The ‘Spirit of Big Bang Essential Grey’ will be the first – and the last of its kind. Only 100 watches will be created, and these extremely rare pieces will only be available online at hublot.com
The Essential Grey collection was born of a premise: a single colour, a single model, once a year, through a single channel. Selling only online is an exceptional procedure for Hublot, but it reflects the company’s desire to offer everyone an equal opportunity to acquire this unusual model. The aim is to ensure that all collectors are treated equally, whether or not they live near to one of the brand’s 130 sales outlets. This 2023 version will be twice as rare as the previous one in 2022 (100 copies compared with 200).
This year, it’s the Spirit of Big Bang’s turn to be Essentially Grey. This historic collection, the only one in Hublot’s barrel format, is draped in 100% titanium: including the case, bezel, screws, crown, pushpieces, case-back and folding clasp. The idea is to use the chromatic properties of titanium, the soft, radiant grey that the watchmaker wished to sandblast and grind, as a natural and obvious base for the Essential Grey version. For the occasion, the rubber strap has been matched, lined with black thread on the outer edge to mark the vanishing line.
When it comes to the movement, Hublot has introduced very subtle variations, notably on the date disc (window at half-past four), on the chronograph counters (minutes at 3 o’clock, hours at 6 o’clock), while playing with the multiple finishes, thus ensuring that all the indications on the dial are perfectly legible, while enhancing the skeleton architecture of the HUB4700 Calibre. This automatic chronograph movement is cadenced at a high frequency (5 Hz, or 36,000 vibrations per hour). It has a 50-hour power reserve.
In this new iteration, the 42-mm watch retains its two lateral push-pieces, its crown provides water-resistance to 100 metres (10 ATM) and features the One-Click system. The watch is available in two variations: grey grooved rubber, and grey with Velcro buckle and ceramic.
As with certain Hublot models sold online, this digital opportunity will be coupled with the Full Hublot Service. Activated when sold, the watch is registered with Hublot and entitles the customer to have their watch fully serviced free of charge once the warranty has expired. From recovering the original finish, renewing the water-resistance, overhauling the movement, and controlling the quality, the new Spirit of Big Bang Essential Grey is automatically eligible for a rejuvenating treatment as part of Hublot’s Full Service.
