Hublot unleashes five new Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillons with a fresh twist of customisation
Tom Austin- Hublot has launched a 5-colour attack for the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve, previously only available in white ceramic or carbon.
- Four fresh ceramic colourways are available: red, black, yellow and sky blue, and for the first time in Hublot’s history, each owner of the limited edition collection will be able to choose an additional bezel of their choice from the range.
- Additionally, a fifth and final piece has also been unveiled in full black sapphire, completing this 100-piece limited edition collection.
When brands launch new colours of a watch, it’s often a relatively underwhelming announcement, because nine times out of ten, it’s already been seen before in one way, shape, or form. Hublot always likes to do things slightly differently, though. Yes, it’s a brand that releases similar colourways across its range, yet Hublot roll out these different colours across its different product lines in a way that doesn’t dilute each collection too much, keeping the watches ultra-exclusive. And, let’s not forget, that this isn’t just a fresh paint job – the work involved in creating these shapes and forms in coloured ceramics is no mean feat in itself.
The Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve is now a significant watch for Hublot, although it’s fair to say that, over the 6 years that it has been in the catalogue, it has somewhat been overlooked in terms of the brand’s more adventurous colour schemes. For this launch, Hublot aims to correct that, introducing five new pieces with a twist never seen before from the brand.
Naturally, this wouldn’t be a Spirit of Big Bang without that familiar tonneau case design, which remains unchanged for this model. Its 42mm silhouette is relatively modest, but the elongated shape means the lug-to-lug is relatively large, which gives the Spirit that wrist presence Hublot’s so well known for. The sandwich-style construction is still there, bringing together several layers of ceramic to build a functional and technically stylish case with awesome little details everywhere.
There are four new ceramic colourways available, borrowing hues from different corners of Hublot’s lineup: this particular model of Spirit was previously only available in white ceramic or carbon, except for a couple of ultra-limited editions. We have a bold red ceramic, which is notoriously hard to create, along with yellow, black and the stunning sky blue. Additionally, Hublot has gone all out and made a full black sapphire version, too. Both styles have managed to maintain the relatively simple functionality of the Spirit case, featuring 30-meter water resistance and sapphire crystals on both the front and back, ensuring a sealed design.
As you would expect with watches like this, you can see through the entire watch’s dial and movement, thanks to its skeletonised architecture. The tonneau shape does make things challenging to squeeze everything in, so the main time-telling portion of the dial is shifted to the right, allowing for the power reserve indicator to sit at 8 o’clock and the tourbillon at 6. These are surrounded by thin, webbed bridges that keep everything exposed. Interestingly, it’s a pretty legible design, which is seldom seen on watches of this level of complexity.
Each colourway has been carried over onto the dial, with minute tracks, hands and power reserve indicator all bearing the same colour as the case. Talking about matching colours, it’s worth noting here that for the first time, Hublot will provide collectors with an additional bezel of their choice for this Spirit of Big Bang, from a wide selection of some twenty possible variants, in different colours and materials (carbon or ceramic), with or without stone-setting. It’s fair to say, we’re going to see some pretty wild combinations with this new level of customisation.
Inside the watch beats the manually-wound, in-house HUB6020 calibre, previously seen in watches such as the Spirit of Big Bang SORAI. This shaped movement beats at 3Hz, which contributes to the impressive 5-day power reserve. For a movement with a tourbillon escapement, it’s somewhat sparse, but in a good way, as it enhances legibility without making things look too crowded.
As standard, the watches arrive with two straps: a black vulcanised rubber number and a Velcro-style tactical-spec strap. These are fine, but remember, this watch is supposed to be customised. As part of this push for bespoke customisation, Hublot has offered collectors the choice to select an additional strap to complement that extra bezel, once again stretching the value and allowing wearers to truly make the watch their own. As usual, these aren’t just your basic, off-the-shelf straps. They’re crafted from a wide variety of materials and feature ceramic ancillaries to match the high-tech stature of the case.
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve pricing and availability
This Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve capsule will be available for purchase from Hublot boutiques, with each variant limited to 20 pieces. Price: US$104,000 (ceramic), US$161,000 (sapphire)
| Brand | Hublot |
| Model | Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-Day Power Reserve |
| Reference | 645.CF.8513.NR – Red ceramic 645.CI.1137.NR – Black ceramic 645.CY.4723.NR – Yellow ceramic 645.EX.5123.NR – Sky blue ceramic 645.JB.4934.RX – Black sapphire |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (W) x 14.1mm (T) |
| Case Material | Microblasted and polished ceramic or black sapphire |
| Water Resistance | 30 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Skeletonised, case colour-matched |
| Bracelet | Black Vulcanised rubber, folding clasp Velcro-style hook and loop strap Additional custom strap (customer’s choice) |
| Movement | HUB6020, in-house, manual-winding |
| Power Reserve | 120 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, power reserve indicator, tourbillon |
| Availability | Limited to 20 pieces per colourway (100 total) |
| Price | US$104,000 (ceramic) US$161,000 (sapphire) |