Hublot Big Bang Integral Ups The Bracelet Game
Launched only 15 years ago in 2005, the Hublot Big Bang has since had a tremendous impact on the Swiss watch industry. Now, for the first time, the Big Bang is paired with an integrated bracelet in 3 different materials.
Start by Breaking the Rules
Around the 1980s, the Swiss were still coming to terms with a luxury sports watch in steel. Not to be outdone, Hublot ruffled more feathers with a gold watch on a rubber strap. What was once a real novelty for the industry, seems fairly commonplace now. But 40 years ago, there was a level of uncertainty for the future of Swiss luxury timepieces. Hublot, a relative newcomer, set-out to shatter centuries-old traditions. More established brands eventually adopted this luxury/utility dichotomy, especially Audemars Piguet with their Royal Oak Offshore in 1993.
Industry Legend Makes a Big Bang
Soon after, clientèle interest in Hublot seemed to wane. Enter industry veteran Jean-Claude Biver. In 2005, Biver saw an opportunity to blow up the proportions, mix radical materials on the outside with a mechanical beating heart on the inside. He gave this vision a catchy name: The Big Bang. An appropriate name, too, as I think it to be the most significant watch of the aughts (2000-2009).
I believe this is true in the same way Black Bay by Tudor mastered the 2010-2019 decade. The reason I feel the Big Bang best represents the decade of its inception is twofold: It is both big and bold. These two criteria were on-trend. During this decade, the mechanical movement renaissance hit full steam. With these modern elements combined in a flashy and exciting Big Bang, the result spoke to a new audience. Primarily wealthy, unabashed celebrities and sports stars alike who were essentially the first-generation online influencers.
2020 Hublot Big Bang Integral
Many special, limited, and unique Big Bangs, 15-years on, left the designers at Hublot scratching their heads and asking themselves a pertinent question: What would come next? During the LVMH Watch Week in Dubai this month, Hublot unveiled the family’s next big shake-up. Fitted to the Big Bang is Hublot’s take on the integrated bracelets made famous by Gérald Genta’s 1970s creations. The new bracelet linkage also eschews the prominent quick-release button, which enables owners to swap straps on the fly without the need for tools or precision. However, this now-ubiquitous strap change system will continue on other the Big Bang lines. For the Big Bang Integral, Hublot designed it solely as a bracelet watch. That’s not to say aftermarket options won’t exist, but the intention is to instill a seamless transition from case to buckle.
The brushed surfaces of the 42mm case and 3-link bracelet construction are eye-catching. Although the offerings of Titanium, Black Ceramic, and King Gold will interact with light in unique ways. Check the short video out here, and you’ll see the 500-limited edition matte Black Ceramic version peddling the ‘Invisible Visibility’ mantra. Coined by Biver, ‘Invisible Visibility’ describes how Hublot showcases its extensive research into new materials in a ‘subtle’ way. Although all-black timepieces can sometimes appear hard to read (especially on press shots), the way Hublot mixes textures and surface finishes facilitates legibility on the wrist.
Final Thoughts and Pricing
Actuating the in-house UNICO flyback chronograph are rectangular pushers. I always felt these angular pushers accentuate the case lines more than typical round pushers would.
The Big Bang Integral is a neat package that streamlines some of the hallmarks of the Big Bang. The case sizing, the sharp lines, the integrated bracelet all speak to the buying habits of today without sacrificing the brutishness of that Big Bang attitude. The price for the Big Bang Integral ranges from the titanium at €20,700, all the way up to the proprietary King Gold alloy at €51,800. Read more about Hublot and their new novelties on the site here. For more about the watch, check it out on hublot.com.
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