Hublot bright red BigBang Unico "Red Magic" is the result of a new patented ceramic process
Ceramic is one of these materials almost destined to be used in watchmaking. The natural properties of hardness (more scratch resistant than most steel) and malleability have indeed resulted in usage by various manufactures, e.g., Rolex in its Submariner's and GMT Master II's bezels, Omega in its Dark Side of the Moon watches, and Rado in watches before all of these.
However, what has never been achieved before was creating ceramic-based watches in bright colors. Even Rolex's GMT Master II blue and red bezel, while a breakthrough when released, is achieved in tone down, and rather mate colors. And there lies Hublot's innovation. They have created a special process where the colored pigments added to the ceramic are preserved in the elaborated process required to manipulate the material to create the complex shapes needed for a modern timepiece.
The first released model is done in a bright red that Hublot calls "Red Magic". It feels bright and is actually pretty light on the wrist. It is certainly "showy" and should grab attention but the look overall is good. Especially when contrasted with black outfits as I did with my black leather jacket when I got a chance to see it in Basel. The other thing that is clear immediately is the attention to details, for instance, the matching hue of the rubber strap that blends perfectly with the watch's case.
And because this is a ceramic watch, we should expect the case and color to remain as it is now for a very long period. In other words, the same color and polish case you see now will be the same in five, 10, or more years. Certainly a great value, though not an exciting one, to those loving vintage watches or the aging look on our accessories or outfits.
Regardless, the best part of this "Red Magic" watch for me is the indication that Hublot will be releasing other colors in the future. So if red is not your favorite color, wait and bit and surely other colors will likely match your tastes. A true revolution in the usage of ceramic material for timepieces.
The other release from Hublot at Baselworld was the smaller 42 mm BigBang Unico version suitable to those wanting a smaller watch, and as Hublot says more appropriate for ladies. While I am a bit dubious of the last statement, I believe that this is the first Unico model that I would consider for my 6 1/4 inches wrist as it perfectly fits me. I believe this will be a common opinion as the original BigBang Unico is 45 mm in diameter and 15 mm high.
The new model is slightly slimmer at 14.5 mm but the real gain is in the diameter. And the best part is that Hublot also reduced the movement to match the new case so this means you get the same sporty skeletonize look through the sapphire crystals. The initial models are in light titanium, which should make it even easier to wear; and the gorgeous King Gold Ceramic model with satin-finished and polish black ceramic resulting in a bright and contrasty look, yet is scratch resistant due to the unique alloy's properties.
The third model from the collection that caught my eyes were the two new additions to the successful collaboration between Hublot and French leather house: Berluti. The two Classic Fusion chronograph models shown this year expertly blend Berluti's red wine leather with King Gold and Berluti's ocean blue leather with titanium. The execution is expertly done with the leather dials with contrasting subdials. These limited Berluti watches showcase the best of Hublot's fusion philosophy.
In addition to their main lines of BigBang Unico and Classic Fusion are some of Hublot's most avant-garde watches with unique Manufacture Piece (MP) movements and made of even more exotic materials. Again showcasing Hublot's values. First a new model of the BigBang MP11 limited to 200 includes an remarkable new movement with 16 days power reserve and made in a space age 3D carbon.
Hublot BigBang MP11 with 16-day power reserve in 3D carbon
It's hard to explain how futuristic this watch looks on wrist. Unlike previous other MP models this one is quire wearable due to the slim 14 mm profile and reasonable 45 mm. But perhaps the most surprising aspect was how super-light it feels on wrist. Hublot does not indicate the official weight but I would venture it to be less than 50 grams. It simply disappeared on my wrist when I got to try it on.
And while the MP11 is a feat of watchmaking engineering in movement and in materials, there is one thing I dislike or perhaps would need to grow more on me. With more than two weeks of power reserve, a big part of the movement are the seven barrels in series, placed perpendicular to the movement and necessarily protruding above the dial.
Hublot had to create a convex bulb section on the dial to cover the barrels. The part I dislike is the writing of "day power reserve" to allow the wearer to view the current remaining power. Perhaps this writing at the bottom of the watch would have been more subtle yet achieving the same goal? As is, the writing dominates the dial too much, in my view, while adding little value.
The second high-tech MP release is the new Hublot BigBang MP09 tourbillon also in 3D carbon with striking red accents and gorgeous bi-axis tourbillon at 6 o'clock. This is not a watch for everyone as it is quite large, but again adds to Hublot's arsenal of highly technical watches made from modern materials with innovative movements. And unlike the MP11 the MP9 uses a more restrained presentation of the power reserve, yet offers a beautiful view of the tourbillon in its bulb.
Hublot Techframe Ferrari tourbillon chronograph in titanium
Finally, in what is one of the most successful car-watch collaboration, Hublot released two new models of its Techframe tourbillon chronograph designed with Ferrari. The new models for this year are one in titanium with a matching white rubber strap and a forged carbon with yellow accents and black rubber strap. Both models now use an evolved quick release mechanism which should allow the owner to customize the watch with other straps.
For instance I could see a yellow Ferrari car owner matching a yellow rubber strap to the forged carbon watch in the summer to perfectly accentuate the feel of driving the car on his wrist. Or matching the titanium version with a transparent rubber strap to make it disappear on wrist and remove some of attention that such watch is sure to attract.
In all, Hublot continues for me to constantly release innovations that are true to their motto of fusion. It's a philosophy that works for them and allows merging of multiple worlds. Whether it be the Berluti leather watches, or the usage of ceramic with gold, or their partnership with Ferrari, most of the resulting watches are brash and grab attention. And for me that's mostly a good thing, since if you are already driving a Ferrari, or aspire to be, you've already reconciled any negativity that may come with such attention grabbing wheels.
And with the new "Red Magic" watch, Hublot has perhaps achieved an innovation that will keep them in the driving seat of the segment of the watch market they currently dominate. The red BigBang Unico is unbelievably bright and cool. Not a watch I would wear every day but with a black leather jacket as in photos, it's just plain cool. And when Hublot releases other colors I could see fans of the brand going back to childhood memories to remember their favorite colors in order to decide which one to get.
Additional details on these watches and all of Hublot's Baselworld novelties can be found on their web site. hublot.com
One of the winners in the 2019 GPHG awards in the first week of November was a two year old upstart watch brand from Kuala Lumpur named MING Watches. The young brand won best watch in the Challenge category at the Geneva show to the delight of its founder and watch aficionados who have regularly helped sell out the brand’s 11 prior releases since its debut of the 17.01 watch.
MING watches are not limited per we but are produced in small batches of a few hundreds, which in effect make them limited. A quick perusal to their web site shows that all models, except for the two new 2019 models have sold out. Interestingly the new models are also priced much higher than the previous ones. However, before getting ahead of ourselves, how does one go about seeing or trying on a MING watch?