andrewluff
[Hublot Moderator]
4089
Feeling the need to be crystal clear.... Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sapphire
I have tried on many clear watches over the years, all the way from costing several million Swiss Francs down to the original Jellyfish Swatch watch (which was one of my first watches and long lost, but I still have good memories wearing it).
Swatch Jellyfish (circa 1985)
Since owning my Jellyfish, there has been nothing that I would actually part with my own money for and enjoy as a permanent part of my collection. OK, there were watches I could see myself wearing but with a price tag not to match my budget! The Hublot Black Sapphire Unico was for a short while in my ownership, but to be honest and as beautiful as it was, it just didn't have that special sparkle that a clear sapphire watch has.
Big Bang Unico Black Sapphire
Released at Basel this year was the new Spirit of Big Bang in Sapphire, would this be the one? I have always been a fan of the Spirit of Big Bang range, but never actually owned one. I know it has always been criticised due to its tonneau shape as being too Richard Mille, I owned an RM11 for many years and I have to say that they are 2 totally different watches on the wrist.
So looking at the new Spirit, what's so special about it?
The case has been milled from 4 individual blocks of sapphire which sparkle very brightly under the light and give a lovely glow to the case when it catches the light from the side, it actually draws your eyes in to frame the skeletonised face beautifully. I have been told that the machining of the case alone takes approximately 100 hours and was also told that any very minor impurities show up in the sapphire once machined which makes that part unusable after this work.
When sapphire cases first came on the market that was a lot of chatter about spending obscene amounts of money on a case which could be smashed or cracked. I didn't know the answer or if this was true or not, so asked this question and was told that this is extremely difficult to do due to the robustness of the design and the processes it has been through. OK, you have to look after it like any other watch, but a small tap will not cause it to shatter like a pane of glass on your wrist!
It is also super scratch resistant and is just under diamond in the vickers scale, I didn't realise until recently that they are actually harder to scratch than their ceramic counterparts. Also unlike my early Jellyfish, the sapphire being made of crystal will not yellow over time or change colour, so the sparkle you get today is the same that you will get in 20 years time.
I am pleased to see that they did not add crystal hands as they did on the Big Bang Unico, these were always difficult to see and I think would not have worked against the movement. Also they fit nicely with the 6 polished rimmed screws around the bezel which catch the light offering a contrast as they float in the sapphire case.
The Spirit collection is powered by the HUB4700 movement, which as we all know is a skeletonised version of the Zenith El Primero. I don't have any issue with this to be honest, it is a tried and tested movement with many accolades. Zenith of course also being owned by LVMH (as with Hublot and Tag Heuer) it actually makes sense for them to use this movement rather than develop a new one or just buying from a third party. I am not sure it can it be defined as in house if produced within the same group... but it is close!
In the past I was actually a little negative about the rotor on the normal range of Spirits, the round rotors just seemed to jump out against the solid metal or ceramic cases. However with the sapphire version, I actually like it... you can see it whirling around and there is no hiding that it is an very nicely finished El Primero. Actually your eye is not as drawn as with the porthole style of case normally found.
It is fitted on a super soft silicone strap which has a frosted finish to it and normal Hublot deployant buckle, I think it is about as good as it gets. To my eye, it actually mirrors the recessed parts of the bezel so I think matches better than on the clear Big Bang Unico for example. I am not sure how the strap will age over time (will it go yellow?) but think that is minor as can easily be changed at any boutique.
So on the wrist, how does it look?
I LIKE IT! There is no denying that it is a quite big watch (45mm), however it hugs the wrist nicely with its curves and the edges of the case disappear into nothing thanks to the transparent sapphire. The original Sapphire Unico had a bit of a plastically feel to it, this watch is totally different and the feeling is that of sheer class. I also like that they did not use sapphire hands on this model, it was always difficult to see them and against this movement it looks just perfect.
There are only going to be 250 produced as a limited edition and I think that it will sell well when it hits the boutiques so customers can get to try this beauty on their wrist.
So what is missing... only an orange chrono hand and it would be perfect 
Cheers
Andrew
More posts:
Feeling the need to be crystal clear.... Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sapphire
I have tried on many clear watches over the years, all the way from costing several million Swiss Francs down to the original Jellyfish Swatch watch (which was one of my first watches and long lost, but I still have good memories wearing it). Swatch Jelly...
You said almost everything
I've never yet tried any sapphire case watches like this, i wore once an MB&F Thunderbolt, but this is definitely a more "conventional" watch. I might say that is a almost sleek, with no tricky colored elements; if you choose the transparent/white mot...
I like the Hublot Sapphire watches...
...thanks a lot for showing this one Andrew! I´ve got the chance to see it in Basel and it was amazing! Cheers! Sascha
Took notice of these sapphires during the release....
But your review really made it much more attractive all of a sudden! Anyway, is it confirmed that the movement is el primero movement?
