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"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without." - Confucius

I love people and brands who in spite of their outstanding performance do not take themselves too seriously – it always reflects a high level of self-confidence. Some of the grooviest models of this years’ Baselworld are definitely Hublot’s. Hublot being the Official Timekeeper of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, dressed up the stand in the theme of football, and anywhere you looked Peles, Mourinhos, Maradonas and complete teams, like Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain looked back at you from very unusual, yet personal pictures. Hublot collaborated with the Fred Merz the Swiss photographer whose talent for portraits is unquestionable. Opening a big heart to lovers of the sport and of course the brand, cheerful footballs painted by the Brazilian artist Romero Britto smiles back from every corner.

Our anticipation to the novelties could not be higher.

 

Big Bang and Spirit of Big Bang collections

The huge Big Bang collection encompassing over one hundred models is an infinite playground of Hublot. From the more reserved “I wanna make serious business today” watches though the “Ferrari-rollin’” style straight to the “rooftop-partying” you may find timepieces for all kinds of tempers or creeds…and wallets, of course.

 

Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono

Official Watch of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ – “Soccer Bang”

In the name of the football, let’s start by the Official Watch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. Hublot took the challenge of delivering the Official Watch of the football mundial by not just repainting a previously sought after timepiece to a yellow-green combination, but by creating a totally game-compliant chronograph. The two retrograde hands on the top move on 120 degrees scales and show 45 minutes with 15 minutes additional time and 60 seconds respectively. When they reach the end of the scale on the right, they jump back to the left. There’s a small aperture on the watch-face displaying if the match is in the 1st half, at half-time, in the 2nd half or finished – operated by the push button at 2 o’clock. The UNICO HUB1260 automatic bi-retrograde central chrono manufacture movement is beating in the watch at 4Hz.

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Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono Official Watch of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ - “Soccer Bang”

 

Hublot Big Bang Pop Art

WANTED: 800 stylish, self-confident, fun-loving individuals with an irresistible affection for fine watches! Hublot has just made a freakstraordinary accessory for you. This year the company reached back to the ’50-60s and took a deep breath from the Pop Art culture of Eduardo Paolozzi, Andy Warhol, Mario Schifano, Yayoi Kusama, Jim Dine and Roy Lichtenstein.

The Pop Art movement was inspired by the sophisticated American mass advertising of the ‘50-60s, developing rather differently in the UK and USA. Looking at the bold, dynamic and suggestive ads of the US that affected the lives of an entire society from a distance, British artists like Eduardo Paolozzi and the Independent Group emphasized the irony lying within these. Their peers in the USA were however living under the direct influence of mass advertising and therefore took a more dramatic, sometimes even aggressive stance. Pop Art coincided with the global boom of pop music resulting in co-operations like the one between Sir Peter Thomas Blake and the Beatles, and later Andy Warhol and the Rolling Stones. Pop Art employed the elements of mass culture and used the everyday commercial imagery and retail labelling as a source.

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Hublot Big Bang Pop Art

The Hublot Big Bang Pop Art is walking the paths paved by the Carbon Bezel Baguette and the Tutti Frutti models: dressing up the unmistakably characteristic lines of Big Bangs in a playful, parrot-coloured gem coat. This time, the dial reflects the visual culture of the ‘60s with bold brushstrokes and garish colours. The hem of numbers and indexes have a jagged run, which recalls the screen of tired CRT televisions. It is not only cool, but also legible – except the date indicator with black numbers on a dark blue disk in a small aperture at 4 o’clock. Well, dates get fuzzy and less important during party time anyway, right?

The Big Bang Pop Art comes in four versions (blue and steel, purple and steel, apple green and gold, pink and gold), all limited to 200 pcs. The blue is adorned with 48 baguette cut topazes, the purple with amethysts, the apple green with tsavorites and the pink with sapphires.

The automatic timepiece is operated by the HUB 4300 chronograph calibre.

 

Hublot Spirit of Big Bang

The manufacture showcased another Basel newcomer, the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang. It is like when the so far unknown, remote cousin from Chicago gets introduced to the rest of the family – he looks different, acts different, but he is exactly the same bloodline.

The tonneau case comes in various flavours (titanium, titanium and ceramic, 18K King Gold, 18K King Gold and ceramic), but they all feature the screws so reminiscent of Big Bangs. The skeletonised HUB 4700 automatic chronograph movement, that is a modified Zenith El Primero, beats at 5 Hz. The case is rather large 51 x 45 mm, yet very comfortable and the timepiece may be ordered in titanium, titanium and ceramic, 18K King Gold or 18K King Gold and ceramic versions.

