{"id":389405,"date":"2026-01-05T11:09:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T11:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/389405\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T11:09:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T11:09:17","slug":"a-deep-dive-into-hublots-past-present-and-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/389405\/","title":{"rendered":"A deep dive into Hublot\u2019s past, present and future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jason Lee<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been collecting watches for more than a decade now, long enough to stop worrying about trends or what anyone else thinks of what\u2019s on my wrist, and to focus instead on buying what I genuinely enjoy and can sensibly afford. It wasn\u2019t always that way. Back in college, I dismissed Hublot outright, seeing it as the choice of people with too much money and not enough interest in watchmaking. Fast forward to today, and the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Frosted Carbon<\/a> is my favourite piece in a collection of eight watches.<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

For me, it captures the brand\u2019s \u201cThe Art of Fusion\u201d ethos in a single object: the frosted carbon case is a tangible expression of Hublot\u2019s material experimentation, while the tonneau<\/a>\u2011shaped design keeps the watch visually engaging no matter how often I wear it. It\u2019s a playful, extroverted counterpoint to the more familiar Rolex staples in my box, built from unconventional materials and powered by a historic Zenith El Primero\u2013based movement that\u2019s been beautifully skeletonised and left open to view on the dial side. That journey\u2014from writing Hublot off to having one as the emotional centre of my collection\u2014feels like the right place to start an in\u2011depth look at how this young, often controversial marque has evolved into one of the most talked\u2011about names in contemporary watchmaking.<\/p>\n

From portholes and rubber straps: Hublot\u2019s disruptive beginnings<\/p>\n

\"Carlo<\/p>\n

Hublot is unusual among high\u2011end Swiss brands in that its story doesn\u2019t begin in the 19th century with pocket watches and observatory trials. It begins in 1980<\/a> with a single, very specific idea. Italian watch designer Carlo Crocco wanted to build a watch that matched a modern, active lifestyle: light, water\u2011resistant and genuinely comfortable. The solution he arrived at was both simple and radical. He paired a gold case<\/a> with a rubber strap, a combination that, at the time, bordered on heresy in traditional Swiss luxury watchmaking. Gold belonged on leather. Rubber belonged on cheap sports watches. Putting them together was a deliberate violation of the rulebook.<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

The design itself took inspiration from a ship\u2019s porthole. The round bezel, secured by a ring of visible screws, sat on a clean, almost minimalist dial, with the integrated rubber strap flowing straight out of the case. The aesthetic was nautical, modern and clearly industrial in its visual language. It didn\u2019t look like what a \u201cproper\u201d luxury watch was supposed to look like in 1980.<\/p>\n

\"hublot<\/p>\n

And yet, the concept hit a nerve. The combination of precious metal and practical strap, plus the emphasis on comfort and water resistance<\/a>, made the watch an attractive proposition for people who wanted something they could actually wear every day. It found particular favour among European royalty and celebrities, giving Hublot an aura of discreet, contemporary prestige long before the brand started leaning into the louder image many associate with it today. This early period, roughly 1980 to 2004, is sometimes reduced to a pre\u2011history before the Big Bang. That undersells it. The founding idea\u2014fusion of materials, a strong, recognisable case shape, and comfort\u2011first design\u2014pretty much lays the groundwork for everything that follows.<\/p>\n

The \u201cArt of Fusion\u201d and the Big Bang era<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Hublot most collectors think of today really takes shape in 2005, when Jean\u2011Claude Biver arrives as CEO<\/a>. Biver does two key things: he gives the brand a clear philosophy, and he introduces a watch that makes that philosophy visible from across the room. The philosophy is \u201cThe Art of Fusion\u201d. It\u2019s more than a line for the catalogue. It describes Hublot\u2019s approach to almost everything: fusing traditional horology with avant\u2011garde materials, blending past and future, and mixing cultural references that don\u2019t usually share the same sentence. It\u2019s not about understatement; it\u2019s about making that fusion visible and intentional.<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

