When it comes to the craft of horology, there are watchmakers and there are watchmakers, with only a select few falling into the latter camp. However, with its rich heritage and long list of iconic timepieces, Hublot downright defines it, possessing a seemingly inexhaustible supply of innovation, inspiration, and style. As if a further reminder of this was needed, nowhere has it been more apparent than at the recent LVMH Watch Week, where Hublot refused to rest on its laurels. Instead, the brand offered up a head-turning range of exciting new creations that included an MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System, Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM, and a good deal more.
With so much on offer, join us as we explore everything Hublot unveiled at LVMH Watch Week, proving once again why it remains one of the most prestigious names the watch world has to offer.
MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System
As a perfect demonstration of Hublot’s innovative spirit, new MP (Manufacture Piece) releases from the brand will always make us sit up and take notice. However, even within that esteemed company this one is particularly striking. Limited to just 50 pieces, the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System trades the traditional dial, hands, and oscillating weight elements for an impressive roller display, circular power reserve, and an inclined tourbillon automatic winding by two linear weights. All of this is contained within a design that entwines the watch’s mechanical and aesthetic elements so as to be inseparable from one another.
The MP-10 is the culmination of five years of research and development, with the final product boasting an astounding 592 components. While the watch—as mentioned—lacks traditional indicators, it remains an impressively easy-to-read timepiece. The dial consists of four constantly rotating displays. The hours and minutes are combined with an invisible magnifying glass and are positioned in the upper third of the dial. The circular power reserve can be found in the central third boasting a clear green zone and red zone. And the seconds occupy the dial’s lower third, indicated directly on the tourbillon cage — the ingenious mechanical configuration of which has a patent application pending.
An innovative fusing of calibre and dial, the MP-10 still holds legibility at its core, with time easily read from top to bottom. The eye moves vertically from hours and minutes to the power reserve and seconds. To make this work, Hublot’s engineers had to reinvent automatic winding, verticalising the traditional principle by placing two blocks of white gold on either side of the central architecture, which move along a vertical axis. In addition, these weights engage a rack and can wind the movement bidirectionally, while a system of shock absorbers prevents them from colliding.
This complexity, combined with a remarkably simple exterior consisting of just two pieces (middle and case-back in shiny micro-blasted titanium) and Hublot’s most sophisticated sapphire crystal to date (it combines inclined planes on three axes) results in one of the most innovative and stunning timepieces we’ve seen for a very long time.
Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM
Green dials have been in vogue for some time now, but Hublot embraced this hue in a far more striking way at LVMH Watch Week, harnessing an unprecedented level of chemical mastery to create the Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM.
Hublot has been working on the process that created this stunning piece of work since all the way back in 2019, when it first appeared via the Big Bang MP-11. Since then, shades of yellow and emerald SAXEM have appeared, but the Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM is the most impressive use of this innovative material yet.
With the brighter shine SAXEM embodies, the new Big Bang’s robust 42mm case creates the illusion of emitting light, rather than receiving it. Green SAXEM’s use ensures the smallest contours of the Big Bang’s case and bezel are nothing short of spellbinding, while simultaneously creating an arresting contrast with Hublot’s use of six of its iconic titanium H-shaped screws.
Inside, Hublot has selected the HUB1280, a new-generation flyback chronograph. The combination of this calibre and SAXEM is a first, as the previous Big Bang SAXEM featured the micro-rotor HUB6035. While it remains a self-winding offering, it also boasts a high-performance tungsten oscillating weight, which is visible through the back of the Green SAXEM case.
This detail is just one of a number of finishing touches that make Hublot’s latest Big Bang Unico one of the most unique and visually compelling timepieces you’ll see all year. Another is the accuracy with which Hublot has managed to recreate the Green SAXEM’s precise shade for the luminescent material across the index and hands. If that isn’t a remarkable achievement, well, we don’t know what is.
Classic Fusion Tourbillon Orlinski
What do you get when you combine the talents of the world’s best-selling French artist with its most innovative watchmaker? A fusion of art and invention that won’t be forgotten. Combining the immense talent of Richard Orlinski with that of Hublot has resulted in precisely that. Available in shades of Polished Yellow and Sky Blue—with only 30 of each produced—the watches are designed to complement one another, with one representing the brilliance of the sun, while the other the sky in which it hangs.
Powered by the manually wound HUB6021 movement, each of these watches features a stunning skeletonised design, with the crown and six H-shaped screws positioned around the bezel, appearing suspended in space thanks to PVD skeleton bridges. The power reserve is located between 8 and 9 o’clock, while the tourbillon—which always catches the light thanks to sapphire crystal faces at the front and back—is positioned at 6 o’clock.
For our money, these new timepieces represent the pinnacle of Orlinski’s work with Hublot, which has been ongoing since 2017. The 45 mm cases boast the bold contours that have become his signature style, but with their stunning new hues they have been elevated to something more essential than ever before.
Spirit of Big Bang Jewellery Rainbow, Jewellery Steel, and King Gold
If you’re in search of something that will effortlessly turn heads, Hublot has also unveiled a range of timepieces that blur the line between watchmaking and jewellery. By employing skills of master gemsetters across six 32 mm cases, Hublot’s intention is to create an effect that either envelopes the watch in light or transforms it into a rainbow.
Crafted in either stainless steel or King Gold—Hublot’s 18K gold alloy, which is warmer than 5N gold—each watch is a Big Bang unlike any you’ve seen before. The Jewellery Steel and King Gold both boast 479 brilliant-cut diamonds, covering the middle cases, bezels, and dials with a total of 2.1 carats. Upping the ante, the Jewellery Rainbow uses 493 gemstones to stunning effect, which is further enhanced by the rainbow colour palette that continues to the leather strap.
The prestigious Hublot effect is completed with each timepiece boasting six H-shaped titanium screws, a self-winding movement, and a unique “sandwich” case construction, which makes possible an unlimited number of combinations and materials, along with the easy changing of straps featuring a deployant buckle. All in all, these watches are an eye-catching marvel.
Hublot at LVMH Watch Week
While we’d never dare take our eyes off what Hublot has next in store for watch lovers around the world, the brand’s LVMH Watch Week showing is a timely reminder that its knack for innovation and dedication to the craft of horology remains as strong as ever. With that in mind, we can’t wait to see what exciting developments the iconic watchmaker has planned as 2024 continues to unfold.
