Mystery Solved: The Big Bang Happened 20 Years Ago! — Hublot Celebrates Two Decades Of The Big Bang
There’s no denying it: 2025 truly is a year of anniversary parties. Some traditional watchmaking houses are celebrating centuries of Haute Horlogerie craftsmanship, while many individual watches are throwing birthday parties. Hublot is celebrating two decades of Big Bang watches this year. The outspoken sports watch is still going strong and continuing to evolve. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hublot’s most emblematic collection, the original Big Bang design is fused with the current Big Bang Unico, resulting in five limited-edition Big Bang timepieces.
The past, present, and future come together in the five limited editions Hublot presents to celebrate two decades of the Big Bang. All five models feature a redesigned case with the characteristic layered construction that stood out 20 years ago. Do you remember seeing the watch with its pinched lugs and knurled bezel edge when it debuted? Like the original watches, the new creations have a dial featuring three counters for the chronograph function and running seconds. There is a big difference, though: back then, the Big Bang had a third-party movement, but now, the watches feature the in-house Unico caliber. And to highlight that fact, the rotor of each 43mm limited-edition watch is outfitted with a commemorative gold rotor.
Big Bang 20th Anniversary Red Magic (ref. 431.CF.1313.RX)
Hublot celebrates two decades of Big Bang watches this year
Ceramics have always played a big part in the story of the Big Bang, but colored ceramics proved a game-changer. Hublot has been at the forefront of creating brightly colored ceramics, and these materials made Hublot’s watches stand out from the crowd. The first of Hublot’s in-house-developed and -produced colored ceramics was red, which debuted in 2018. The Big Bang 20th Anniversary Red Magic (ref. 431.CF.1313.RX / €33,000) edition of 100 pieces celebrates the Big Bang’s birthday and honors the first red ceramic watches from seven years ago.
Also ready to party is the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Titanium Ceramic (ref. 431.NM.1337.RX / €21,600). This is a limited edition of 500 chronographs in contrasting titanium and black ceramic.
Arriving next to the celebration are 250 pieces of the Big Bang 20th Anniversary King Gold Ceramic (ref. 431.OM.1338.RX / €39,900). Hublot optimized every detail, as evidenced by the new 43mm case and the polished bezel, which brings back the knurled bezel edge, a prominent feature of the early Big Bang models. The rubber-tipped rectangular pushers found in the first Big Bang references also made a comeback, along with the textured lozenge-patterned rubber strap featuring a modern One-Click system integrated into the case.
Big Bang 20th Anniversary All Black (ref. 431.CI.1340.RX)
All black
Jean-Claude Biver once said that reading the time on your Big Bang All Black might be impossible, but people use their phones to check the time anyway. It didn’t stop the watch from possibly becoming the most important and sought-after watch in Hublot’s history. The dramatic watch shocked the conservative watch world back in 2006, and although norms can only be broken once, this Big Bang 20th Anniversary version is still remarkable.
The watch shows matte surfaces and polished bevels on its 43mm black ceramic case, inside of which lies a black carbon-pattern dial. The 2025 Big Bang 20th Anniversary All Black (ref. 431.CI.1340.RX / €26,200) is a limited edition of 500 watches and is, despite the look that has been copied by many competitors, still a strong style statement.
Big Bang 20th Anniversary Magic Gold (ref. 431.MX.1330.RX)
The magic of gold
We now finally know the Big Bang dates back to 2005, but did you know that Magic Gold dates to 2011? It didn’t magically appear, as the name might suggest; rather it was the fruit of years of development. Magic Gold was the world’s first scratch-resistant 18K gold alloy, combining ceramic’s resilience with gold’s shine and luster.
The material shows a golden color with a slightly green shade that will stay impeccable for a very long time due to the material’s hardness and resistance to oxidation. The Big Bang 20th Anniversary Full Magic Gold (ref. 431.MX.1330.RX / €42,200) is a limited edition of 100 pieces. The watch combines an 18K gold alloy with a carbon-patterned dial, gilt hands, and gilt markers for contrasting tones and textures.
The self-winding caliber HUB1280.20YEARS: UNICO
Powering all five limited-edition Bang Bang creations is the HUB1280.20YEARS: UNICO, an in-house automatic flyback chronograph movement featuring a column wheel and a celebratory rotor. It ticks at a 4Hz (28,800vph) frequency and offers a 72-hour power reserve. All five watches are water resistant to 100 meters, and each comes on a rubber strap with a folding clasp that suits the case material.
So, what do you make of these Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary editions? Are they a fitting way to celebrate two decades of the brand’s most important watch? Let me know in the comments.