The physical expression of this is the Big Bang<\/a>, launched the same year. If Crocco\u2019s original watch is a porthole, the Big Bang is a small piece of modern architecture for the wrist. The case is built like a sandwich, with different layers of material stacked to create depth. The bezel features six H\u2011shaped screws that instantly become part of Hublot\u2019s visual DNA. A sharply cut rubber strap integrates into the case with distinctive end\u2011pieces, making the watch sit securely and comfortably while emphasising its outline.<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no accident that Hublot talks about the Big Bang being recognisable even without a logo on the dial. The proportions, the screws, the layered construction\u2014all of it is designed so the watch reads as Hublot at a glance. Love it or hate it, the silhouette is hard to mistake. In other words, the Big Bang isn\u2019t just a model; it\u2019s a design language the entire brand can hang off.<\/p>\n

The alchemist of materials<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

If the 2000s are about defining Hublot\u2019s look, the 2010s and beyond are about turning materials into a core part of the brand\u2019s identity. Lots of brands talk about case materials; relatively few spend years developing their own alloys and ceramics from scratch. This is where Hublot leans heavily into the \u201cfusion\u201d idea and starts behaving almost like a materials lab.<\/p>\n

Magic Gold: scratching the surface of gold\u2019s limitations<\/p>\n

\"HUBLOT<\/p>\n

Gold is beautiful. It\u2019s also relatively soft, which is not ideal for a modern sports watch. Hublot\u2019s answer, launched in 2012 after four years of joint research with the \u00c9cole Polytechnique F\u00e9d\u00e9rale de Lausanne (EPFL), is Magic Gold.<\/a> Magic Gold combines 75% gold with 25% ceramic (boron carbide). On paper, that sounds like a simple alloy; in practice, it results in an 18K gold that is significantly harder than regular gold and even tougher than stainless steel on the Vickers hardness scale. The idea is straightforward: you get the warmth and prestige of gold, but in a form that\u2019s much more resistant to scratches.<\/p>\n

\"scratching<\/p>\n

The first outing for Magic Gold is the Big Bang Ferrari Magic Gold, neatly tying together Hublot\u2019s material story with an automotive partnership. It\u2019s an early signal that materials will be central to how Hublot defines itself going forward.<\/p>\n

Coloured ceramic and Magic Ceramic<\/p>\n

\"hublot<\/p>\n

Next comes coloured ceramic<\/a>. In 2018, Hublot announced it has developed a vivid red ceramic in\u2011house, overcoming a long\u2011standing issue: pigments tend to burn out or degrade at the very high firing temperatures (above 1,500\u00b0C) normally used for technical ceramics. To get around this, Hublot adopts Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technology, allowing high\u2011density ceramic to be sintered at lower temperatures that preserve colour. The result is a ceramic that still delivers on hardness and durability but can now be produced in saturated red, yellow, blue and other tones. In wrist terms, that translates into Big Bangs and other references that look like they\u2019ve been carved from blocks of pure colour.<\/p>\n

\"hublot<\/p>\n

Magic Ceramic, introduced via a 20\u2011piece limited Big Bang Unico Magic Ceramic<\/a> in 2025, pushes this further. Achieving multi\u2011coloured ceramics isn\u2019t as simple as layering pigments; it demands fine control of material science and firing conditions to prevent colours blending into a muddy mess. The watch that debuts the material reads almost like a proof\u2011of\u2011concept that Hublot is prepared to invest heavily in this kind of experimentation.<\/p>\n

Sapphire and SAXEM: transparency as a design choice<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sapphire<\/a> is familiar in watchmaking as a material for crystals; using it for full cases is another matter entirely. In 2016, Hublot managed to produce a full sapphire case, taking advantage of the material\u2019s hardness, transparency and scratch resistance. Once that door is open, Hublot starts experimenting with colour, creating sapphire cases in black, yellow, blue, pink and more. These are more than just colourful novelties; they showcase the skeletonised movements inside in an unusually direct way, blurring the line between case, crystal and movement architecture.<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

In 2019, Hublot introduced SAXEM<\/a>, a proprietary synthetic material that combines sapphire\u2011like transparency with a brilliance and durability comparable to diamond. Thanks to its cubic crystal structure, Saxem maintains a perfectly uniform colour and tone from every angle. The effect, especially in the Big Bang and MP pieces that use it, is of movements suspended in blocks of coloured light.<\/p>\n

Movements as architecture<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

For a long time, detractors of Hublot argued that behind the bold cases, there wasn\u2019t much in the way of serious watchmaking. That criticism becomes harder to sustain once you look at what the brand has been doing with its in\u2011house movements over the past decade and a half, designing calibres so that their architecture reinforces the visual identity of the watch.<\/p>\n

