Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu Sapphire
The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu Sapphire, a collaboration with Maxime Plescia-Buchi, merges intricate three-dimensional geometry with high-tech sapphire. Share
After eight years of collaboration, Hublot and Maxime Plescia-Buchi have unveiled their first creation crafted from sapphire. This collaboration infuses the three-dimensional geometry and distinctive style of Sang Bleu into Hublot’s preferred high-tech material. The result is a geometrically complex watch designed to embody the fusion of intensity and subtlety, strength and delicacy, showcasing Hublot’s mastery in blending fine craftsmanship with advanced technology.
Since 2016, the Hublot x Sang Bleu collaboration has featured the innovative work of typographer, tattooist, and artist Maxime Plescia-Buchi, who has imprinted his unique three-dimensional geometric designs onto Hublot watches. From the introduction of the Big Bang in 2016 to the Spirit of Big Bang in 2023, 2024 marks another milestone year for this partnership.
The Spirit of Big Bang retains its 42mm diameter and iconic barrel shape while presenting a different aesthetic finish. Despite its bold proportions and assertive shape, the watch offers excellent ergonomics, fitting comfortably on any wrist, be it feminine or masculine. The movement remains unchanged; it features the HUB4700, a skeletonized automatic chronograph with a date display at 4:30, a 50-hour power reserve, and an oscillating weight reimagined in Sang Bleu’s distinctive style.
The design continues to play with shapes and structures, with Sang Bleu’s signature incisions, angles, and facets bringing to life hexagons, rhombuses, and triangles that redefine the watch’s form and volume. The transition to sapphire allows these elements to take on new dimensions, unveiling a fresh personality through the material’s transparency.
The use of sapphire extends from the dial to the case and bezel, intensifying the organic essence of the watch’s design. The intricate design and demanding geometry inspired by Plescia-Buchi’s polygonal tattoo art have pushed Hublot to advance its sapphire machining capabilities. The transparency of the sapphire accentuates the purity of the Sang Bleu design, which emerges sharp and structured, expressing a minimalist style that is visually light and comfortable to wear. Sapphire’s challenge lies in its demanding nature; it requires flawless finishing due to its total transparency.
Through 3D machining and over 100 hours of labour, the Spirit of Big Bang Sapphire Sang Bleu achieves hardness and scratch resistance nearly equivalent to that of a diamond, scoring 9 on the Mohs scale, just below diamonds at 10. The few elements not rendered in transparent sapphire, such as the crown, push buttons, case screws, the six H-shaped screws on the bezel, and the folding clasp, are crafted from titanium, alongside the components of the movement.
This exclusive timepiece is available in a limited run of 100 pieces, making the Spirit of Big Bang Sapphire Sang Bleu a prized collector’s item for aficionados and connoisseurs of unique horological art.
