The Agony Of Choice: Two Versions Of The Hublot Square Bang Unico King Gold
In Dutch, we have a saying, “Op elk potje past een dekseltje.” That literally translates to, “For every jar, there’s a lid that fits.” So, my dear Fratelli, the Hublot Square Bang Unico King Gold might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it will appeal to some. “De gustibus non disputandum est” is a Latin saying that means, “In matters of taste, there can be no disputes.” So let’s not argue about the aesthetics of the exuberant watches crafted in the Swiss town of Nyon. Instead, take note of the facts and figures that describe the 42mm gold chronographs with either a matching precious metal bezel or a contrasting one in black ceramic.
Yes, I know, a lid on a jar is normally round, so you can screw it on. But you have to be a bit more open-minded here. There’s also Tupperware. And the Tupperware containers in your kitchen pantry have a squared shape that vaguely resembles the Hublot Square Bang Unico King Gold. There’s a lid that fits it somewhere in your pantry too. And that lid fits so darn well that it keeps the insides nice and fresh. But enough about stuff in the kitchen; let’s focus on these two square versions of Hublot’s claim to fame, the Big Bang.
Hublot Square Bang Unico King Gold: do you want more or less gold?
It’s a hypothetical question for most, but for some, choosing between a gold or a black ceramic bezel could prove to be a real dilemma. The basis of both the Square Bang Unico King Gold (821.OX.0180.RX) and Square Bang Unico King Gold Ceramic (821.OM.0180.RX) is the same. It all starts with a 42mm 18K King Gold case.
King Gold is an alloy developed by Hublot that has a warmer shine than traditional 5N 18K gold. Hublot was also the first to put a rubber strap on a gold case in 1980. It was revolutionary back then, and it’s more or less household by now when it comes to sporty, chic Haute Horlogerie. I’m not sure if a Square Bang Unico King Gold can be seen as a sporty watch, though. Its design is more urban than sporty. It is very much in touch with modern trends and tastes that can be best described as “urban chic.”
The question is: do you want more or less gold on your Square Bang Unico King Gold? Both of the two offerings feature a 42mm square and curved King Gold case and an exhibition case back with a sapphire crystal. The 100m-water-resistant case with a sandwich construction displays both satin and polished finishing and shows a lot of details. The long pushers of the flyback chronograph combine gold with a rubber insert, and the large crown also shows a combination of those two materials.
A watch that wears its heart on its sleeve
“Sober” is most definitely not a word you can use when describing the Square Bang Unico King Gold. There are just too many angles, shapes, and details. And those won’t speak to the Nomos wearer, but they will to another target audience. I picture a more hedonist crowd — outgoing people who want to showcase their happiness and success. And that calls for a matching watch with an exciting exterior and an equally interesting interior. Since outgoing people also like to share their emotions, it makes sense that a matching watch would wear its heart on its sleeve as well. In the case of the Square Bang Unico King Gold, that’s the movement.
Inside these Square Bangs lies the HUB1280 Unico, an in-house, self-winding, 4Hz flyback chronograph caliber with a column wheel and a double clutch. This 354-part movement has a 72-hour power reserve and can be viewed from the back and the front of the watch. Through the sapphire of the case back and the almost absent dial, the movement reveals the mostly industrially produced and finished parts. This is not a Haute Horlogerie movement exclusively finished by hand, but because Hublot uses state-of-the-art machines operated by skilled people, the quality of the Unico caliber is of a very high level.
A closer look at the details
The use of sapphire for the dial doesn’t just make it possible to see the movement tick and observe the workings of the chronograph. It also creates depth. The most straightforward things are the central hours and minutes displayed by partly open-worked gold hands with a touch of Super-LumiNova. You see the running seconds at 9 o’clock, a central chronograph seconds hand, and a 60-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock. There’s also a date display at 3, by the way, on a skeletonized gray wheel. Things get three-dimensional with the applied indexes, the Hublot logo, and the two sub-dials seemingly floating above the movement.
Both watches come on a black rubber strap showing a square pattern, and the black titanium folding clasp features a contrasting King Gold insert.
So, what’s it going to be? What’s the lid that fits your jar, so to speak? Is it a Square Bang Unico King Gold with a matching satin-finished and polished gold bezel for €45,000? Or do you prefer the more contrasting option with the similarly finished black ceramic bezel for €41,700?
If you want to find out more about the different Square Bang watches, you can do so at Schaap en Citreon Juweliers.