Unico: an integrated chronograph built for display<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

The Unico family is Hublot\u2019s workhorse integrated chronograph<\/a>. The current HUB1280 calibre is a second\u2011generation movement that builds on the original HUB1242 (released in 2010) but simplifies the architecture to improve reliability. The thickness has been trimmed from 8.05 mm to 6.75 mm, helping watches wear more comfortably. A unidirectional gear train, special clutch system and ceramic ball bearings are employed to reduce noise and enhance energy transmission, while five patents\u2014covering the click mechanism, parts of the chronograph assembly, adjustment tolerances and the cannon pinion\u2014underscore the amount of basic research involved.<\/p>\n

\"hublot<\/p>\n

Importantly, Unico is designed to be seen. In many references, the dial is openworked specifically to showcase the chronograph works, making the movement a central part of the watch\u2019s visual impact.<\/p>\n

Meca\u201110 and long\u2011power\u2011reserve statement pieces<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

First shown in 2016, the Meca\u201110 is a manually wound skeleton movement that uses a ring\u2011shaped mainplate with bridges mounted on top. The result looks almost like a technical construction set, with an emphasis on mechanical transparency. A second\u2011generation version, scaled for a 42 mm Big Bang case<\/a>, adds three linear bridges, satin\u2011brushed finishing and hand\u2011polished bevels. A rack\u2011and\u2011pinion system links straight and circular gears to create an intuitive 10\u2011day power\u2011reserve display. The balance is visible on the dial side, and a silicon escape wheel, plus fine adjustment and hacking mechanism, are there to support practical precision as much as aesthetics.<\/p>\n

\"MP<\/p>\n

In the MP\u201111 14\u2011Day Power Reserve, that fascination with long autonomy is pushed further. A patented transmission system links twin mainspring barrels to maximise energy transfer, while the movement\u2019s three\u2011dimensional layout places its components front and centre. These are watches designed to make you think about how energy moves through a mechanical object over time.<\/p>\n

Tourbillons tailored to the case<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

Hublot\u2019s approach to tourbillons follows the same logic: start with the case concept, then design a movement that suits it. Take the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System<\/a>, powered by the in-house calibre HUB9013, which reimagines the round watch as a vertical structure with two freely moving blocks (weights) on either side of the central movement. These weights are linked to racks, allowing bidirectional winding as they move. The crown at 12 o\u2019clock is for winding; a secondary crown on the caseback handles time setting.<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

The calibre inside suggests a brand that sees movements not just as engines to be hidden behind a dial, but as central design elements to be integrated into the case architecture.<\/p>\n

Why Hublot still divides opinion<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

All of this\u2014materials research and in\u2011house movements\u2014has not stopped Hublot from being one of the most polarising names in watch collecting<\/a>. Case sizes can be large. Designs are rarely subtle. Limited editions are frequent. For enthusiasts steeped in mid\u2011century design language and conservative tastes, it can all feel like too much.<\/p>\n

But for me, spending meaningful time with a watch like the Spirit of Big Bang Frosted Carbon makes it difficult to write Hublot off as mere noise. The case texture catches the light differently from anything in forged carbon or ceramic. The tonneau shape avoids the visual fatigue that can come with owning yet another round sports watch. The openworked Zenith\u2011derived movement on the dial side reminds you that, underneath the surfaces and colours, real mechanical substance is beating away.<\/p>\n

\"Hublot<\/p>\n

Seen through that lens, Hublot\u2019s history over the last 45 years reads less like an exercise in provocation and more like a consistent exploration of a few core ideas: fusion of materials, visible mechanics, and a willingness to sit at the intersection of sport, art, design and science. You don\u2019t have to love every watch the brand makes. Many collectors never will. But it\u2019s hard to deny that Hublot, for better or worse, has helped push modern watchmaking into territories it might otherwise have avoided.<\/p>\n

For some, that\u2019s precisely the point. For others\u2014my younger self included\u2014it takes a Spirit of Big Bang on the wrist to realise that behind the carbon, sapphire and slogans lies a coherent, if unconventional, vision of what a mechanical watch can be in the 21st century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jason Lee I\u2019ve been collecting watches for more than a decade now, long enough to stop worrying about…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":389406,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[49,48,61],"class_list":["post-389405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=389405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/389406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=389405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=389405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=389405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}