ReviewTattooed Geometry: Presenting Hublot’s Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu
Hublot release hyper-angular and faceted Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu models—the third instalment in their continued collaboration with tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Buchi
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Swiss brand Hublot, known for their radical design language, released three new Spirit of Big Bang timepieces within their hyper-angular Sang Bleu collection, continuing their partnership with tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Buchi. Combining the watchmaking knowhow and signature identifiers of Hublot with the artist’s distinctive geometric style, the futuristic-looking 42mm timepieces are leaps ahead of their older Big Bang Sang Bleu siblings. Made from all-black ceramic, titanium, and Hublot’s proprietary King Gold, with two versions set with 180 diamonds each on titanium and King Gold, this prismatic, art-inspired collection fits right in with the watchmaker’s tonneau-shaped geometry of the Spirit of Big Bang.
Hublot X Sang Bleu: A Seven-Year Partnership
Hublot, known for their love of the arts, have had successful collaborations with celebrated artists such as Takashi Murakami and Samuel Ross. And, since 2016, Hublot and Sang Bleu founder Plescia-Buchi have collaborated to release three different iterations of the contemporary artist’s ideas inked on a watch. While previous collaborations had geometric elements infused into the Big Bang’s iconic structure, Hublot’s latest partnership reveals a whole new architecture for the collaborative timepieces.
The Case Of The Spirit Of Big Bang Sang Bleu
The Spirit of Big Bang’s tonneau-shaped case has been exaggerated further to resemble a Marquise diamond, and the structure is further enhanced by crisp lines along the case and bezel, and a faceted and bevelled sapphire crystal glass covering the dial. The polygonal shape of the case extends to the caseback, with concave faceting giving the watch a more ergonomic and snug fit on the wrist. Even the chronograph pushers on either side of the tattooed crown echo the faceted shape of the case.
Housed within this three-dimensional polygonal case is the skeletonised self-winding calibre HUB4700, with a chronograph function, which beats at a frequency of 36,000vph, and offers a 50-hour power reserve. Decorated with a similar geometrical tattoo pattern, and offering a view of the movement within is the display window on the screwed-down caseback. An integrated rubber strap extends from the polygonal case, which offers a water resistance of 100m.
The Dial On The Spirit Of Big Bang Sang Bleu
Neat, crisp Arabic numerals mark the hours and minutes, and the three-dimensional, partially-skeletonised, diamond-shaped timekeeping hands are more pronounced than in previous editions of Sang Bleu timepieces. A skeletonised dial displays two chronograph counters at three and nine o’clock, with similar diamond-shaped, partially-skeletonised but less elaborate hands. The faceted sapphire crystal glass distorts the dial when viewed from an angle, making the timepiece look like something out of a futuristic science-fiction film.
Hublot’s signature H-shaped screws on the bezel and caseback, a modified, tattooed ‘H’ insignia on the crown and the brand’s logo imprinted on the sapphire crystal glass serve as a reminder of the origins of the watch. The new Sang Bleu timepieces are limited to 200 pieces each for the all-black ceramic and titanium timepieces, while the King Gold version is limited to 100 pieces. The timepieces are also available with 180 diamonds on the titanium and King Gold versions.
