Watch of the Week: Hublot Spirit Of Big Bang Yellow Sapphire

Hublot is a brand of colors. Not only are they not afraid to experiment with different color gemstones, but also the creation of colored ceramic and sapphire holds no secrets for them. This is all due to a great technical prowess, which results from a focus on research and development, something that has always been one of the pillars of the brand.

What makes it perhaps even more remarkable is the progress that Hublot has been able to make in a very short period of time. It wasn’t until 2017 that the brand first introduced its colored sapphire, and today they have extended their range of colors from the usual transparent, to smoked black, blue and even red. The trouble with adding color when creating sapphire is that the fusion and crystallisation of the material is a complex and unpredictable process. In order to be able to craft a watch case from it, the sapphire needs to be stable, but also have consistently the same color. To realize this Hublot works on the edge between chemistry and engineering, which has now allowed them to add another color to their line-up; yellow!

What makes this color so remarkable is how bright it is! The yellow hue is quite intense, and Hublot achieved this by fusing copper elements with aluminium oxide. Creating the material is only one part of the puzzle, as sapphire is not the easiest material to craft a watch case from, let alone one in such a complex tonneau shape as the Spirit of Big Bang. The color of the watch is complemented by a strap in the same hue, but also cleverly off-set by black details, as well as the crown and pushers. This results in a very tantalizing creation.

The movement that powers this chronograph is not one of Hublot’s own making, but the famed Zenith El Primero. Hublot has extensively reworked this caliber to give it a finish more suitable for their avant-garde creations, and connoisseurs will be more than pleased to find this trailblazing movement, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, in their watch. On the wrist also the other advantages of sapphire become clear (no pun intended); it is as light as titanium, so the whole watch only weighs 107 grams, which is remarkable given its generous size of 42 millimetres. An added advantage is also its scratch resistance. Hublot will be making 100 pieces of the Spirit Of Big Bang in yellow sapphire, making yet another innovative mark in the world of the Haute Horlogerie.