Start The Week With A Bang — A Hublot Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic 42mm

Green is the color of money, right? If so, shouldn’t green also be the most expensive color? Well, it isn’t at Hublot. The new Hublot Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic 42mm costs €5,800 less than the same watch in orange. Hublot explained why during Watches and Wonders, but that story didn’t make me change my mind when deciding between the two novelties. I never thought I would label a fully colored Big Bang “chic,” but I might just do that by the end of this article.

When I wrote the introduction article about three new Hublot Big Bang Unico creations, I thought the monochromatic, online-exclusive Ice Bang would be the most interesting, with the bright Orange Ceramic version in second place and the Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic in third. The Hublot presentation during Watches and Wonders made me realize I had my order wrong. The blackest of the three is now in third place, the orange one remains where it is, and the previous number three is now in pole position. I will tell you why.

You just can’t stop touching the Hublot Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic 42mm

The looks of the watch will come up in a minute. First up is the fabulous tactile sensation of the Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic 42mm (441.GX.5210.RX). Okay, my fingers are colorblind, so what goes for the green version also applies to the orange one. So, both watches are absolutely sensational to the touch. There’s something special about polished ceramic in combination with a soft rubber strap. And maybe you remember the early non-ceramic Big Bang models having rather sharp edges. Well, that’s not the case with today’s ceramic Big Bangs. They’re smooth and somehow soft to the touch. They give a very luxurious sensation — chic, even?

“Chic” is certainly not the first word that comes into mind when opening your eyes with a colored Big Bang in your hands. But the polished dark green ceramic with distinct technical black touches also doesn’t punch you in the face. The orange 441.CU.5910.RX does. Both watches are limited to 250 pieces, but although they were part of the same presentation due to their shared DNA, there are some significant differences between them. Yes, the first is the color. And that different hue has huge consequences, not just for the watch’s significantly louder appearance but also for the price. Orange is more expensive than green.

Why orange is more expensive than green

The Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic 42mm has a premium price of €25,000. The orange version, however, costs €30,800. The Hublot PR person explained that orange ceramic is incredibly difficult to produce. It took time, money, and effort to get it exactly right, and the customer pays the price — a premium of €5,800, to be precise. That’s quite an extra chunk of money for a watch with a shade so bold and loud that you might grow a little tired of it way too quickly.

That said, the orange and the green Big Bang Ceramic models are most likely not the target audience’s only pieces of arm candy. And that also completely changes the way we should look at these watches. But since this is Fratello, I will not look at them as fashion watches (although Hublot is not afraid to call itself a fashion brand). Instead, I’ll assess the ceramic Big Bangs as serious watches. And the dark green one is serious enough to be taken, well, seriously.

Serious insides

Inside the 42mm case beats a serious chronograph movement, which you can see through the sapphire window on the back and the green and black open-worked dial. The black-plated 4Hz MHUB1280 is an automatic chronograph caliber with a column wheel, flyback function, and a power reserve of around 72 hours. It comprises 354 parts, including a silicon Swiss lever escapement. The tungsten rotor is blacked out too, and there are a couple of different finishes on the movement to make it look pretty. Back on the dial side, you can find a neatly integrated date at 3 o’clock in a sub-dial. The way Hublot handled this might please the fanatical, very vocal date haters and their more soft-spoken opponents. It makes me wonder, do Hublot clients actually think about date windows?

Big Bang on the wrist

On the wrist, the Hublot Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic doesn’t create all that big of a bang. Its colorway is quite subtle and sophisticated. The combination of a deep shade of green and sober black creates a bit of a camo vibe without the distinct camo pattern. The proportions work well on my 18.5cm wrist too. This case measures 42mm wide, 14.5mm thick, and 52mm from tip to tip. That’s a bit lengthy, but the combination with the supple rubber strap leads to a watch that doesn’t look or feel odd on my wrist.

And once you can look past the color that, although dark and moody, still dominates its visual appearance, there are plenty of nice details to discover. The angular lines, for example, are paired with six black-plated, H-shaped titanium screws on the bezel for a refined technical/industrial touch. Plus, the case is very technical and interesting to look at. Its distinct parts in different colors and shapes converge to create a very dynamic construction.

So, is the Hublot Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic chic?

When you’re in the market for a high-end colored ceramic watch, there is no way of getting around Hublot. Sure, if you’re in the mood for something dark green, IWC has the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Woodland” for you. However, that €12,900 watch has a very different image and look. The fact that the IWC Pilot’s Watch is half the price of the Hublot Big Bang also probably doesn’t matter much.

Now, let me answer the question of whether or not the Hublot Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic is chic. Well, after this little intermezzo, that is. It was Patek Philippe that got me thinking of the current meaning and perception of “chic” when the brand launched the World Time Date 5330G and Nautilus 5980/60G on denim-look straps (Hublot was the first luxury watch brand to introduce real denim as a strap material back in 2013). The jury is still out on whether or not the new jeans-wearing Pateks are chic. But if you don’t think so, a simple strap change turns them around. This ceramic Hublot Big Bang is simply too green to change completely with a different strap.

“Enough already, Lex! Is this a chic watch?” No, of course, it isn’t! Despite being dark green, a color I associate with the English countryside, Land Rovers, and Harris Tweed jackets, being very shiny, ceramic, and partly see-through, and having a strap in rubber just doesn’t cut it. This Big Bang is still too loud. I do think it’s a cool watch, though — very costly, yes, but cool. And if you care about the cool factor and not the cost, this Hublot Big Bang Unico Dark Green Ceramic 42mm might be perfect for you. Try to match it with a Harris Tweed jacket.