Luxury Watches

20 years on, the divisive Hublot Big Bang collection is stronger than ever

To say that the launch of Hublot’s Big Bang collection was a seminal moment in watchmaking would not be an exaggeration. Launched in 2005, it marked the revival of Hublot, the brand founded in 1980 by Italian entrepreneur Carlo Croco. The Big Bang made quite the bang—pun intended—as it marked a shift in horological design language. A luxury timepiece, with exposed screws, a chunky case and a rubber strap? At that time, it was unthinkable.

However, the timepiece instantly took off, and Hublot became the wild child of the horological industry, experimenting with innovative materials and bombastic aesthetics, while inking deals with unexpected partners, like the Fifa World Cup.

By combining elements like ceramic, titanium and carbon fibre, it not only challenged traditional watchmaking but also influenced the brand’s DNA and future collections.

Left: Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary Red Magic edition. Right: All Black edition.

Now for its 20th anniversary, Hublot celebrates Big Bang’s creation with a collection of five different limited-edition chronographs that combines the Big Bang Unico flyback chronograph movement with designs inspired by its 2005 model.

The quintet series all feature a new 43mm case with pinched lugs and a prominent knurling at the bezel edge, which pays homage to its predecessor. The dials are also engraved with a carbon-fibre-inspired motif and the rubber straps feature a treaded pattern—also reminiscent of the original designs.

What sets each Big Bang edition apart is the distinct choice of materials for the case and the unique design details that give each piece its own character.

Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary Full Magic Gold edition.

For instance, the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Red Magic edition features a striking, bright red ceramic for its case. The use of vividly coloured ceramics has always played an important role in the evolution of the Big Bang. From selecting the right pigments to applying the correct temperatures and maintaining the material’s structural integrity, this feat is extremely difficult to master. So when Hublot first developed the red ceramic entirely in-house in 2018, it marked a major milestone—both for the brand and for ceramic innovation in watchmaking.

Apart from the unique coloured ceramic case, the Red Magic edition also features a carbon-patterned dial with red accents and a red and black rubber straps. It is only available in 100 pieces, underscoring its exclusivity.

The Big Bang 20th Anniversary collection also includes the All Black edition, a watch featuring matte and polished black design cues inspired by its 2006 iteration. This timepiece strips away all colours and brings the concept of “invisible visibility” to life using a black ceramic case.

Left: Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary collection. Right: Titanium Ceramic edition’s dial.

The All Black edition also features a black carbon-pattern dial and black rubber strap, which complement the case. Hublot limits this model to just 500 pieces.

Another unique watch included in the quintet series is the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Full Magic Gold edition. This timepiece is limited to just 100 pieces, which features the world’s first and only scratch-resistant 18-carat gold alloy—a feat first introduced in 2011. It combines the resilience of a ceramic with the shine and lustre of gold. It also boasts hand and markers finished in gold, with a carbon-patterned dial.

Lastly, the collection features two more watches inspired by the first Big Bang iteration in 2005 and cues from the Big Bang Unico—the Titanium Ceramic and King Gold Ceramic. Both watches feature the same carbon-patterned dial with red accents on the chronograph indicators. For optimal legibility in all situations, the timepieces have Arabic numerals and hour markers filled with Super-LumiNova.

What sets these two watches apart are the ceramic cases, one featuring titanium and the other a satin-finished 18-carat king gold ceramic case. These watches are available in 500 pieces and 250 pieces, respectively.

Go further with the Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary Collection.

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