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Hublot Spirit of Big Bang

 

MP-05 LaFerrari 50 days power reserve

LaFerrari debuted in 2013 and this year the model was brought alive in two new versions: a Microblasted Titanium case with yellow luminescent numbering and a yellow ceramic insert and another Microblasted 18K 3N Gold case with white luminescent numbering and a red ceramic insert. All other features are identical to the original MP-05 we introduced last year.

 

Classic Fusion collection

The Classic Fusion series got extended by five new models and an experimental piece this spring.

 

Classic Fusion Tourbillon Vitrail

Have you ever stared at rose windows in churches or the stained glass windows made in the ‘20s and ‘30s? They are pretty amazing when the sun does its play through them. Hublot took this concept and designed a skeleton watch with translucent red and blue glasses. The plan is that soon you will be able to order the Tourbillon Vitrail with custom colored glass or other materials, such as ceramic, wood or silver. But for now, only 40 of each is made half with titanium case, another with ceramic. The movement is the in-house developed and manufactured manually would HUB6017 with tourbillon.

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Hublot Classic Fusion Tourbillon Vitrail

 

Classic Fusion Cathedral Tourbillon Minute Repeater

In spite of the noise of the elevated mood at Baselworld we could enjoy the nice sound of the Classic Fusion Cathedral Tourbillon Minute Repeater. Following the appearance of the previous model in 2010 a 2 years process commenced to completely remodel and optimize the timepiece. The movement is the HUB8001 with a tourbillon, developed by the brand. It is delivered in 18k King Gold (limited to 50 pcs) or titanium case (limited to 99 pcs) – because of its physical attributes the titanium sounds even louder and cleaner. Since the watch is water resistant until 30m, I was wondering how nice it was to listen to it in the another world of sounds, underwater.

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Hublot Classic Fusion Cathedral Tourbillon Minute Repeater

 

Classic Fusion 8-day power reserve

A very smooth and classical timekeeper with a mere 4.40 mm thickness, which is rather slim compared to the big brothers. The manually-wound HUB1601 movement has an 8-day power reserve, which is indicated at 10 o’clock. Two versions will be at the shops soon, one made of King Gold another of titanium.

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Hublot Classic Fusion 8-day power reserve

 

Classic Fusion Tourbillon Skull

A hot model again with a tourbillon hidden among skulls and bones is the Classic Fusion Tourbillon Skull. The model had a skilful dramaturge and by using materials like ceramic coated aluminium with micro-blasted finish applied by manual sanding, he gave an unease pattern – absolute bulls eye! The movement is the house-made HUB6014 manual engine.

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Hublot Classic Fusion Tourbillon Skull

 

Classic Fusion Skull Pavé

Let’s twist the skull-theme a bit! The Relics exhibition containing the works of Damien Hirst closed late January in Doha, where we were shown a skull set with diamonds called For the Love of God. Another adaptation of the story is the watch presented by Hublot, containing over 5 carats of gemstones. The case is either titanium, or black PVD-treated titanium, with an inverted application of white and black diamonds. Both versions are limited to 50 pcs.

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Hublot Classic Fusion Skull Pavé

 

Classic Fusion Firmament

Let me mention a very exciting experimental piece, where artists used osmium crystal on the entire surface of the dial. Osmium is a very rare metal from depths over 2900 km and is the part of the platinum group. It is the heaviest and densest metal found on Earth. The timepiece received the name “heavens” due to the intense bluish brilliance.

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Hublot Classic Fusion Firmament

 

King Power “Special One”

A special piece to the Special One, Jose Mourinho, was shown who has been the friend of the brand. The huge 48mm diameter King Power has a sporty design and the dark blue carbon fibre catches the eye. Instead of coloring the surface of the carbon fibre once afterwards, the color is directly integrated in the fibres in the mould and gets pressurized, therefore the color is within the carbon fibre. (The same procedure with red and yellow colors was used in the two new versions of the LaFerrari.) The movement is the HUB1240 self-winding Unico Manufacture Flyback Chronograph. The timepiece has a titanium and a King Gold version.

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Hublot King Power "Special One"

 

Photo credits: Hublot, Loupiosity.com.
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