Unlike other well-established luxury watch brands, Hublot doesn’t have a lot of history behind it. Founded in 1980, it is pretty much the new kid on the block – though that is difficult to tell, given how prominent the brand is today.

Its association with sports, music and art has raised the brand’s profile quickly, but what puts it in the forefront of haute horlogerie is Hublot’s relentless pursuit of innovating everything – from the raw material it works with to the in-house movements that power the watches.

Big Bang Integrated Ceramic

A decade and a half after launching its flagship Big Bang collection, Hublot took things to the next level in 2020 with the Big Bang Integrated, a sporty timepiece that came with an integrated bracelet. It became a runaway hit. Now, the manufacturer has upped the game with the colourful Big Bang Integrated Ceramic.

There are three ‘mono’ pillars behind the four-piece collection.

Firstly, its mono bloc architecture features a bracelet integrated into the case.

The watches are also mono material as it’s all crafted from ceramic (with the exception of the composite lugs, pushers and crown overmoulded with rubber).

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Lastly, each piece comes in monochromatic colourway – blue indigo, sky blue, sand beige and jungle green that are inspired by cities around the world, the South Seas, deserts and Caribbean beaches, and tropical forests respectively.

Typical of Hublot, it pushes the boundaries of materials, and the ceramic here has been hardened for increased scratch-resistance and enhanced to bring out the intensity of each hue.

The bracelet itself is composed of 22 ceramic elements that each requires a special tool, mould and process. Inside its 42 mm case is the UNICO V2 manufacture movement that boasts 72 hours of power reserve. The HUB1280 calibre also has a new architecture that makes it not only slimmer, but also easier to assemble.

Each colourway of the Big Band Integrated Ceramic is limited edition to 250 pieces.

Big Bang One Click Steel Rainbow 33mm

Since 2005, the Big Bang collection has been Hublot’s playground for showcasing its expertise in fusing unlikely materials together ... and making it work. Rubber strap with gold case? Been there! Sapphire and colour? Done that!

For the One Click Steel Rainbow, Hublot goes to extremes once again by setting 130 coloured rubies, pink sapphires, amethysts, blue sapphires, blue topazes, tsavorites, yellow and orange sapphires into a compact 33 mm polished stainless steel case.

Needless to say, the watch is hard to miss with all that bling – but why stop there? The dial is also set with an additional 232 coloured gemstones, while the polished 18K white gold bezel features 42 baguette-cut coloured gemstones.

An equally rainbow-hued alligator strap – enforced by black rubber on the back for comfort and durability – puts an appropriate finishing touch on this audaciously luxurious timepiece that dares to stand out.

Spirit of Big Bang Magic Sapphire and Tourbillon Orange Sapphire

Sapphire takes centre stage in two exquisite Spirit of Big Bang pieces.

The first is the Magic Sapphire, where the watch’s transparent aesthetic puts the majesty of the watch’s design and architecture in plain sight – including the innovative HUB4700 self-winding skeleton chronograph movement, the sapphire crystal dial, and everything else in between.

The second is the Tourbillon Orange Sapphire, where high complication meets toughness in a unique, standout shade.

It took Hublot two years to develop the world’s first orange sapphire, and the HUB6020 Manufacture manual-winding movement that powers the watch boasts a whopping 115 hours of power reserve.

Both watches showcase Hublot’s technical expertise and mastery over sapphire – a material that is typically hard to work with but admired for its robustness.

Lab-grown slowly for months before it becoming a large solid block, it is then cut, milled, ground into watch components using a 5-axis CNC machines. Blending chemistry and engineering, the sapphire is then polished with diamond powder to unveil the material’s original transparency; and that itself is a tedious process that is repeated over and over again for several hundred hours so that a perfect, mirror-smooth finish is achieved.

As an expert of synthetic sapphire, Hublot can now produce it in any case, shape and colour. The latter is done by fusing elements and chemical compounds into the sapphire, while being careful not to alter the material’s hardness and lightness.

Classic Fusion Orlinski Bracelet

It’s not every day one gets to wear art on the wrist, but Hublot has made that possible through its Hublot Loves Art family, where they collaborate with the likes of Takashi Murakami, Shepard Fairey and more to create special edition timepieces that double as wearable art.

Also on that list is Richard Orlinski. The French sculptor’s signature angular style first appeared on a Hublot back in December 2017. Fast-forward to the present, and the partnership has now extended to the Hublot Classic Fusion Orlinski Bracelet – the first to feature, you guessed it, an integrated metallic band.

The technique behind creating a watch with corners and bevelled edges itself is an art; and that same aesthetic is also used for the bracelet to make the piece look seamless. Expect plenty of light play as well from the chamfered edges and mirror polished titanium.

There are a total of four references in the collection – two in polished titanium with either black or white ceramic dial, and another two of the same but set with 486 brilliant white diamonds in the bracelet and 54 brilliant white diamonds in the bezel for added bling.