PROVING WHY HUBLOT REIGNS SUPREME WITH SAPPHIRE: UNVEILING THE BIG BANG 20TH ANNIVERSARY “MASTER OF SAPPHIRE” SET

April 1st, Geneva, Switzerland - 20 Years of pushing the limits of chromatics, transparency and science itself with the Big Bang. When it comes to the wondrous crystalline material, Hublot can confidently claim to be the Master of Sapphire. Ever since the first Big Bang in sapphire from 2016 and the first coloured sapphire case the following year, Hublot has made it its mission to explore and exploit sapphire and its many potential forms. A laborious scientific process, creating new colours of transparent sapphire requires far more than simply switching pigments. Each colour requires finding the precise formula and adjusting the process accordingly, to ensure a qualitative result both aesthetically and functionally. The challenge is further compounded by the complexity of the Big Bang’s unique sandwich construction. 

Limited to just five sets, The Big Bang 20th Anniversary “Master of Sapphire” set features five examples of the Big Bang MECA-10, each cased in a different sapphire or SAXEM case: transparent sapphire, Water Blue sapphire, Deep Blue sapphire, Purple sapphire and Neon Yellow SAXEM. Each of the five pieces in the set also features a transparent strap perfectly matched to the case’s color, as well as color accents on the hands and applied markers. These colors represent some of the Hublot Manufacture’s proudest achievements when it comes to expanding the possibilities of sapphire as a case material, bringing out evermore striking colors from the usually transparent case material. 

The MECA-10 movement is the perfect engine when there’s so much to see through the crystalline cases. The Master of Sapphire box sets mark the first time that the MECA-10 calibre is cased in sapphire. Conceived like no other manual-winding movement, the MECA-10 emphasizes the sense of architecture and motion in a watch movement. It’s a mechanical choreography, where the gears don’t all move in the same configuration. It’s impressive power reserve of 10 days is displayed by means of a “crémaillère” rack system rarely seen in mechanical watches, consisting of a linear gear engaging a circular gear. 

With so many statement pieces in a single box set, Hublot has created a unique display case for the five Big Bang 20th Anniversary “Master of Sapphire” sets, featuring a backlit panel with vertical lights where the watches are stored, protected by a sliding glass panel with a frosted finish and embellished with an engraved plaque marking “Master of Sapphire XX/05”.