LVMH Watch Week 2022:Hublot
By Stephen Watson | 5 minute read
This Hublot article is part of our spotlight on LVMH Watch Week 2022.
With sights set on Watches & Wonders, planned for March in Geneva, LVMH appears to have set its agenda with a tightly edited group of novelties hinting at what might lie ahead for the big debuts to be revealed in the coming months. A few key trends have already emerged. A focus on luxurious materials (more yellow gold! more diamonds!), increased versatility, especially for ladies, and reimagined classics updated with exciting new functionality.
Aesthetic changes within the watch world occur slowly and incrementally, but such changes inevitably start at Hublot. For decades, Hublot has pioneered new materials, case sizes, and daring colors with enormous flair led by a visionary group of friends and ambassadors from the fields of art, sport, music, and industrial design. The year 2022 is no exception, with novelties that push the boundaries of timekeeping with boldness and immense creativity.
Hublot
Big Bang Integral Time Only
Larger case sizes are a hallmark of Hublot, and with the introduction of the latest Big Bang Integral Time Only, the winds of change are stirring once again. Now at 40mm, the slimmed-down Integral Time Only lends the watch further flexibility to be worn on any occasion while retaining its distinctive Hublot DNA. The watch gets its name from the integrated bracelet part of the case itself, a sports watch with outstanding versatility and broad appeal.
Available in three variations: satin-finished and polished titanium, 18k yellow gold, and limited edition ‘All Black’ ceramic. The sapphire crystal reveals the visible inner workings of the MHUB1710 self-winding automatic movement, with an approximate 50-hour power reserve and water resistance of 100 meters. A much slimmer Big Bang with a case thickness of only 9.25mm opens a new door for Hublot, allowing the new Integral an easy-to-wear versatility and tremendous appeal for a larger audience.
Big Bang One Click 33mm
One of the biggest trends to emerge from this LVMH watch week is increasing versatility afforded by one-click changeable strap systems with enormous collections of straps from which to choose. The latest Big Bang One Click 33mm offerings include black or white dials in stainless steel or 18k King Gold with optional glittering diamond cases, bezels, hour markers and full pavé dials.
That's not to say the Big Bang One Click in 33mm is a mere fashion accessory; the watch is powered by the MHUB1120 self-winding automatic movement with an approximate power reserve of 40 hours and water resistance of 100 meters. Hublot's sense of fun comes into play with the incredible selection of straps on offer, from the initial black or white rubber to the latest "soft touch" leather and rubber straps in a myriad of combinations in every color of the rainbow.
Big Bang Unico Golf Orange
The beloved mechanical golf score tracker from Hublot is back in a 100-piece limited-edition in orange carbon fiber and orange texalium (a fiberglass-based fabric that has a proprietary finish and a thin coating of aluminum on the surface). Unlike the game of golf itself, the watch is quick to master. Putter-shaped pushers and windows at 2 and 4 count shots and holes, with the cumulative score shown at the aperture at 6.
First launched in 2017 in partnership with golfer Dustin Johnson, the Big Bang Unico Golf Orange is a rare mechanical (not digital!) watch. Powered by the MHUB1580 caliber, the Big Bang has a power reserve of approximately 72 hours and water resistance of 100 meters for the water hazards that get the best of you. The movement has been based on Hublot’s in-house UNICO movement, to which they have added a module to calculate the golf score. Orange you glad the Big Bang Unico Golf makes playing rounds of golf even more fun?
Hublot Yellow Gold Collection
Following Hublot’s 40th Anniversary celebrations in 2021, Hublot is taking stock of what got them to their current levels of global success. Decades ago, watches made in yellow gold were hugely popular, and forty years later, the desirability is on the rise again. To address this growing popularity, Hublot reaches into various collections to launch six new yellow gold models.
Look for 42mm Big Bang Integral models in satin-finished and polished yellow gold, a sleek 42mm Classic Fusion Chronograph, a 42mm Big Bang Unico and a 42mm Spirit of Big Bang with one-click changeable strap systems. Combined with black design elements and many with diamonds, this new yellow gold offering presents a fresh outlook to a precious metal ready for the spotlight once again.
Big Bang Sang Bleu II
An ingenious design launched seven years ago with tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Büchi has proven to have a long-standing appeal for Hublot. With this rare conceptual watch based on geometric precision,time is read within a series of concentric geometric shapes, and chronograph subdials refract these shapes to represent time like a graphic kaleidoscope based on Plescia-Büchi's singular tattoo artistry.
Three new models for 2022 continue the Big Bang Sang Bleu legacy, one in 18k scratch-resistant Magic Gold, a black ceramic, and a limited edition green ceramic. All feature a 45mm diameter case size housing the HUB1240.MXM manufacture movement; Hublot’s in-house UNICO movement with self-winding chronograph flyback and column wheel. The oscillating weight is shaped like a tattoo from Maxime Plescia-Büchi to complement the partnership. The timepiece also features an approximate power reserve of 72 hours; and water resistance to 100 meters. Black or green rubber straps complement and follow the lines of the watch, a highly identifiable piece for Hublot and Plescia-Büchi that has rebelliously become an icon of the manufacture.
Discover more from Hublot here at Mappin & Webb.
Author Credit: Stephen Watson serves as an authority within the US watch industry. He is currently the Editor in Chief of Modern Luxury's Watches International following his post as the Editor in Chief of Revolution USA, Watch Journal, and Executive Editor of Surface Magazine. Stephen Watson is a GPHG academy member.
