Hublot Unveils A Brand-New Watch
Hublot is doing it folks – it’s releasing a square watch. The brand known for its porthole-inspired bezel designs, and large Classic Fusion pieces is taking the Big Bang IP and creating a new subset. Welcome to the Hublot-verse, and have yourselves a look at the all-new Square Bang.
This is the first time that Hublot has ever made a square watch but as you can see, it maintains the classic DNA the brand has infused into the Hublot Big Bang and Hublot Classic Fusion lines over the years.
While square in shape, the case is modular in construction with a central housing dressed with an upper and lower plate. This shape initially posed problems with the watch’s water resistance, though Hublot overcame that challenge and guarantees the watch to be resistant to 100m.
Similar to the modular nature of the case, the dial features a sandwich effect. Hublot opted to use sapphire to show off the inner workings of the dial and the brand’s Unico movement. There are six functional screws on the bezel, placed identically to those on the Big Bang. On both sides of the Square Bang are ears from the Big Bang’s case.
The Hublot Square Bang is sized at 42mm (with a rubber over-moulded crown) and features Hublot’s One-Click strap changing system. There are five variations. Three are in solid titanium, black ceramic, or King Gold, and two blend titanium or King Gold with a black ceramic bezel. Each model comes with a black rubber strap and a folding clasp in the same material as the case. They feature the HUB1280 Unico Manufacture movement, with 354 components and a 4Hz beat rate. The Hublot Square Bang ‘All Black’ will be limited – to 250 pieces. It is the only limited edition in the new Square Bang collection.
If I were to have made a list of things to expect for Watches & Wonders this year, this surely would not have been on it. It is an entirely new form factor for Hublot, a brand known for a very specific kind of watch and a very specific kind of shape. We associate square watches with Cartier and TAG Heuer – not Hublot. Or at least we used to. I look forward to seeing how this 42mm watch fits on the wrist because Hublot appears to have made a square watch with rounded sensibilities. It isn’t overly angular and so I think it will wear nicely. From a case-design perspective, this kind of feels like the mechanical answer to the Apple Watch.
I do credit Hublot for managing to retool the shape of its own watch while still maintaining the look and feel of the classic Big Bang. From the bezel to the lugs, it’s all there. You may not have seen this watch before, but you’d know it’s a Hublot.
I love Hublot’s execution of see-through dials, and this looks particularly fun. While the All Black LE is enticing, I have my eyes set on the titanium model. There’s just something about this case shape and the lightness of titanium that has me wanting to seek this one out this week. I hope to report back soon with some more hands-on findings.