brief eye-roll and not much of a second thought, the watches themselves gave me pause this time. In the realm of Hublot watches, these two are about right on the money, incorporating sapphire, titanium, and a muted, cool color palette, presenting a pretty compelling case for the Big Bang. There’s just one caveat, and it’s found on the caseback.
Seasonal marketing is one thing, but making a literal connection through the design of the watch is quite another. This has largely been a conversation around watches like the 007 Bond Omega editions that have been released, some of which bear the literal logo and branding of the character, which can feel a bit jarring for anyone other than the most dyed in the wool fans. Others, such as the classic NTTD titanium 300M and the 60th anniversary 300M, take a more subtle approach, and as a result, their appeal is considerably more broad. Hublot is walking a fine line with these Big Bang releases in a similar manner, with the addition of a literal snowflake design as the oscillating weight visible through the caseback.
The designs of both the Big Ban Unico Winter Sapphire and Big Bang Unico Winter Titanium are both compelling in their own right. By tying their identity in such a literal manner to a season, it robs the watches of a more broad application, and ultimately diminishes their relevancy just enough to be frustrating. I am not aware of anyone that is a big enough fan of the winter season so as to compel a five figure watch purchase. But alas, at least it’s relegated to the caseback, as they say.
As far as big, ostentatious watches go, the Big Bang Unico Sapphire Series is near the top of the list in my book. These are seriously fun watches in person, and while they generally take a more vibrant route, this clear example in the winter edition works quite well. I’d love to see it with a variety of colorful straps, but as it is, Hublot is going with cool blues to accent the case, which can be found in the dial, movement, and strap. It’s a wild look from top to bottom, and one that kind of makes you almost forget about things like ergonomics and legibility. Almost. The case measures 42mm in diameter, and 14.5mm in thickness, and it wears every bit of that.
The Big Bang Unico Titanium shares the same footprint, but uses a titanium midcase with a white ceramic bezel piece. The titanium is micro-bead blasted for a satin like finish that works quite nicely. Both of the watches use the HUB1280 UNICO manufacture movement. The Sapphire example is limited to 30 pieces and is priced at $80,500, while the titanium is limited to 300 pieces, and is priced at $26,300. Hublot
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