Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Red Magic Watch With 14-Day Power Reserve
Hublot’s ability to bring the primary colors into luxury watchmaking while retaining an air of sophistication is once again on display with the release of the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Red Magic.
It shouldn’t work. Although red has enjoyed a long career as the go-to accent color in horology (especially when it comes to sports models), it isn’t very easy to get right when deployed as the base color. There are very few brands that can apply such a bright and bold color to a case and pull it off.
Going full, fire-engine red on a dial takes excellent execution to look anything other than cheap
At an entry-level price point, the most red you’re likely to see is when brands opt for a red dial. Even that is risky. It has been done well on occasion, but rarely with a scarlet shade. Maroon, claret, or burgundy are safer bets. Going full, fire-engine red on a dial takes excellent execution to look anything other than cheap. Taking that color and implementing it in a case is a different ballgame entirely. If you want a real-world example of how to do it well, the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Red Magic watch is happy to oblige.
The ultra-luxury sphere
In the ultra-luxury sphere, there is precedent for primarily red watches. HYT has a way with primary colors. Ulysse Nardin recently experimented with bright red epoxy mixed with carbon, resulting in the memorable “Magma” model. Richard Mille has frequently taken on the challenge of making red watches fresh, and succeeded (at least in the eyes of the brand’s faithful, and those with deep enough pockets to add one to their collection).
High-tech ceramic production
But when it comes to creative color use, Hublot is undoubtedly one of the brands leading the charge. While the results are not to everyone’s tastes, the brand has dedicated significant time, energy, and financial resources to widening the palette one can expect to find in its catalog. The first step was to master high-tech ceramic production. Models such as the Big Bang Unico Red Magic and Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Orlinski Red Ceramic paved the way for this release. Hublot has once again delved into the minds of their mad scientists to bring us the Big Bang MP-11 Red Magic.
The MP-11 is no shrinking violet
Mechanically, this watch is a beast. With 270 components, the HUB9011 manual-winding movement is a skeletonized stunner. Seven horizontally-stacked barrels provide a tasty 14-day power reserve. The trade-off for this extreme performance is the height of the watch. The MP-11 is no shrinking violet: A bulging sapphire crystal makes space for the linked barrels and increases the height on the wrist to 14.4mm at its highest point. It was, therefore, wise for Hublot to make this watch hand-wound as opposed to automatic.
100 pieces available
The 45mm diameter means that before you raid your piggy bank for the €85,000 asking price, you might need to put a few bucks aside every month for a new gym membership. Assuming, however, you either have the forearms of Zeus or the effortless cool of Morgan Freeman, feel free to skip that part and head straight for the boutique. Hurry, though: There will only be 100 of these pieces available. Learn more about Hublot and its research into new materials here.
