Hublot teamed up once again with the renowned Swiss tattoo artist and designer Maxime Plescia-Büchi to create a third iteration of their extraordinary Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II chronograph. The overall design and functionality of this new watch is identical to the first two models, but the color scheme is all new, with a gorgeous matte blue finish that was also used by the artist on some of his latest creations.
The Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II might look like a strange combination of geometry and volume to some people, but for us it’s a horological multifaceted wrist sculpture, with edges and angles in all the right places. Available in titanium and Hublot’s signature King Gold, this stunning watch abandons some of the usual elements of the Big Bang case for the geometric shapes Buchi uses in his tattoos.
The bezel for instance has a striking hexagonal profile, held onto the case with 6 H-shaped titanium screws – quite a difference from the usual round shape of the bezel. Meanwhile, the central metal lip that extends from the case into the rubber strap also features an engraved triangle to add to the seemingly endless juxtaposition of geometric shapes. This dizzying effect is further enhanced by alternating polished and satin-brushed finishes on all these geometric shapes.
Next up, the skeletonised dial of the Sang Bleu II is also a visual treat, showing off a similar 3D geometric look, with countless layers and shapes that create an incredible sensation of depth and complexity. It might be hard to read the time on this dial, but it’s totally worth looking at it again and again.
The hours and minutes are beautifully indicated by arrow-shaped hands that stand out against their quadrilateral kite-shaped background. The chronograph uses a central seconds hand that extends across the entire diameter of the dial, showing off the seconds on an inclined matte blue seconds track.
There are also two hexagonal rotating sub dials tucked under all these elements, with the one at 3 o’clock showing the elapsed minutes and the one at 9 o’clock indicating the small seconds. And if you look closer you’ll also find a small date window, tucked between 4 and 5 o’clock, on the matte blue ring that shows the hours.
Powering up this beauty is the Hublot Manufacture Unico automatic flyback chronograph, a complex movement that runs at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations/hour and comes with a power reserve of 72 hours. You can get a glimpse of this impressive mechanism through the sapphire caseback or as the central hour and minute hands rotate around the dial.
In the end, you should know that both versions of the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II will be limited editions, with 200 models in titanium that will be priced at EUR 24,800 and 100 units in King Gold priced at EUR 46,600.
