REVOLUTION_INTERNATIONAL_VOL 58

BIG BANG TOURBILLON AUTOMATIC
ORANGE SAPPHIRE
The humble orange is something of an in-house
celebrity, thanks to its integral role in the preparation
of the perfect Negroni, our house drink. Sweet or
bitter, orange or blood red, dried or juicy — it’s a
versatile fruit. And so, when we saw the familiar hue
on one of the new novelties unveiled by Hublot, the
Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire, we
couldn’t help but smile.
But if you’re going to be the leaders in the use of
innovative materials and break new ground, then an
in-house facility is what is needed. This is exactly what
Hublot has in its Metallurgy and Materials laboratory,
a dedicated research and development initiative that
has worked with a level of tenacity that can only be
applauded, to create solutions to the brand’s desire to
use novel materials in its watchmaking.
Sapphire and ceramic are two such examples,
and the former has now been created in a proprietary
guise in a kaleidoscope of options. Clear and black,
red and blue, and most recently, yellow. Now Hublot
has unveiled orange sapphire, a world’s first for a
material that is through-tinted, and achieved by
the use of titanium and chromium in a top-secret
manufacturing process. The product is as striking as
it is novel, with the transparent nature of the orange
sapphire allowing the observer to see through the case
to the magic that lies therein.
The micro-rotor
sits at 12 o’clock
as a perfect visual
balance to the
tourbillon in its
cageat6o’clock
Thetransparencyoforangesapphiremeansyou
get to see through the case to the magic within
HUBLOT
BIG BANG TOURBILLON AUTOMATIC ORANGE SAPPHIRE
MOVEMENT Self-winding caliber MHUB6035; 72-hour power reserve
FUNCTIONS Hours, minutes and tourbillon
CASE 45mm; polished orange sapphire; water resistant to 30m
STRAP Transparent orange rubber with lined relief
PRICE USD 169,000
AVAILABILITY Limited to 50 pieces
The watch houses a new automatic tourbillon
manufacture caliber. While Hublot’s case material
development is one of its strongest suits, it also has some
serious know-how when it comes to watchmaking. The
most noticeable element of the caliber MHUB6035 is its
transparency that almost looks like an optical illusion.
However, there’s no trickery in the mastery of this
movement’s 72-hour power reserve and the fact that it is
an automatic tourbillon. The transparency comes from
sapphire bridges, and a sapphire dial onto which Arabic
numerals are applied, which seemingly float above the
movement. The tourbillon sits in its cage at the expected
position of six o’clock, but where this movement turns
convention on its head, is the placement of the micro-rotor
at 12 o’clock on the face of the dial, as the perfect visual
balance to the tourbillon. We are used to having to turn a
watch over to see the oscillating weight do its job, so it’s a
bold and masterful stroke to place it on the dial instead.
Founded in 1980, Hublot is a relatively new kid on
the block, yet it constantly pushes the boundaries and
innovates. The Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange
Sapphire is a symbol of what we can all use at the moment:
a vibrant and optimistic reminder to keep on keeping on
for the challenges ahead. Here’s to a happy 2021!
48 PRIME TIME